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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 2007)
Smoke Signals 3 JANUARY 15, 2007 January's General Council Meeting Highlights Education Programs y V - n Tribal member & Education Manager April Campbell By Toby McClary Tribal Chair Chris Merrier called the meeting to order and Tribal Elder and council member Wesley "Buddy" West gave the invocation for the first General Council meeting of the year held on January 7, 2007. Tribal Elder and council member Wink Soderberg was absent due to surgery. All of the other eight council members were present. The minutes from December's meeting were ap proved and the focus then turned to new business. Under new business the Tribe's Education Division was highlighted through a Powerpoint presentation given by Education Manager April Campbell. Campbell began her pre sentation by introducing the heads of each education program. She intro duced Vikki Bishop, Molly Matthews, Joanne Carr, Bryan Langley, Marion Mercier and Trinity Minahan who were all present. Campbell then introduced the four departments that make up the Education Division; Early Childhood Education, Youth Education, Higher Education and the Tribal Library. She explained that Early Childhood Education is currently serving 47 stu dents. They have three classrooms, one of which has a Chinuk Immersion Program that teaches students the Chinuk Wawa language. They also teach total wellness which includes social, economic, health, academic, nutrition and culture. Campbell then turned the focus onto the Youth Education Depart ment which houses Kindergarten through 12th grades. In all, there are 153 students who participate in many activities through the Youth Education Department. Some of the activities include a before and after program, cultural activities, leader ship opportunities and summer youth employment opportunities. The Higher Education Department was then the highlight of Campbell's presentation. There are currently 309 total active students enrolled in the many programs and trainings that make up the Higher Education Department. The Tribe offers many programs on the collegiate level. Those programs include college ca reer counseling, adult education, continuing and distance education, short term training, adult vocational training, higher education and schol arship programs. The next topic of discussion was the - Tribal Library. Campbell informed the meeting attendees of the library hours, the activities that are held at the library on a monthly basis and explained that the library was open to all Tribal membership as well as the general public. "Last year, there were 6,300 pa trons that visited the library and there are currently 725 library cards in circulation," said Campbell. To wrap up Campbell's presenta tion, she gave actual budget numbers for each education program in 2007. "One of the blessings that educa tion has is that we are endowed for 2007," she said, "so we are receiving endowment resources to fund our programs." The floor was then opened for questions. "Do you see any kind of an expan sion from what you already have?" asked council member Kathleen Tom. "That's one of the things we need to work more closely with Tribal Council and the executive team," ex plained Campbell, "to identify what kinds of growth, if any." Council member Val Sheker took time to thank the education program for the success of her three son's edu cation as well as her own. Tribal Elder Linda Olson asked if the Education Department worked with housing for student housing. "Yes, yes we do," said Campbell. Tribal member Elaine LaBonte expressed her concern for extending education services to the Sheridan School District area stating that "the transportation isn't there and it is five miles further out." Campbell responded by saying it is being looked at and it is part of the assessment being a January 25 meeting. LaBonte then asked if Tribal mem bers and parents would be invited to that meeting. "Yes. We are just in the early stages right now of identifying what we do currently and what services are needed outside of the area," said Campbell. Campbell then thanked Tribal Council and the Tribal membership for their support. The door prize winners were then announced in which Lynn "Bear" Robertson, Bernadine Shriver and Dwayne Wheeler all won $50 and Sylvia Fuller won $100. After the lunch break, the winners of the Elders' Committee election were announced. Violet Folden, Louise Coulson and Janet Phillips were all voted in. The next General Council meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 11, 2007 at 11 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Airport Hotel located at 8439 N.E. Columbia Blvd. Portland, Or New PosDttDoirc Focuses Odd DeveDopinnieirDft Tribal member Pete Wakeland is Tribe's first Director of Development. By Ron Karten Tribal member Pete Wakeland has accepted the position of Director of Development. "Under general administrative direc tion of the General Manager," reported Tribal member Chris Leno, who is the Tribe's General Manager, Wakeland will supervise the departments of Planning & Grants Development, En gineering, Lands Management, Public Works, Natural Resources, and Round Valley Construction, a Tribally-owned company. "The goal of the position is to utilize those departments in a coordinated manner to work through projects that the Tribes see as valuable," said Wakeland. In the new position, Wakeland will oversee such projects as tribal development of buildings and in frastructure, and such community development opportunities as recre ation projects and the development of community amenities. "I will proceed under my new job according to the priorities that have been identified by Tribal Council, that is, the Grand Ronde road project, cultural center, plank house project, and others," said Wakeland. This position replaces the Direc tor of Operations job recently held V vS ( I Tribal member & Director of Development Pete Wakeland by Chris Leno. The Director of Operations. ..revolved around our Tribal departments that provide di rect services to Tribal membership," wrote Wakeland. "The Development Director will be focused on the devel opment of the community." Wakeland has been employed with the Tribe for almost 12 years. Most recently, he served as the Natural Resources Manager for four-plus years and continues to serve as a Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Author ity Board member. Wakeland also has economic and Tribal develop ment experience from his service on the Spirit Mountain Development Corporation, and was the first Tribal Hatfield Fellow. "I have high expectations of my self and of those that report to me," Wakeland said. "I want to help de velop a realistic concept of how we want our local community to look in five years, 10 years, 15 years, and then help the Tribe develop the com munity in a responsible and efficient manner." Staffers under Wakeland will now have "a point person where develop ment is in play," he said. "I have some ideas on a "process" for how we move ahead and that may differ a little bit from how we do it now, but perhaps the real difference will sim ply be how we organize and proceed with our development projects." He sees his job as "making sure that my staff can do their job. I expect a lot. I like for people to take their work seriously, but not themselves. I want to enjoy coming to work, and I want my staff to enjoy it, too. In the past, we've always found ways to make those things happen." Wakeland headed the Natural Resources Division before taking a position among the Tribe's senior management. "I think there are many reasons that the Natural Resources expe rience has helped me develop as a professional," said Wakeland. "Natural Resource positions, across the board, provide opportunities for a person to work with a wide variety of other professionals, at the federal, state and county levels, and across disciplines. I believe that the Natural Resources field is one where successes can be measured and miscues can be a learning tool, and that a person must make deci sions in a timely manner and not be afraid to be wrong once in a while. At the Tribes' Natural Resources shop, I was blessed with truly amazing staff. They made my job easy, really. But, how about we just say that OSU is a good place to get an education (though the better football program lies in Eugene Go Ducks!!!)" Which gives you a good idea of how Wakeland keeps everybody happy.
