Bob Whitener

As owner and managing member of The Whitener Group, Bob Whitener has over 30 years of experience working with tribal governments and enterprises within Indian Country. Bob has a Bachelor's degree with an emphasis on business management and a Masters of Public Administration.

Bob served as the CEO/Board President for Island Enterprises Inc. (IEI) for over 8 years. IEI is the economic development corporation for the Squaxin Island Tribe. At IEI, Bob handled all aspects of the corporation from its incorporation to its growth to nearly 100 million dollars in gross sales and 10 million dollars in net revenues. IEI created, acquired & managed a variety of tribal, state and international corporations. During his tenure at IEI, he created the Skookum Creek Tobacco Co. and quickly achieved profitability despite many roadblocks including state and private opposition.

Bob also has a deep understanding of the relationship between tribal economic activities and governance. Prior to creating IEI, Bob served for over 6 years as the Executive Director of the Squaxin Island Tribe. This entailed the management of the Tribe’s governmental programs, management of over 100 staff members and providing policy guidance to the Tribal Council.

In addition to having run tribal corporations and government; he has extensive experience in the areas of natural resources management, finance administration, human resources systems, tribal-state compact negotiations, policy development, and federal negotiations. Bob is an enrolled member of the Squaxin Island Tribe.