4 JUNE 1, 2008
Smoke Signals
Tribe hires Younger as Public Works manager
Tribal member transfers over from casino after nine years, hopes to spend next 15 years at Tribe
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
The Tribe's new Public Works
manager is a man who believes
in many things, including family,
church, commitment, loyalty, edu
cation for all Tribal members and
economic diversity.
He also believes in the life lesson
contained in a "Calvin & Hobbes"
Sunday cartoon panel that hangs
on his office door.
Life is a series of choices, and one
is faced with myriad choices based
on those individual decisions.
"I believe people are basically
good," says Tribal member and
Elder Lewis Younger, 55, who took
over the Public Works Department
on April 24 after having worked for
the last nine years at Spirit Moun
tain Casino as Facilities Mainte
nance manager.
"They make the choices based on
the information they have. My re
sponsibility is to give them the best
information possible so they can
make the best choice possible."
Although he enjoyed working at
the casino, Younger says his ulti-
mate goal was to work for the Tribe
after he returned to Oregon in 1999
to help care for his mother, Etta.
"The casino is a great place, a
great opportunity," Younger said.
"The casino is a perfect place to un
derstand the business side of things.
You learn so many things."
But he had expressed his interest
to Tribal Director of Development
Pete Wakeland and Director of
Operations John Mercier about
working for the Tribe "a long time
ago."
Younger, an Umpqua descended
from Louis Nipissing, was born
. in McMinnville in 1953, the sixth
child of Richard and Etta Younger.
1 le was raised in Willamina, gradu
ating from high school in 1971 and
Name: Lewis Younger
Age: 55
Tribal position: Public Works
manager
Family: Married to wife, Anita,
for 36 years; six children, nine
grandchildren
Activities: Family, church,
chess
Quote: "I spent the last nine
years working for the casino,
and hope to spend the next 1 5
working with the Tribe."
Contact information: lewis.
youngergrandronde.org;
503-879-2099.
marrying his high school sweet
heart, Anita.
Almost immediately after gradu
ation, he was drafted and promptly
enlisted in the Air Force, where he
trained in electrical engineering at
Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi,
Miss., and then stationed in Great
Falls, Mont. He honorably left ac
tive duty in 1974 and served in the
Oregon Army National Guard for
an additional six years.
He subsequently studied through
the University of Oklahoma and re
ceived in 1992 a design certification
in fire suppression technology.
"I've always been into hydrau
lics," Younger says. "The flow of
fluids."
He moved to Anchorage, Alaska,
where he worked for a friend's fire
suppression company as a design
engineer. He found himself criss
crossing the country's largest state,
installing fire suppression systems
at military bases, on the Alaska
pipeline and at restaurants.
The latter prompts Younger's
most memorable Alaska story.
"It was Christmas Eve and I was
installing a fire suppression system
if J""':;;.''' II-"f I '.-! ,, rSMV .f I tm,m. 'JwMMMH
'ii '5i i r II I v vy 1 i -- .
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Elder Lewis Younger is the Tribe's new Public Works manager. He was :
the Facilities Maintenance manager at Spirit Mountain Casino for the last
nine years. On the wall behind him are professional certifications he's earned
from Building Owners and Managers Institute International.
in a restaurant in Glennallen (189
miles northeast of Anchorage),"
Younger says. "It was 104 degrees
in the kitchen and minus 45 de
grees outside, and my truck was
114 yards down the driveway.
"I needed some nozzles and I
thought I could make it to my truck
and back only wearing a T-shirt. I
froze in place. It took me three days
to recover from the hypothermia."
Younger said the Tribe's Public
Works Department is still mor
phing because the Tribe is still
young.
"We have a great facilities orga
nization," Younger said. "We need
to take a look at the future ... our
properties, tying the infrastructure
together. Nothing is set in stone."
In addition to facilities, Younger
oversees Tribal security, the Polk
County Sheriffs Office substation
and the Inspection Department,
as well as cemetery maintenance,
grounds keeping and housekeep
ing. When he is not working, Younger
said he enjoys spending time with
his family, which includes six chil
dren three boys and three girls.
The eldest is 34 and his youngest,
Jenaya, is 11. He also has nine
grandchildren, is active in his
church and plays a "good game of
chess." He lives in Willamina.
His brothers and sisters include
current and former Tribal employ
ees Cassandra Scott, Jessica Brann,
Stephanie Grim, Mary Leith and
Cecelia Bissonette. His brothers,
Rich and Ed, are a teacher and
consultant, respectively.
Younger said the Tribe should
not have to look for another Public
Works manager until 2023.
"I spent the last nine years work
ing for the casino, and hope to
spend the next 15 working with the
Tribe," he said. B
i2JBE
iJUh-EIi
New
nannies
Sam Bronleewe, owner
of Oregon Memorials,
sandblasts new names
into the West Valley
Veterans' Memorial
In Grand Rondeon
Monday, May 19,
in preparation for
the Memorial Day
ceremony.
Photo by Mkhelle Alaimo
V Tin- '3J
W - : ; i F ,3Q'
. mi"