Ernest Vargas, Jr.

Ernest Vargas, Jr. is a descendent of the Tumpisa Shoshone people and Founding Director at KOSO Strategies LLC. He grew up hunting and fishing in the Owens Valley living on the Bishop Paiute Shoshone Reservation.

He has 20 years of experience working in Indian Country and is currently the Executive Director of Administration for the Wilton Rancheria. Prior to working with Wilton Rancheria, he spent the last 7 years as the Tribal Administrator and previous 2 years as the Finance Director for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. As the Tribal Administrator, Mr. Vargas developed an organizational culture of success and community empowerment through the creation and implementation of creative programs and services designed to strengthen families and help remove social and economic barriers of the Tribal Membership. His vision of Nation Building was instilled in him by his mentors and believes that in order to create strong Tribal communities, you have to empower individuals to thrive.

Previous to his roles at Shingle Springs and Wilton Rancheria, Mr. Vargas was a Financial Advisor at Waddell and Reed and was the Finance Director for the Owens Valley Career Development Center. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Finance from UMUC.

He is happily married with two daughters and has a 4 year old grandson. During his free time he enjoys hunting, fishing, and attending his daughter’s sports activities.