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The nine-member Tribal Council, elected for four-year staggered terms effective October 2005, has all executive and legislative responsibilities of the Tribe not granted to the Council of Elders pursuant to the Tribe's Constitution. The Chair serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Tribe. The Tribal Council enacts Tribal laws.
(Back row, left to right)
William Quidgeon Jr., Councilor;
James Gessner Jr., Corresponding Secretary;
Cheryl A. Todd, Councilor;
Mark F. Brown, Ambassador;
Thayne D. Hutchins Jr., Treasurer
(Front row, left to right)
Allison D. Johnson, Recording Secretary;
Bruce “Two Dogs” Bozsum, Vice Chairman;
Lynn Malerba, Chairwoman;
Kathy Regan-Pyne, Councilor
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Lynn Malerba, Chairwoman
Lynn Malerba brings decades of managerial experience to the Tribal Council. As Director and later Executive Director of the Tribe’s Health and Human Services department from 1997 until 2005, she was responsible for the development of the department and the programs that directly benefit the membership. Prior to her employment with the Tribe, Malerba held director and manager positions with Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London, Connecticut, and currently serves on its Board of Directors. She also holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy. Malerba is following in the footsteps of her mother Loretta Roberge, a Tribal “Nonner” (experienced woman of respect and admiration) and former member of the Tribal Council who was involved in the Tribe’s petition for federal recognition which was realized in 1994. She resides in Uncasville with her husband Paul, and they have two daughters, Elizabeth and Angela.
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Bruce “Two Dogs” Bozsum, Vice Chairman
Bruce "Two Dogs" Bozsum was first elected to the Tribal Council in 2004. He won re-election to the Tribal Council in 2005 and served as Chairman from 2005 to 2009. As an appointed ceremonial Pipe Carrier, he has played a vital part in significant life events for members of the Mohegan Tribe. He is also a self-taught, indigenous musician. Prior to taking his position on the Tribal Council, he served as the Manager of Cultural and Community Programs for the Tribe, responsible for educational outreach programs, the annual Wigwam Festival and Cultural Week. He lives with his wife Kelly and their eight children in Rhode Island.
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Allison D. Johnson, Recording Secretary
Allison D. Johnson was first elected to the Tribal Council in 2005, and has taken an active part in Tribal affairs since relocating to Connecticut from California in 2000. Prior to joining the Tribal Council, she worked in Human Resources management for both the Tribal government and Mohegan Sun. Her background also includes management positions in commercial retail and leasing, and she has experience in employment law. Johnson currently serves on the Audit Committee for the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA), and is a member of the board of the Connecticut Sun Foundation, a charitable alliance with the women’s professional basketball team which is dedicated to improving the lives of Connecticut’s youth through athletic and educational endeavors. She is a graduate of Miramar College in San Diego, California with a degree in liberal arts.
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James Gessner Jr., Corresponding Secretary
Now serving his second term on the Tribal Council, James Gessner is responsible for communications between the Tribal Council and Tribal membership. He also serves as Co-Chairman for the Sachem Fund, an organization dedicated to re-development in the Tribe’s neighboring town of Norwich, and is a member of the Audit Committee for the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA). Gessner holds a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, and prior to his terms on the Council he held executive positions at Mohegan Sun in the Marketing and Player Development divisions. He resides in Waterford, Connecticut with his wife Carol and children Nicholas and Nola.
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Thayne D. Hutchins Jr., Treasurer
Thayne D. Hutchins, Jr. has served on the Tribal Council since 2007. He is well prepared for his position as Treasurer, having worked for six years in the finance department of the Mohegan Tribe. As a staff accountant, Hutchins’ business skills were employed in a variety of responsibilities, including the analysis and monitoring of the Tribe’s wide-ranging financial concerns. Hutchins graduated Magna Cum Laude from Eastern Connecticut State University, holding a B.A. in Economics with a concentration in accounting. He is a board member of SECTER (Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region) and also serves on the Audit Committee of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA). Hutchins resides in Hampton, Connecticut with his wife Angela and children Madeleine and Thayne.
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Mark F. Brown, Ambassador
Elected to the first Tribal Council following the Mohegan Tribe’s federal recognition, Brown has served continuously since 1995. A direct descendant of the renowned Mohegan Chief Matahga and the son of Tribal Nonner Pauline Brown, he was actively involved in the Mohegan Tribe’s efforts to achieve federal recognition, leaving a career in law enforcement to devote himself full-time to the Mohegan people. Brown was Chairman of the Tribal Council from 2000-2005 at a time which saw the completion of the one billion dollar Project Sunburst expansion that made Mohegan Sun one of the world’s top destination resorts. He currently serves on numerous boards both nationally and also in the local area, and serves as the Chairman of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority’s Audit Committee. Brown resides in Montville and is the proud father of three sons.
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William Quidgeon Jr., Councilor
William Quidgeon, Jr. is serving his second term on the Tribal Council, having first been elected in 2005, and serving as the Council’s treasurer from 2005 to 2009. After relocating from New York State, Mr. Quidgeon initially worked in management for the Engineering Department of Mohegan Sun. He later became a Senior Project Manager for the Mohegan Tribal Development Department, where he was responsible for renovations and construction within the casino and for the Tribal government; and also was the Board Chairman of Mohegan Information Technology Group, a limited liability company. He currently serves as Co-Chairman for the Sachem Fund, an organization dedicated to redevelopment in the Tribe’s neighboring town of Norwich, and is a member of the Audit Committee for the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA).
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Cheryl A. Todd, Councilor
Cheryl A. Todd was elected to the Tribal Council in 2007, after spending several years as Executive Assistant to the Tribal Chairman. Her experience in that position gained her a wide working knowledge of the Tribal government and Mohegan Sun. Outside the reservation, she was in touch with government officials at the federal, state, and local levels, and throughout the sovereign nations of Indian Country. Todd has also served on the Mohegan Strategic Planning Committee and the Mohegan Election Committee. Prior to her employment with the Tribe, Todd held multiple positions at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut.
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Kathy Regan-Pyne, Councilor
Newly elected to the Tribal Council in 2009, Kathy Regan-Pyne brings a wide-ranging professional background to her position, with experience in human resources management, budgeting and financial management, and marketing. She worked for several years in the insurance industry, holding management positions at both Lincoln Financial Group and Cigna Property & Casualty. More recently she has worked as Career Development Manager for the Mohegan Tribe, working with Tribal members to maximize their professional potential, with a special focus on working with Tribal youth in the Professional Development Program. An avid sports fan and former professional basketball player, she is a member of the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the New Britain Athletic Hall of Fame. She is a charter member of the Eastern Connecticut State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Regan-Pyne lives in Marlborough, Connecticut with her husband Roy.
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Each
member of the Tribal Council also serves as a member of the Management Board of
the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority.
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