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Cherokee Nation Businesses CEO Chuck Garrett reports steady month, flags federal contracting slowdown and FY26 budget work
Summary
Chuck Garrett, CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses, told the Tribal Council the business arm had a solid month, is finalizing the FY26 budget and is seeing a temporary slowdown in federal contracting opportunities due to turnover in contracting officer positions; he also noted cultural partnerships and the Cherokee Homecoming Art Show.
Chuck Garrett, CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses (CNB), updated the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council on business operations, budget timing and federal contracting activity at Monday’s meeting.
Garrett said the organization was “having a good, a solid month” and that CNB’s teams were focused on finishing the fiscal year and preparing the FY26 budget: “We have what, six weeks left in our fiscal year… we’re putting pencils to paper over the next month. We'll be finalizing the FY26 budget.”
He told the council the federal contracting market — a core area for CNB — has been disrupted by turnover in contracting officer positions in Washington, D.C., slowing new awards and opportunities: “Because of a lot of the disruption and turmoil and change… the volume of opportunities has been off. Now we think that will, at some point, catch up with itself.” Garrett said CNB is actively pursuing opportunities and expects improvement as federal staffing stabilizes.
Garrett also described cultural partnerships and events: CNB is working with the National Museum of the American Indian on an instructional resource titled Native Women Leading the Way, and CNB had just opened the 30th annual Cherokee Homecoming Art Show at Cherokee Springs Plaza’s gallery, running through Sept. 6.
During the council exchange, members thanked CNB for leadership and stability; Garrett thanked councilors and noted CNB’s workforce of roughly 10,000 employees. Garrett’s remarks were informational; the transcript does not contain detailed financial statements or the FY26 budget documents, which he said will be reported in full at a future meeting.
Garrett’s report covers operational context and planning; contracting and budget details will be finalized in upcoming internal and council briefings.
