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