Smoke Signals 9
NOVEMBER 1,2008
Pullin promoted to Employment program manager
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Tribal Elder Patsy Pullin's new
job title is a mouthful Program
Manager for the 477 Employment
and Training Act and Vocational
Rehabilitation.
For many of the last nine years,
Pullin, 65, has held the shorter title
of Employment and Training Spe
cialist, a job she now has to fill. That
job is a case worker position that
started with the title "coordinator."
As program manager, Pullin will
supervise a staff of six - four in
Grand Ronde, two in Portland and
two programs whose aims are "to
help Tribal members toward their
goal of achieving self-sufficiency."
"She has a proven record of work
ing with Tribal members and helping
them become self-sufficient in a posi
tive manner," said Dave Fullerton,
manager of Social Services and Pul
lin's direct supervisor. "And given the
opportunity, it's good to promote from
within and bring Tribal members up
into upper management."
Years ago, Pullin replaced two
staffers and within the first two
years had 90 clients to serve. Today,
she said, three positions handle that
load, though the entire client base
today is more than 125. While get
ting her old position filled, Pullin
today is handling the manager role
and taking care of 22 clients that her
successor in the specialist position
eventually will be assigned.
Pullin has worked hard reach
ing out to hiring halls as far away
as Portland and Salem to find jobs
for clients. Over the years, she has
placed clients in the Salem Social
Security Office, at Spirit Mountain
Casino and in Tribal offices, in Port
land shipyards and other welding
businesses, at Chemeketa Commu
nity College and the city of Salem.
"We make it attractive for employ
ers to hire our clients," she said. "We
provide tools, a UA, union dues if
necessary, even interview clothes
for those who need them."
The Tribe also provides clients
with assistance for "anything else
that will help you get a job," for
those who are underemployed. That
might include paying utility bills,
Pullin said.
For the Work Experience Pro
gram, currently providing tempo
rary or trial jobs for clients, the Tribe
pays half of salaries up to $8.50 an
hour for 90 days. Hopefully, after
90 days, they'll get hired full time,
Pullin said.
From her point of view, her success
has resulted from "beating the bush
(for jobs) and making herself avail
able (to hiring managers)."
As she looks forward to her role as
manager, she said that she would
like to see the department develop
a hiring hall that attracts jobs from
the six-county area, and maybe
beyond.
With Portland in play, she said,
there are three more potential coun
ties where jobs may become available
for clients from Pullin's programs.
"We work on case-by-case basis,"
she said. "It's not one size fits all.
"I'd like to see us become a one
step career center with our own
library, with books providing job in-
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Elder Patsy Pullin was promoted from Employment and Training
specialist to Program Manager of 477 Employment and Training Act and
Vocational Rehabilitation for the Tribe.
formation. I'd like to see us have one
room with a video camera so clients
can see how they look interviewing.
Interviews are very hard and it's a
real benefit for them to see how they
come across."
Funding for the program comes
from the federal Department of
Human Services and the Bureau of
Indian Affairs.
"With the economy the way it is,"
she said, "the need is increasing.
Still, we try to find work for every
body who comes through the door."
Pullin came here nine years ago
from Alaska "to be here with my
people." She and husband, Gene,
had made a living for many years
as a band with her singing covers of
Patsy Cline songs.
"I changed the life path of myself
and my husband (to come work for
the Tribe)," she said. "He agreed to
do that."
Pullin is the daughter of Tribal
Elder and longtime Tribal Council
Chairwoman Kathryn Harrison. She
has four grown children, 10 grandchil
dren and two great-grandchildren.
Her charge in the manager position
is to "maintain and improve services
already in place," said Fullerton, "and
to continue to provide quality services
to Tribal members." B
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