Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1995)
Page 2 May 1,1995 Smoke Signals Willis will leave Executive Office position this fall By Mark Mericer Most tribal members will have heard by now that our Executive Officer, Jim Willis, has ad vised the Tribal Council that he wishes to leave his current post this fall, once the gaming center is on line and some other key projects are com plete. The executive function is a crucial one, and with Jim in it, took on new perspectives that had never before been considered important. Needless to say, during the next few months Tribal Council will be doing some careful plan ning to determine how to best fill a pair of very big shoes. I want to take this opportunity to dis cuss the future of the Tribe, and thoughts about Jim Willis' service to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. In November of 1 985, when Jim was appointed General Manager, the Tribe was headquartered in the Depot building, with no less than twelve full time employees working. (Mind you, this was less than a decade ago!) At this time, the Tribe has embarked on what was to become the most significant Tribal action since the 1 954 Ter mination Act.. .the establishment of the Grand Ronde Reservation Plan, a dramatic project to regain some of the original reservation that was lost to the Tribe many years ago. Some of the Tribal Council had termed the years 1 985 through 1 988 as the "Dark Ages", since the Tribe had faced severe (and unfair) community opposition and antagonism. Much of this criticism centered around the Tribe's timber policies, in cluding the contro versial BLM land exchange and the never-ending argu ments surrounding log exports. Coun tering this misin formation took hundreds of hours of research and sci entific investiga tion, a task well suited to Jim's background and expertise. Once re- T viewed, this information then had to be put into layman's terms so that tribal representatives could make effective presentations when discussing the Reservation Plan. Many will recall that some of these presenta tions were given under less than cordial condi tions, even downright hostile, and a times it be came difficult to retain one's sense of dignity and 0 composure. I recall especially the June, 1986 "town hall" meeting in Willamina. I had little or no public speaking experience at the time, and for a month prior to that meeting, Jim willingly spent hours per day help ing me prepare my opening statement. Besides his work on the Reservation Plan, Jim was instru mental in the expan sion of service pro grams that the Tribe contracted from the BIA, IHS, and other federal agencies. These contracts re sulted in added jobs for tribal members, and the subsequent expansion of work space and tribal facilities. President Reagan signed the public law estab lishing the Grand Ronde Reservation in Septem ber, 1988, Most of us thought that the Tribe would now have some breathing room, and that 1989 would be a restful year. Wrong. Jim and others took on a completely new project that year Nanitch Sahallie Youth Treatment Facil ity. It was completed in March, 1989. The resi dential treatment center continues as one of the Tribe's most significant contributions to tribes throughout the northwest and Alaska. As manager of a staff numbering 120, Jim has consistently maintained a long-term view of things. He's helped the Tribe build a solid, ef fective team and assisted the Tribal Council in putting a solid foundation together on the legisla tive front, both in Salem and Washington, D.C. He has allowed his staff to make mistakes, and he stands up and takes responsibility as a man ager. Our successes as a Tribe has been our will ingness to try new things and take risks, even though mistakes will be made (but seldom re peated). I think this strategy has paid off for us, evidenced by our fine professional staff and our efficiently run organization. For ten years of his life, Jim Willis has devoted long days, evenings, and weekends to helping our Tribe. We have asked a lot of him, and he's al ways been up to the task. Looking back over this time, we can find consistent progress across all fronts...and Jim has been deeply involved in all of our steps. He's been a trusted and valued team member in all our efforts. For many of us, he has been a big (continued on page 3) Thoughts from important figures in Grand Ronde history Note: Grand Ronde tribal members are not the only ones who respect and revere Jim Willis for the contributions he has made. Here are the comments of some others who have been important players in the Grand Ronde Tribe's achievements. As many of you know, 1 have long been a friend and admirer of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. I remember well the exciting days working with the tribal leaders on the Reservation Act. Jim Willis played a major role in the reservation effort. 1 remember so well his steady effort as Kathryn Harrison and Mark Mercier and the Tribal Council spearheaded that tremendous event. Jim's energy level and resilience were spectacular, lie never wavered and he never diminished his efforts to regain the Tribe's land. The Tribe will miss his brilliant mind, his drive, and his commit ment to true Restoration for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Elizabeth Furse, Member of Congress During my tenure in Congress, I have had many unique experiences, one of which was working with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and their controversial reservation plan. In 1987, 1 personally conducted a scries of meetings in the West Valley area, at which many people opposed to the establishment of the reservation constantly presented the same arguments of opposition. At these meetings, Jim Willis would jot counter arguments and give them to me, so I could take these some times frivolous arguments and shoot holes in them. I was always impressed with Jim's ability to write information down in an easy-to-understand format during pressure situations such as this was. Jim always maintained an air of professionalism at all public meetings in which I participated. The Tribe should be proud of all the accomplishments Jim has made for it over the past years. Les AuCoin, Member of Congress 1976-1992 Jim Willis has been a highly respected representative in forums across the country relating to redefining the relationship between tribes and the BIA. For several years he was a co-chair of the regional committee working on BIA reorganization and budget reform. These groups were instru mental in key pieces of national legislation by which the Tribe enjoys many benefits today, such a flexibility, more funding going to tribes, and reduction in paperwork and BIA approvals needed by the Tribe. Jim is well-known and highly respected. His counsel is frequently sought by federal representatives at both regional and national levels. Stan Speaks, Portland Area Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs My first introduction to Jim Willis occurred when he was the Tribal Housing Director back in the days when the entire staff was confined to sharing the small maintenance building at the Tribal Cemetery. Since then, I have had the pleasure of watching the Tribe grow from a "small" to "large" and a very influential tribe. Accompanying this growth has been the development and evolution of a highly competent staff. The composition of this staff and its successful day-to-day functioning is very much the result of Jim's ability as a successful manager to grow as the Tribe has grown. Having been a consultant to many tribes over the years, 1 have no doubt that Jim Willis is one of the finest tribal managers in Indian Country today. Dennis Petrequin, ASCG, Inc., formally Cooper Consultants A letter from the Executive Officer To Tribal Members: On April 12, 1995, 1 notified Tribal Council, by memo, of my intentions to leave my posi tion with the Tribe as Executive Officer in the fall of 1995, hopefully, following the opening of Spirit Mountain Casino. 1 made this decision for personal reasons. First, I believe change is inevitable and ulti mately good for us all. Second, I believe that after ten years with the Tribe it is appropriate to move on to something else. While that "something else" is not entirely clear, my hope is to take some classes and do some projects of interest to me and to be able to spend signifi cantly more time with my family. Coming to this decision was not easy. Each year the Tribe makes considerable progress and will continue to do so with visionary leader ship, competent staff and a healthy dose of in volvement from tribal members. I am proud to have been a part of the Tribe's success and de velopment, and I will always carry that with me. The Tribe has accomplished a lot over the past decade and will accomplish much more in the next. The next several months will be one of the most complex periods for the Tribe's develop ment. With the rehabilitation of the commu nity water system, the construction and comple tion of the gaming center, the decisions on the use of gaming revenue for the future, planning for a tribal health and wellness center, devel opment of a site use plan for tribal lands, and the implementation of the Strategic Plan, it is vitally important to maintain tribal stability. For these reasons, 1 wanted to notify the Tribal Council of my decision early to allow for a thoughtful transition which could include a complete analysis of the Executive Officer position prior to advertising, input from tribal members and staff on the process, and hope fully time for a new person to work directly with me prior to my leaving. Finally, 1 want to thank tribal members and staff for the opportunity to be a part of this community for so many years, for the experi ences and memories I will keep with me for ever and for the many, many things I have learned from all of you over the years. You have truly been the backbone of every accom plishment. Sincerely, Jim Willis, Executive Officer
