TRIBAL MEMBER NEWS
Jackson Receives IHS Director’s
Award for 2002
Tribal member Fonda Jackson was
honored in Washington, D.C., on Nov.
21, 2002, as a recipient of the IHS
Director’s Award for 2002. Fonda is the
daughter of Elouise Case.
These awards represent the
dedication and labor of employees of
the Indian Health Service, whose work
makes a difference in the lives of our
friends, families, and the people they
serve. Awards are given for individual
and team efforts - also the award
represents a host of employees and
support staff who make it possible for
these achievements to take place.
Cheryl A. Bittie, director of the
Office of Health Programs, was the
nominating official who recognized
Fonda’s exceptional initiative and
leadership for the period of October
1998 to October 2002:
Mrs. Jackson assumed the
leadership of the Division of Infor
mation Resources Management in a
time it was in great transition. Several
staff members had departed and she
became a manager at a time of change.
She determined the staffing needed to
provide the services utilized by an
ambulatory health care program in a
three-state area.
Her first success was as she guided
the area through the year 2000 effort.
The Portland area had zero Y2K-
relatedfailures of systems. This was the
beginning of her labors to build and
expand the information systems in the
Portland area. Mrs. Jackson selected
training and learning activities so that
the staff would be fully functioning
programmers and assistants that served
the health care customer. She was
instrumental in exploring new
technologies that enhanced the systems
in data collection, third-party billing,
and clinic management.
She and her staff developed
infrastructure, such as e-mail, Internet
access, and updated hardware and
software, that allow the Portland area
to assume new challenges. She has
provided leadership in all phases of
data management, both with the federal
and tribal programs. Her work has
resulted in an information system that
provides management and clinical
John Melvin Youngman
1922-2002
On Dec. 14, 2002, John Melvin
Youngman was surrounded by family
as he left to meet the Great Creator of
heaven and earth. He was born to
Lucille Whitright and Julius Youngman
in Poplar, Mont., on April 13, 1922.
He leaves a daughter, Vicki A.
Youngman Dugger, and son-in-law, John
Dugger; grandson, David C. Lemery;
great-grandsons, Devyn Lemery,
Michael Lemery, Joshua Lemery; and
one great-granddaughter, Melissa Ann
Fonda Jackson
support and expands service delivery
that was unknown five years previously.
She has been on the cutting edge of
technology and has expected her staff
to be the same. As a result, the Portland
area has an excellent reputation among
private and public partners for reliable
information and has been recognized
by accrediting bodies and other
reviewers for the strength of its health
care management systems. The
leadership shown by Mrs. Jackson has
been a major factor in these successes.
Congratulations, Fonda!
Payne Graduates from Beau
Monde College of Hair Design
Danielle Payne
Congratulations go out to
Danielle Payne, who graduated in
January 2003 from Beau Monde
College of Hair Design.
Danielle moved to Portland, Ore.,
from Siletz in June 2001 to pursue a
career in hair design. She is one of
many Toledo High School students
who received a scholarship through
her high school and also received
funds from the Siletz Tribal Adult
Vocational Program.
Along with Danielle’s family and
friends, the Siletz Education Program
would like to extend our congrat
ulations to her for successfully
completing her hair design program.
We wish you the very best in the future.
Lemery, all of Broken Arrow, Okla.; a
niece, Beverly Youngman of Siletz, Ore.;
and cousins Myrna and Faye Youngman
of Poplar, Mont., and Janet Youngman
of Lewiston, Idaho.
He was preceded in death by his
parents; brothers, Arnie Youngman
and Melvin Eagleman; sister, Winifred
Youngman; two granddaughters,
Robyn Lemery and Danielle Lemery;
first wife Ann Hoffman of San
Carlos, Ariz.; and second wife Helen
Pinkham of Lapwai, Idaho.
John attended Indian schools in
Albuquerque, N.M., and Chemawa
Indian School in Salem, Ore. He was a
great athlete who loved playing
basketball and baseball. While living in
the Pacific Northwest, he worked on a
lot of dams as a construction worker,
including Dworshak Dam and The
Dalles Dam.
When he lived near the Siletz
Indian Reservation, he was a logger.
John lived on the Siletz, Yakama,
and Nez Perce Indian reservations
and attended a lot of pow-wows in
the Northwest.
John served in the U.S. Navy
aboard a ship during World War II and
lost some hearing from firing the big
guns on board. He never let the wounds
of the past get the best of him. Instead,
he loved to tease, joke, and make others
laugh. He touched the hearts of those
in passing with his positive attitude
toward overcoming the day-to-day
challenges in life.
He moved from Lapwai to
Portland, Ore., after his second wife
died to live with his daughter and
moved again to Broken Arrow to be
with his daughter while she attended
Rhema Bible Training Center.
Hayhurst Funeral Home was
in charge of arrangements in
Broken Arrow.
February 2003 □
Siletz News
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