{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Christopher Deschene | image = Chris Deschene Photo.jpg | office = Member of the<br>Arizona House of Representatives<br>from the 2nd district | term_start = January 2009 | term_end = January 2011 | preceded = Albert Tom | succeeded = Albert Hale | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1970}} | birth_place = California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | alma_mater = {{nowrap|U.S. Naval Academy (B.S.)<br/>Arizona State University (M.S.)<br>Arizona State University (J.D.)}} | allegiance = {{flag|United States}} | branch = {{flagicon|United States Marine Corps}} Marine Corps }}

'''Christopher L. Clark Deschene''' is an American politician, attorney, and energy development expert.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://energy.gov/indianenergy/articles/christopher-clark-deschene-announced-doe-office-indian-energy-director|title=Christopher Clark Deschene Announced as DOE Office of Indian Energy Director|date=2015-05-19|website=Energy.gov|access-date=2017-12-10}}</ref> A member of the Navajo Nation, Deschene was the Democratic Party's candidate for Secretary of State in Arizona in 2010, and served as a Department of Energy official in the Barack Obama administration.<ref name="cdaz"/><ref name="nvtimes"/>

==Biography== Deschene was born in California,<ref name="azstate"/> but moved with his parents, a homemaker from Dennehotso, Arizona, and a welder from Tuba City, Arizona. Deschene spent his youth in LeChee, Arizona, and attended high school in Page, Arizona.<ref name="cdaz"/> After graduating from high school in 1989, Deschene attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://energy.gov/articles/qa-office-indian-energy-director-chris-deschene|title=Q&A with Office of Indian Energy Director Chris Deschene|website=Energy.gov|access-date=2017-12-10}}</ref> He was deployed on several missions overseas, including the Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia.<ref name="azstate"/> After completing two tours of active duty, Deschene continued on as a reservist for a total of 10 years of military service.<ref name=":1" />

After leaving the Marines, Deschene earned a Juris Doctor from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, and a Master's of Science degree in engineering from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chris-deschene-joins-national-law-firm-rosette-llp-as-a-partner-in-washington-dc-office-300470475.html|title=Chris Deschene Joins National Law Firm Rosette, LLP As A Partner In Washington, D.C. Office|last=LLP|first=Rosette|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en|access-date=2017-12-10}}</ref>

His grandfather was a Navajo code talker during World War II.<ref name="code" />

==Career== He subsequently co-founded Law Office of Schaff & Clark Deschene, specializing in questions of energy infrastructure.<ref name="azstate" /> Deschene worked at this firm for a decade before joining the Obama administration in 2015.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rosettelaw.com/professionals/chris-deschene/|title=Chris Deschene – Rosette, LLP|website=www.rosettelaw.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-11}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Deschene served as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011, representing District 2. He was member of both the Committee for Natural Resources and Rural Affairs and the Committee for Water and Energy. Prior to his election to the legislature, he was the chair of the Apache County Democratic Party from 2007 to 2008 and the chair of the Native American Democratic Caucus.<ref name="azstate" />

In 2010, he won the Democratic Party's nomination for Secretary of State, beating Sam Wercinski with 62.7% vs. 37.3% of the votes.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/10/30/359902026/navajo-nation-presidential-candidate-suspends-campaign|title=Navajo Nation Presidential Candidate Suspends Campaign|last=Ahtone|first=Tristain|date=2014-10-30|work=NPR.org|access-date=2017-12-10|language=en}}</ref> He lost the general election to Ken Bennett.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Christopher_Deschene|title=Christopher Deschene - Ballotpedia|access-date=2017-12-11|language=en-US}}</ref>

In the Navajo Nation presidential election of 2015, he ran for president of the Navajo Nation, though he was later disqualified by the Navajo Nation Office of Hearings and Appeals for failing to show fluency in the Navajo language.<ref name="nvtimes" /><ref name=":3" />

In 2015, Deschene joined the United States Department of Energy as the director for the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, serving under Secretary Ernest Moniz.<ref name=":0" /> He served in the role through the end of the administration and aided in the transition effort.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://energy.gov/indianenergy/contributors/christopher-clark-deschene|title=Christopher Clark Deschene {{!}} Department of Energy|website=energy.gov|access-date=2017-12-11}}</ref>

In June 2017, he joined Rosette, LLP as a partner in their Washington, D.C. office, where he practices energy law.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://navajotimes.com/rezpolitics/deschene-joins-d-c-law-firm-work-energy-development/|title=Deschene joins D.C. law firm to work in energy development - Navajo Times|last=Allen|first=Krista|date=2017-06-09|work=Navajo Times|access-date=2017-12-10|language=en-US}}</ref>

==References== <references>

<ref name="cdaz">[http://descheneforarizona.com/ descheneforarizona.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202110800/http://descheneforarizona.com/ |date=February 2, 2011 }}. Campaign website. Accessed 2010-10-10.</ref> <ref name="nvtimes">[http://www.navajotimes.com/politics/election2010/082610azprimary.php Arizona Diné fare well in primary.] Navajo Times. 2010-08-26. Accessed 2010-10-10.</ref> <ref name="azstate">[http://www.azleg.gov/memberspage.asp?member_id=56&legislature=49#bio Christopher Deschene.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091121064225/http://www.azleg.gov/MembersPage.asp?Member_ID=56&legislature=49#bio |date=2009-11-21 }} Biography. Arizona State Legislature. Accessed 2010-10-10.</ref> <ref name="code">{{cite web |url=http://descheneforarizona.com/bio.htm |title=About Chris |publisher=Descheneforarizona.com |access-date=October 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607040117/http://descheneforarizona.com/bio.htm |archive-date=June 7, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Deschene, Chris}} Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party members of the Arizona House of Representatives Category:Navajo Nation politicians Category:Navajo lawyers Category:United States Naval Academy alumni Category:United States Marine Corps officers Category:People from Tuba City, Arizona Category:1970 births Category:21st-century Native American politicians Category:21st-century members of the Arizona State Legislature