8 JANUARY 1. 2006
Smoke Signals
History With Computers Leads To Job With Tribe
Darin Riggs is the OIS Department's newest Help Desk Technician.
By Toby McClary
Help Desk Technician Darin Riggs
is helping the Information Systems
Department in becoming a faster
and more efficient department.
Riggs' main responsibility is to ful
fill requests concerning computer
technicalities that are put in by the
many departments at the Tribe.
Riggs' history in working with
computers goes back several years.
In the late 1980's, Riggs was hired
at Standard Insurance in Salem.
He was the product supply person
and also ran quotes for the insur
ance agents. After a two-year
stretch with Standard Insurance,
Riggs was hired on at Complete
Software Solutions (C.S.S.), also in
Salem. He was the first employee
to ever be hired with C.S.S. He
worked a total of five years with
them beginning as a Technician
and progressing to Information
Technician Manager. In 1998,
Riggs was hired on with First
American Title in Portland. He
worked five-and-a-half years as
the Senior Systems Engineer and
some of his job duties included
desktop support, network adminis
tration and he also took care of the
regional accounting services.
Riggs then took some time off be
fore getting a job at Melvin Mark
in Portland. He worked for Melvin
Mark for about seven months be
fore wanting to land a serious,
more rewarding career. He had
heard rumors of an opening at the
Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde.
?-w'- -" ' ii
Help Desk Technician
Darin Riggs
"Some people I know that work
for the casino said that the Tribe
was a good place to work," said
Riggs, "so I put in an application.
From what I understand, I scored
highest of all the other applicants.
They called me the very next day
and offered me the position."
Riggs has been working for the
Tribe since March of 2005.
"This job is a lot less stressful than
most that I have worked for," said
Riggs. "I've had to adapt to the
laid-back atmosphere."
Riggs grew up in Salem and at
tended South Salem High School.
He graduated in 1984 before at
tending college at Chemeketa Com
munity College. He spent four
years at Chemeketa studying gen
eral studies, automotive tech. and
management.
Although spelled the same, Riggs
is not related to the Tribal Riggs
family. 0
Northwest Jndian
Storytellers (fathering
and Apprenticeship
Worlcsh op
(jrand Ronde 7ribal Member" rcnt
Mcrr,N onc ne featured storytellers
January J , ZOO6
Portland )tate (Jniversity in downtown f ortland, Orcgon
fSjativc American Student and d.mmun,ty CZ.cr,tcr
(Corner of SW 0roadwa-j vcnuc and Jaclcson Street)
We are putting out a call for Tribal storytellers,
apprentices and others interested in attending this
weekend gathering. Events include a one-day storyteller
conference, one-day apprenticeship workshop, and three
public storytelling events hosted by Portland-area Tribal
and educational organizations. Events will be held at the
Native American Student and Community Center at
Portland State University and other venues. A special
$59.00 rate for lodging is being provided January 5-8 to
out of town participants by the Mark Spencer Hotel.
More info coming soon.
NISA is sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts,
Multnomah County Cultural Coalition, Umpqua Bank,
the Native American Student and Community Center
and United Indian Students in Higher Education at
Portland State University, Wisdom of
the Elders, Inc., the Mark Spencer
Hotel, and others.
Call Elaine at NISA (503) 777-7140
liasionSfvisdoniofitheelders.org
www. turdeislandstorytellers. net
GED Tutoring offered every Thursday
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
RESCHEDULED
Portland Satellite Office Bake Sale
& Native American Arts Day
Friday, January 20, 2006 2-8 p.m.
For more information, call
Lisa Archuleta at 503-235-4230.
All classes held at the Portland Area Tribal offices,
3312 S.W. Kelly Ave., Portland, Oregon.
Call 503-235-4230 or 1-800-422-0232 ext. 2282.
The Election Board is seeking a Tribal member to fill a vacant alternate
position on the Election Board for a term expiring in April of 2007. Alternates
are appointed by Tribal Council and serve in lieu of board members who are
disqualified from serving or unable to serve in an election. Alternates may
also observe election functions and perform incidental tasks at the request of
the board. If you are interested in being an alternate and you or an immediate
family member are not planning on being a candidate in the 2006 Tribal Coun
cil Election, please send a letter of interest to Claudia Leno, Election Board Chair,
P.O. Box 99, Grand Ronde, OR 97347, by January 15, 2006.
4
r
January 5, 2006
12-1 p.m.
All Tribal Employees
Nike representative presenting
; at the Governance Center
' lunch Provided
4-5 p.m. .
Youth 11 -18 Years Old , '
Nike representative presenting at
the Health & Wellness Center
5:30-6:30 p.m.
All Community Members Welcome
Nike representative presenting
at the Tribal Gymnasium
Dinner Provided
Social Services, Health &
Wellness, and Housing will
be sponsoring a Health
Awareness Day on the first
Thursday of every month.
Family Fitness will is the
topic for January.
Please contact Haa-nah
Mike at 503-879-2038 for
more information.