Prince George, B.C.-The McLeod Lake Indian Band will be electing a new Chief  as Derek Orr has announced he will not be seeking re-election.

Chief Orr has worked for the Band  since 2002 and was first elected  Chief in  2008.  He was re-elected in 2011 and again in 2014.

Since that time,   the Band has  cleared $18 million dollars  of debt,  launched Duz Cho Logging, and most recently Duz Cho Forest  Products  developed  a mill that  uses  wood which  other wise would  have been waste.

The cant mill  has 30  employees and  Chief Orr   says it is hoped that will grow  to  40   in the near future.

Orr has just recently  gone public with  his decision not to seek re-election,  saying   “it is time for something new.”

Chief Orr says  he is looking to transition the experience he has  gained, and  skills  he has developed over the past  9 years into a new direction.  He told  delegates  at the recent Natural Resource  Forum  in Prince George   he hopes to  become a “deal maker”.