Gary Pace

BUSINESS COMMITTEE MEMBER, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians

ELECTED IN 2004, Gary Pace serves as a Business Committee member having been re-elected every two years since being nominated to run for the tribal leadership board in a special election nearly 20 years ago.

Coming from a long line of tribal leaders, Pace credits both his parents, Jimmy and Rosa Pace, for instilling in him an appreciation to be of service to others.

Growing up on the Santa Ynez Chumash Reservation, Pace attended local schools and trade schools where he trained to be a heavy equipment operator and welder. After a successful career in construction, Pace has since retired to focus on his work with the Business Committee. An active family man, Pace, along with his wife Ruth, take the time to teach their family's next generation of the importance of Chumash culture, traditions, and self-reliance.

While a member of the tribe's leadership team, Pace has provided oversight for notable tribal projects, including the resurgence of the tribe's native language, Samala, the casino expansion project in 2016, and the purchase of Camp 4 in 2010 and the successful legislation that placed Camp 4 in trust in 2020. Pace continues to lead and serve his tribal community so future generations can understand the importance of tribal sovereignty and self-governance.