Chairman's Office

Daryl "Doug" Gardipe is the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony (RSIC) Tribal Chairman. Proud of his Paiute and Washoe heritage, Chairman Gardipe has a powerful presence about him.

Chairman Gardipe was sworn-in as Tribal Chairman on December 13, 2023. Prior the being elected as Tribal Chairman, he had 13 years of Tribal Council experience; 8 of the 13 years he served as Vice-Chairman. He was first elected into Tribal Council in December 2000. 

As Vice-Chairman, he productively managed the day-to-day operations of the tribe which included presiding over council meetings, working with administration, members of council, and other local governments. 

Gardipe's Terms of Office from 2000-2001, 2001-2005, 2005-2009, and 2015-2019. He acted as the Vice-Chairman for 2 terms, 2005-2009 and 2015-2019. 

While in office, he was a part of the decision making to invest and acquire major economic opportunities for RSIC. Which included the Walmart on East Second Street, multiple car dealerships on South Virginia Street and the Reno-Sparks Tribal Health Center. And as the Head Start Liaison to the Tribal Council, Gardipe helped transition the Head Start Program from Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada (ITCN) to RSIC. 

He also dedicated 25 years to working for RSIC at Public Works Dept. as the Utilities Supervisor. As the Utilities Supervisor, Chairman Gardipe received a State Award from the Nevada Rural Water Association as the "Water Operator of the Year".

Furthermore, Chairman Gardipe benefited RSIC by being a member of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada and becoming state delegates for the Democratic Party 2005. He also served as a Committeeman on the Truckee River Fund in 2006.  

As well as serving 2 consecutive years as the President of the Three Nations Managment (TNM) Board from 2021-2023 to oversee the Cannabis operations for the Colony Enterprise Authority / RSIC.

Chairman Gardipe values community input and ideas from tribal members on how to make improvements to services. 

As Chairman, his priorities include economic development, building homes for tribal members, inclusion of language & culture daily, community safety, protection of sacred sites, protecting RSIC's tribal sovereignty and maintaining relationships with county, city, state and federal governments.  

Chairman Gardipe is a veteran of the United States Marine Corp. He’s also a former little league coach. He’s an avid hunter and fisherman, and enjoys spending his free time traveling and camping with his grandkids and wife, Darlene Gardipe.