APRIL 1, 2001
Smoke Signals 7
Rogers Brings Tribal Experience to his Job
Tribe's new Policy & Planning Manager worked for Tribes in Washington.
By Chris Mercier
Ray Rogers was both fortunate and
unfortunate.
A sergeant in the U.S. Army dur
ing World War II, he had the good
fortune to be stationed in China,
where the greatest risk was, accord
ing to his son Kim, "being killed by
Chinese bandits."
Not a relatively grand risk com
pared to the campaigns of the
nearby South Pacific.
But on the flipside he was still a
young man, a continent removed from
family, and desirous, as were many
soldiers, of something to rernind him
of home. He received a letter one day
from Veryl Anderson, a young Mon
tana woman who had been consider
ate enough to lend her time to the age
old practice of being a pen pal. Nei
ther knew the other and they began
a correspondence that lasted until his
return. Upon his return, they met,
married, and had children.
Kim Rogers, hired on December 4,
2000 as the Tribe's new Policy and
Planning Manager, is quite matter
of fact about the whole story. Maybe
that's because the Forest Grove na
tive has seen quite a bit in his life,
having lived in every West Coast
state over the last few decades. No
doubt he has some stories to tell.
Rogers grew up in Forest Grove.
He attained his Bachelor's degree in
Political Science in 1975 at Portland
State University, where he toiled an
other two years to receive his Master's
degree in Public Administration.
He worked as an analyst of vari
ous capacities in the Portland-area
up until the mid-80s, when looking
for a change of scene in 1984 he took
a job as the Assistant to Public Works
Director in Ketchikan, Alaska.
He recalls Ketchikan fondly. Lo
cated in the tip of the Alaskan pan
handle, it is actually an island, one
in which it was impossible to live any
where without viewing the water.
Rogers became immersed in the lo
cal color there, and has remembered
quite a few intriguing tales of the
place. It was there also he refined
his love for salmon fishing, whose
abundance has undermined the ap
preciation of the local fisherman.
"Best steelhead in the world," he
vowed. "But people are after halibut."
After three years of Alaska, Rogers
moved southward to Calaveras, Cali
fornia, but wasn't particularly enam
ored of it ("It's just too warm there!").
After one uneventful year there, he
moved northward, where he began
his career in Indian Country.
He , worked as the Capital Improve
ment Coordinator for the Tulalip Tribes
of Washington. There he coordinated
capital projects and assisted with busi
ness development. He also oversaw the
construction of an Environmental Pro-
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A.
The Tribe's new Policy and
Planning Director, Kim Ray
Rogers, brings a wealth of
experience to his new position
in Grand Ronde. Rogers worked
for the Tulalip, Sauk-Suiattle
and Puyallup Tribes in the State
of Washington before coming
south to Oregon. Rogers
enjoys fishing, soccer and his
cat among other things.
tection Agency sewer system.
In 1993 Rogers switched Tribes, this
time taking a position as the General
Manager for the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe.
A year later he was ready to move
on, and began a six-year relationship
with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians as
the Community Planning Manager.
"It's an unusual urban Tribe," Rogers
said, noting that one-fourth of Tacoma
is actually located on the reservation.
Yet he liked it nonetheless, writing
grants like the wind and helping them
on their way to economic prominence.
Why then, did he choose to come
to Grand Ronde?
"Oh, the folks and brothers live in
the Portland area," he said coolly.
That and McMinnville, where he
lives with his cat, has much better
pizza than Puyallup.
Rogers has his own vision of what .
he hopes to accomplish here.
"I'd like to update the Tribe's Stra
tegic Plan," he said. "I want to work
closely with all departments.
"We've got to make sure the left
hand knows what the right hand is
doing," he added.
Also on the agenda would be to
reach a balance between the age-old
conflict of maximizing revenue ver
sus community development, some
thing which he says the Tribe has
done well at.
"This Tribe has just grown leaps
and bounds," he said. "I like the di
rection they are headed in."
He corrected himself.
"The direction... WE... are head
ing in," he said. "Guess I've got to
get used to that!"
Any regrets in his life?
"Yes," he said. "I still haven't been
to the World Cup."
He's a soccer man too, but don't
forget to ask him about the half
canoe he owns, either.
spirit mountain cajino
tribal member
employee profile
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TITLE: Surveillance Shift Supervisor
HIREDATE: November 2, 1995
HOMETOWN: Sheridan
BACKGROUNDEDUCATION: "I worked seven
years in manufacturing, one year in security, four years in
surveillance and about 300 hours of surveillance and
scams training."
JOB DUTIES: "I'm responsible for running the sur
veillance room and interaction with supervisors from
other departments."
JOYS OF JOB: "Helping others succeed and catching the bad guys."
MOST INTERESTING PART OF YOUR JOB: "Watching people is always interesting."
HOBBIES: "Home repair, camping, fishing, spending time with my four children and girl
friend." PHILOSOPHY: "Bust your butt, treat people with respect and you will get ahead in life. Good
things come to those who have patience."
WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE TO SMC? Opportunity.
FAMILY: Steve Bobb, Sr.; Connie Bobb; Wilson Bobb, Sr.; Fay Riggs (Bobb).
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD: "I really enjoy working here. There are a lot
of good people and I am looking forward to spending many more years here at SMC."
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WHO: Open to enrolled Grand Ronde Tribal Members and Spirit Mountain Casino employees.
WHAT: . Learn to deal Blackjack and Let It Ride.
Time commitment is approximately 10 weeks (125-hrs).
WHEN: Deadline to apply is April 5, 2001. Dealer's School will begin the week of April 9, 2001.
TIME: To be determined. Flexible scheduling will be offered.
WHERE: Training will be held in the Table Games Training area at Spirit Mountain Casino.
HOW: Enrolled Grand Ronde Tribal Members should submit a completed application to
Spirit Mountain Human Resources, Attn: Eva Lauber.
Current Spirit Mountain employees should submit a completed internal application
with a copy of their last performance evaluation to Daphney Colton or Eva Lauber.
(A new application must be submitted for each dealer school offered)
SELECTION CRITERIA:
Applicant selection will be based on a combination of the following criteria:
Tribal Member preference will apply
Seniority with Spirit Mountain Casino for non-Tribal employees
Good performance and attendance of Spirit Mountain employees
Pass a basic math assessment
Ability to obtain High Security Class III Gaming License
All training is unpaid time and must not interfere with current work schedule.
Upon completion of the training, successful dealers will need to pass a dealing audition.
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