My name is Eastman "Kelly" Switch, and I am a proud enrolled member of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.  I serve as a public servant and entrepreneur.  Since 1991, I have held various appointed positions on numerous boards and commissions within the Absentee Shawnee Tribal government.  I believe that true leadership begins with service, responsibility, and dedication to the people we serve.

I am speaking here not as a single person, but as a reflection of my family and the values they taught me.  I will continue the legacy of my father, Herbert Switch.  My mother, Gwen Butler Switch, is a strong and resilient woman who helped shape who I am today.  I am proud to be part of the Raccoon Clan of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe and the Bear Clan of the Sac and Fox Nation, as well as the White Turkey Band and Big Jim Band.  To me, this is more than family history—it is identity, responsibility, and a commitment to honor those who came before us while building a better future for those who come after.

It’s been a part of my life to be a civil servant supporting the warfighter and national defense for the United States Air Force.  I spent over two decades as a Department of the Air Force civil servant with nine assignments before retiring as an industrial engineering technician specializing in jet engine operations and maintenance.  That experience taught me precision, accountability, and the importance of completing the mission.

I hold two A.A.S. degrees from Rose State College and a B.B.A. from the University of Central Oklahoma, and I've carried that foundation into tribal governance, banking, municipal leadership, and business as a bank board director, mayor of the Town of Johnson, a member of the Thunderbird Casino Enterprise Board, and owner of two small Oklahoma businesses.