Smoke Signals 5
DECEMBER 1, 2010
52 employees homioiredl ffoir years off service
Six surpass 20-year mark in working for the Tribe
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals ilaff writer
Fifty-two Tribal employees were
recognized for service to the Tribe
on Wednesday, Nov. 10, in the Atri
um of the Governance Building.
In a ceremony led by Human
Resources Director Walter Kalin
owski, three 21-year employees
and three 20-year employees were
the longest serving among those
honored.
Twenty-one year employees were
Timber and Roads Coordinator Jef
frey Kuust, Silviculture Protection
Program Manager Jeffrey Nepstad
and Tribal member and Tribal
Council Relations Coordinator Da
kota Whitecloud.
Twenty-year employees were
Tribal member and Accounting
Supervisor Melanie Ebensteiner,
Procurement Assistant Kelly Her
ber and Tribal member and Health
Benefits Specialist Barbara Steere.
"Your service to this organiza
tion is deeply, deeply appreciated,"
said Tribal Council member Steve'
Bobb Sr. "We'll be travelling down
a pretty rough road in the next two
to three years, but we can count
on our employees for always being
there for us, and we'll always try to
be there for you."
Tribal member and Higher Edu
cation Program Manager Bryan
Langley marked 19 years.
Tribal member and Executive Of
ficer Chris Leno and Tribal member
and Natural Resources Division
Manager Michael Wilson each
marked 18 years.
Benefits Specialist Sheila Elliott-McDonald,
Tribal Attorney
Rob Greene and Home Ownership
Coordinator Nancy Holmes marked
16 years.
Assistant Tribal Attorney Kim
berly D'Aquila, Tribal member
and Clinic Referral Clerk Sharon
Herron and Tribal member and
Employment Caseworker Pearl
Rife marked 14 years.
Lead Pharmacy Technician Faith
Goodman and Tribal member and
Language and Cultural Specialist
Bobby Mercier marked 13 years.
Dental Hygienist Sheila Black
eter, Education Disabilities Co
ordinator Elaine Lane Raven,
HeadStart Teacher Toni Lockwood,
Payroll Specialist Georgene Sand
ers and Tutor Margaret Wilds all
marked 12 years.
Chemical Dependency Counselor
Laura Burton, Procurement Super
visor Kevin Mueller and Invest
ment Manager Jeffrey Valentine
marked 11 years.
Tribal Court Program Specialist
Julie Boekhoff, Youth Education
Elementary K-5 Lead Matt Buck
nell, Network Administrator Jack
Dobiash, Tribal member and Mail
Printing Clerk Virginia Kimsey
Roof and Wellness Secretary Egypt
Leno marked 10 years.
Education Administrative Assis
tant Debbie Bachman, Adult Edu
cation Coordinator Joanne Carr
and Medical Transcript ionist Linda
Henry marked nine years.
Acting Finance Officer Rick An
dersen, Round Valley Construction
Foreman Thomas Brown, Part-time
College Program Coordinator John
Harp, Controller Michael Hub
bard, Tribal Elder and Equipment
Operator Mark Mercier and Audit
Director Trudi Yoshikawa marked
eight years.
Tribal member and Food Service
Coordinator Kristy DeLoe and En
vironmental Resource Specialist
Brandy Humphreys marked seven
years.
Tribal Elder and Enrollment
Specialist Jolanda Catabay, Tribal
member and Maintenance Tech
Jeffrey Larsen, Tribal member and
Social Services Receptionist Shan
non Simi, Tribal member and Clinic
Business Office Clerk Stephanie
Simmons and Tribal member and
Finance Executive Assistant Ken
Trevino marked six years.
Tribal member and Housekeeper
Sol George, Housing Services Spe-
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Photo by Mkhelle Alalmo
Barbara Staere, Tribal Mambar Haalth Cara specialist and Tribal mambar,
hugs John Marciar, Diractor of Program Oparations and Tribal mambar, aftar
baing racognizad during tha Employaa Racognition Calabratlon for tha third
quarttr of 201 0 in tha Govarnanca Cantar Atrium on Wednesday, Nov. 1 0.
Staara has workad for tha Triba for 20 years.
cialist Deborah Kroeker, Youth
Education Coordinator Molly Mat
thews, Tribal member and Medical
Secretary Erica Mercier, Tribal
member and Member Services
Specialist Reina Nelson and Public
Affairs Director Siobhan Taylor
marked five years.
'Thank you," said Tribal Council
member Toby McClary. "You guys
are doing such a great job. I ap
preciate it."
Tribal member John Mercier,
Director of Program Operations,
put in a pitch for the Hood-to-Coast
race that Tribal members enter
every year.
"We're building a very strong
community," Mercier said. He
thanked the community for its
recent support for his daughter,
Tribal member Hattie, as she
filmed a Nickelodeon segment. "It
really takes a village," he said.
"It's been a pretty long year,"
said Tribal member and Director
of Development Peter Wakeland.
'Thanks for hanging in there. You
guys really do great work."
Pumpkin and apple pie, fresh
fruit and hot apple cider celebrated
the event and the season. B
Notice to Native-owned contractors
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde is seeking Native-owned
contractors who would like to be placed on a list for potential construc
tion jobs with the Tribe in the future. Interested contractors should
send their contact information to Eric Scott, Tribal Engineer, 9615
Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347. For more information,
contact Scott at 503-879-2404 or eric.scottgrandronde.org. B
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Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Eldar and Marina Corps vataran Kannath Lafferty, left, hands
Tribal Elder Kathryn Harrison a pieca of caka during tha Marina Corps
Birthday celebration at the Elders' Activity Center on Wednesday, Nov.
10. Part of the celebration included the oldest Marine in attendance
presenting a piece of cake to the oldest person in attendance. Nov. 1 0
was the 235th anniversary of tha founding of tha Marine Corps.