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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2008)
8 MAY 15, 2008 Smoke Signals Mentorship Program participants obtain work Part 2 of 2 James Buxman James Buxman, 29, took advantage of his two years in the management track of the Tribal Mentorship Program to gain work experience while learning about the functions of Tribal government and Spirit Mountain Casino. Buxman entered the Mentorship Pro gram with a bachelor's degree from South ern Oregon University in journalism and communications with an emphasis in public relations. He said he hoped to utilize his Mentorship experience to gain a better perspective from a managerial level and learn how decision making can affect everyone, from the orga nization to the employee. He also hoped he would broaden his knowledge of both Tribal government and casino operations. Buxman spent his first year rotating through various areas at the Tribe, includ ing Social Services, Finance, Education, Community Fund, Executive Office, Publications and working at the state Capitol with lobbyists. During his second year, he transferred to Spirit Mountain Casino, where he assisted the general manager and worked in marketing. After completing the Mentorship Program, Buxman was hired at Spirit Mountain Casino as a marketing coordinator. He worked on many projects within the department, but focused on advertising. Today, he is the casino's advertising manager and is responsible for negotiating and buying casino advertising, negotiating athletic sponsor ships, evaluating market trends in advertising and mass media, aiding in the conceptualization of creative casino campaigns and helping out with general marketing efforts. Buxman said he is grateful for the experience he gained in the Mentor ship Program and credits it for his marketing career. "The Mentorship Program provided me with the opportunity to get my foot in the door," Buxman said. "It allowed me to show people within the Tribal government and the casino the assets that I bring to the table." James Buxman Corey Meneley Corey Meneley, 35, entered the non management track of the Mentorship Program in 2005-06 to learn more about Tribal government and explore possible Tribal employment. Meneley spent the first portion of the program working in the Tribal Account ing Department, where he worked on the reconstruction of records, organization of W-9s, budgeting, accounts payable and accounts receivable. After six months in accounting, Meneley decided he wanted to explore other oppor tunities. He said he realized that he had a passion for the outdoors and decided that forestry would he a good fit. Meneley spent the remainder of the pro gram working with the Natural Resources Division on development and construction of the fish weir. "1 felt that was really the thing that I enjoyed the most," Meneley said. "It was a lot of fun to do, and I really felt like I was n part of history while t was doing it. It was self-satisfying, and I enjoyed working with Kelly Dirksen and all the people in Natural Resources. "After completing the program, I realized that things aren't always what they seem. So I moved on to new things and did whatever I could to better myself. "I feel that by bettering myself, i nm bettering the Tribe." Meneley went to work nt Spirit Mountain Casino as a poker dealer. IV-fore his mentorship experience, ho had several years of experience working in table games and poker as a dealer and supervisor. When he learned that Three Rivers Casino in Florence was opening a poker department, he left Spirit Mountain to pursue the job. Corey Mentlty Currently, Meneley is the interim poker manager at Three Rivers Ca sino. When he first took on the responsibility, he said he realized that he had a tall order to fill in setting up a poker room for the casino's opening and training the dealers. But the team pitched in and successfully built a poker room from scratch. His current focus is on promotions, building a clientele and getting the word out that Three Rivers Casino has a poker room. "One promotion at a time, we're just trying to build the room," Meneley said. "We're taking suggestions from the customers and we roll with that. We don't want to dictate what we want in our poker room. We listen to what the players want because they're the ones coming in and we need to figure out what it is that they want." Meneley credits the Tribal Mentorship Program for helping improve his skills, and says that it provided him with a better idea about what he wants for himself. "I have to say, it's a very good program," he said. "I felt that Denise (Harvey, Tribal Mentorship and Workforce Development coordinator) was more than supportive. "As a Tribe, I would suggest that we try to hold on to some of these men tees and not let them get out of the area. Once you spend that much time and effort on them, try to make a spot for them within the government or try to see where they might make a better fit." Jocelyn Huffman c ,.. 1 J ) j I v - "' Jocelyn Huffman Jocelyn Huffman, 25, sought out the Mentorship Program to gain hands-on experience in her field of study, and had hopes of obtaining a permanent position within the Tribe or casino. Huffman began the 2005-06 management track of the Mentorship Program working for the Tribe on Tribal tourism projects, where she spent much of her time organiz ing Tribal events, working with the Tribal Tourism Working Group (a group of Oregon Tribes working together to develop a Tribal tourism plan), and learning to write an ef fective tourism plan through classes at the Institute of American Indian Arts. After approximately four months of working in Tribal tourism, she transferred to Spirit Mountain Casino for the remain der of the program to pursue her interest in marketing and event coordination. Huffman said she enjoyed her experiences working with the Marketing Department, and is grateful for the guidance and support she received from Carlcne Croxford, Events and Entertainment coordinator, while working there. "From the moment I started working in the Marketing Department, Carlene took me under her wing. She made sure I learned everything there was to know about the casino, marketing and her position," Huffman said. "She is the perfect example of professionalism and class. The Mentorship Program wouldn't have been the same without her." After completing the Mentorship Program, Huffman returned to Oregon State University to complete the few remaining credits she needed for n Bachelor of Science degree in business management with a minor in marketing. Currently, she is working as a marketing coordinator for Kla-Mo-Ya Ca sino in Chilouuin and credits her experiences in the Mentorship Program for preparing her for that job. "The time I spent working with Tribal tourism, and the courses I took at the Institute of American Indian Arts, will be beneficial to my work for the Klamath Tribes because it gave me insight into what their Tribe is trying to achieve with their upcoming expansion," said Huffman. "The time I spent working in the Marketing Department at Spirit Moun tain is going to be n tremendous help with my current position. "I learned so much during my time at the casino, whether it was picking out (lowers for an event, running n slot tournament or planning a concert ... it will all benefit me."
