The Mohegan Tribal Council
The Tribal Council, elected for four-year staggered terms, 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. Each member of the Tribal Council also serves as a member of the Management Board of Mohegan (corporate).
James Gessner Jr., Chairman
As Chairman, James Gessner Jr. is responsible for maintaining the sovereignty that the Mohegan Tribe fought hundreds of years for, overseeing its numerous business entities and ensuring the well-being of its more than 2,300+ Tribal citizens. In his role, Gessner also serves as Chairman of the Mohegan Management Board, which oversees gaming entities across the country, as well as our WNBA professional sports team, the Connecticut Sun.
Gessner was first elected to the Tribal Council in 2005 and served as Vice Chairman before becoming Chairman. 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, CT, with his wife, Carol, and daughter, Nola. He also has an adult son, Nicholas; a daughter-in-law, Christina; and a grandson, Carter.
Sarah E. Harris, Vice Chairwoman
Sarah Harris has served on the Tribal Council since 2017. Previously, she was an attorney in the Washington D.C. area representing Native American Tribes, Tribal entities, and Tribal organizations. In 2010, she was named Special Assistant to the Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, working closely with the US DOJ to defend agency determinations and advance proactive litigation for Tribal Nations. In 2013, she received a presidential appointment as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs. In this role, she supported and pursued policies that respect and support Tribal sovereignty, restore Tribal homelands, and strengthen Tribal communities.
Harris currently serves as Secretary of the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET)/USET Sovereignty Protection Fund and is a member of the Native American Visiting Committee, advising the Dartmouth College President on Native American issues at the college. She was a 2016 recipient of the National Center for American Enterprise Development’s “Native American 40 Under 40” award. Harris has a J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law, and a B.A. in Native American Studies from Dartmouth College.
Kim M. Baker, Recording Secretary
Kim M. Baker has served on the Tribal Council since 2023. Prior to her term, Baker worked for the Tribe for more than 27 years in a variety of roles, most recently working in the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Commission for over 20 years. She also served on the Tribe’s Athletic Regulations department for over 16 years. Over the years, Baker has volunteered to serve on multiple boards and committees, including the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut, as a Board of Directors member at the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, and the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, among others. Baker currently resides in Oakdale, CT, with her husband and is the mother of two adult children.
Chuck Harris, Corresponding Secretary
Chuck Harris has served on the Tribal Council since 2025. Prior to his role on Tribal Council, Harris served in senior management roles at Mohegan Sun, Mohegan (corporate), and the Mohegan Tribe. He also has 18 years of senior management experience at a Fortune 75 company and served for 20 years in the Army National Guard. Most recently, he was Director of Information Technology at Mohegan. As director, he managed the daily IT operations of Mohegan Sun, reporting directly to the President and General Manager of Mohegan Sun. Additionally, Harris previously served as Chair of the Mohegan Tribal Housing Authority and continues to serve as a member of the Mohegan Tribe’s Veterans’ Association. Harris lives with his wife, Kathleen, and has two adult sons, Matthew and Michael.
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 many 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 Chair of the Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment Audit Committee, Vice President of the Eastern Workforce Innovation Board (EWIB), and a board member of Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region (SECTER) and the CT Business and Industry Association (CBIA). Hutchins resides in Hampton, CT, with his wife Angela and children Madeleine and Thayne.
Mark F. Brown, Ambassador
Mark F. Brown was first elected to the first Tribal Council in 1995. He was actively involved in the Tribe’s efforts to achieve Federal Recognition which allowed the Tribe to provide benefits to its members and launch its business ventures. A direct descendant of the renowned Mohegan Chief Matagha and the son of the late Tribal Nonner Pauline Brown, he left his career in Law Enforcement to devote himself full-time to the Tribe. Brown was Chairman of the Tribal Council from 2000-2005. During this time, the Tribe built a casino in Pennsylvania and began the process for the Cowlitz Tribe to develop a resort casino in Washington State. Additionally, he and the Council at the time oversaw the completion of Mohegan Sun’s one-billion-dollar Project Sunburst expansion. He has been involved in almost every major decision that has affected the Tribe for the last 25+ years. Brown is the proud father of three sons and resides in Lisbon, CT with his wife, Mary.
John G. Harris, Councilor
John G. Harris has served on the Tribal Council since 2019. Harris began his career as a contractor and small business owner. Later, Harris worked for Pfizer, serving in a wide variety of managerial operational roles in his over 30-year career there. In 2013, he began working for Mohegan Sun as the Engineering Grounds Supervisor, where he oversaw the daily operations of the grounds team. Harris has been active for many years with both his local and Tribal community. He has held the role of Chairman of the Mohegan Tribal Housing Authority for over two decades, and he currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Nature Conservancy, on the Board of Directors of the Norwich Community Development Corporation (NCDC). From 2009-2019, he was a Site Operations Director for the Preston Redevelopment Agency and was Chairman of the Preston Housing Authority from 2007 to 2017. He resides in Preston, CT, with his wife, Cindy, and is the proud father to one daughter, two step-children, and grandfather to two grandchildren.
Terry Hammel, Councilor
Terry Hammel has served on the Tribal Council since 2025. Hammel has decades of varied experience working for the Mohegan Tribe, including as a Resident Services Manager, Social Services Specialist, Cultural & Community Program Coordinator, and Education Programs Coordinator. Hammel also served on several Tribal committees and boards, including the Burial Committee, Board of Education, Youth Financial Planning Team, Election Committee, and Wigwam Festival Committee, in addition to volunteering as a Peacekeeper. She is passionate about ensuring the future of the Mohegan Tribe for generations to come. Hammel lives with her husband, Dave, and has an adult daughter, Leah, and an adult son, Alec.
