Full Name
Chief Stephen R. Adkins
Business Title
Principal Chief
Company
Chickahominy Indian Tribe
Speaker Bio
Chief Stephen R. Adkins has served as Principal Chief of the Chickahominy Indian Tribe since 2001, providing visionary leadership that has strengthened tribal governance, preserved the Tribe's rich cultural heritage, and expanded opportunities for future generations. The Chickahominy people have lived along the Chickahominy River in Virginia for thousands of years and were among the first Indigenous peoples encountered by the English settlers at Jamestown in 1607. Chief Adkins played a leading role in securing federal recognition for the Chickahominy Tribe through the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act, signed into law in 2018, culminating generations of perseverance and advocacy by Virginia's Native peoples.
A graduate of Bacone College and Virginia Commonwealth University, Chief Adkins enjoyed distinguished careers with DuPont, where he served for forty years, and with the Commonwealth of Virginia, retiring as Chief Deputy Director of the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management after serving under Governors Tim Kaine and Bob McDonnell. His lifelong commitment to public service is reflected in his leadership on numerous civic and educational organizations. He serves on the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees, the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, and as First Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Argent Federal Credit Union. He has also served on the Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission, the American Evolution Steering Committee, the Charles City County School Board for more than twenty years, and as a founding Board Member of the Chesapeake Conservancy.
A devoted man of faith, Chief Adkins serves as a Deacon and Sunday School teacher at Samaria Baptist Church and as First Vice President of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. His Christian faith, together with his commitment to family and community service, has been a guiding influence throughout his life and leadership. A respected advocate for Native American history, tribal sovereignty, and historic preservation, Chief Adkins has represented the Chickahominy Tribe before Congress and has spoken extensively on Indigenous history and the enduring legacy of Virginia's first peoples. His presentations inspire audiences to better understand America's first inhabitants and the importance of preserving authentic places, cultures, and traditions for future generations. Chief Adkins and his wife, Eunice, have been blessed with five children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
A graduate of Bacone College and Virginia Commonwealth University, Chief Adkins enjoyed distinguished careers with DuPont, where he served for forty years, and with the Commonwealth of Virginia, retiring as Chief Deputy Director of the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management after serving under Governors Tim Kaine and Bob McDonnell. His lifelong commitment to public service is reflected in his leadership on numerous civic and educational organizations. He serves on the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees, the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, and as First Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Argent Federal Credit Union. He has also served on the Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission, the American Evolution Steering Committee, the Charles City County School Board for more than twenty years, and as a founding Board Member of the Chesapeake Conservancy.
A devoted man of faith, Chief Adkins serves as a Deacon and Sunday School teacher at Samaria Baptist Church and as First Vice President of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. His Christian faith, together with his commitment to family and community service, has been a guiding influence throughout his life and leadership. A respected advocate for Native American history, tribal sovereignty, and historic preservation, Chief Adkins has represented the Chickahominy Tribe before Congress and has spoken extensively on Indigenous history and the enduring legacy of Virginia's first peoples. His presentations inspire audiences to better understand America's first inhabitants and the importance of preserving authentic places, cultures, and traditions for future generations. Chief Adkins and his wife, Eunice, have been blessed with five children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
