Troy Dry grew up in Seneca, Missouri and received his Bachelors’ in Business Administration at Missouri Southern prior to the ongoing completion of his graduate studies at Missouri State in Springfield, MO. Troy settled in Grove, Oklahoma to be near his son, Andre.  Dry is most passionate about his family: “My son is my motivation. He is why I do what I do.”

Dry accepted the role of  Executive Director of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation in December 2019.   In this position, he is responsible for the supervision and support of all Seneca-Cayuga Nation employees responsible for program execution while maintaining oversight of our tribal grant applications and the management of grant resources.  His position gives him a unique perspective regarding the needs of the nation. He communicated some of his first priorities when we sat down recently: “For our Nation to thrive as a community, we must continue to develop a healthy mindset towards development, growth and employment.  The more we focus on how the work we do contributes to the well-being of those around us, the more our community will thrive.” Troy’s goal is for each person he meets with to share an inspiring vision for the future of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. The intent being, “when we can all be on the same page, have aligned values and work in the same direction… we can achieve any goal we choose.”  

Dry is working to bring the community together and actively seeks feedback from tribal members about decisions that affect all Seneca-Cayuga people.  He believes getting people around the table promotes unity, clarity and advances the idea of joined agreement. “Once we are clear on what we want to accomplish, we can run freely in the same direction.” Dry commented on the focal point over the next few years: “We are prioritizing education. We want to see our community develop individual skill sets benefitting both the individual, and their families’ needs. We also want to see an increase in businesses coming into our Nations’ tribe.”

Dry expressed the importance of fostering a greater sense of sustainability amongst the tribe itself, offering longevity for generations to come: “Fifty percent of the individuals employed at the Seneca-Cayuga Nation are tribal members who choose to invest their efforts here for the long-term benefit and legacy of our tribe.  We are able to see the direct link between our work and the positive impact on SCN families. We are passionate about creating a better future for our community and our children.” Troy credits his son for inspiring him to advance the cause for all Seneca-Cayuga people and states “the work we do at the Nation is about empowering and resourcing tribal members to build a legacy of care, community and success.  This is how we create legacies for future generations, healthy families and sustain a thriving Nation.” 

Dry attributes much of his success to the educational assistance provided by the Seneca-Cayuga Nation and is already encouraging his son to attend college when the time comes: “Having access to education benefits has opened up many doors for me, from my first break-in job here at the tribe to the position I hold now.” 

When asked about his  favorite leadership quote, Dry shared: “Never permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure.” We all have a job to do, and there is certainly always pressure to perform.  If all we do is worry, however, the passion for our work will fade. “Ultimately, it’s not about what we do… it’s about our capacity to do good and who we do it for.”  

“I don’t really get tired...” Dry emphasized: “... I know my motivation influences the drive I have to work, I know the work I do is  impacting my son’s future and the future of other Seneca-Cayuga families for generations to come.”