Smoke Signals 5
FEBRUARY 15,2011
Tcnlbo hoDWirs 3 ffoir years 1? seratee
Two employees exceed
26 years of employment
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
The Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde honored 39 employees who,
together, account for 532 years of
service to the Tribe on Wednesday,
Jan. 26.
Among the 39 who were honored
are the two longest-serving Tribal
employees ever. Tribal Elder and
Tribal Wellness Manager Bonnie
Mercier and Tribal member and
Tribal Health & Wellness Business
Office Manager Terri Mercier both
reached the 26-year mark of work
ing for the Tribe.
The Tribe hired Terri Mercier
on Oct. 1, 1984, and hired Bonnie
Mercier 15 days later.
Last year was the first time
any Tribal employee reached the
25-year mark, Tribal Human Re
sources Director Walter Kalinowski
said, so it only goes to say this
is also the first time any Tribal
employee has reached 26 years of
service as well.
On their heels is Tribal Elder and
Tribal Self-Governance Coordina
tor Janell Haller, who reached 21
years of service.
Also moving into the two-decade
club are Tribal member and Tribal
Director of Program Operations John
Mercier, Tribal Elder and Tribal Li
brarian Marion Mercier and Alcohol
and Drug Counselor Karan Scharf.
Tribal Elder and Tribal Facilities
Program Manager Mike Larsen
notched his 19th year of service and
Tribal member and Tribal Facilities
Maintenance Supervisor Douglas
Colton completed his 16th year
with the Tribe.
Reaching their 15th year were
Tribal member and Information
(i v M '
Photo by Michelle Alalmo
Member Services Administrative Assistant Hollie Mercier hugs Tribal Council member Toby McClary as she is
recognized for her 1 5 years off service to the Tribe during the fourth quarter 201 0 Employee Recognition event in the
Governance Center Atrium on Wednesday, Jan. 26.
Systems Manager Trevor Aaron,
Tribal member and Indian Child
Welfare Unit Supervisor Dana
Ainam, Health Information Techni
cian Dena Freeman, Tribal member
and Shipping and Receiving Clerk
Jerry George, Member Services Ad
ministrative Assistant Hollie Mer
cier and Custodial Maintenance
Supervisor Curtis Rentsch.
Tribal Ceded Lands Coordinator
Michael Karnosh attained 14 years
of service while Health Information
Technician Joan Shoemaker and
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Dental Assistant Donnette Spauld
ing surpassed 13 years of service.
Lead Health Information Techni
cian Lillian Engle now has more
than 12 years of service while Se
nior Help Desk Technician Larry
Remington and Chinuk Wawa
TeacherLanguage Specialist Crys
tal Szczepanski were honored for 1 1
years of service.
Hitting the decade mark of em
ployment were Staff Attorney Lisa
Bluelake, Health & Wellness Ad
ministrative Assistant Jill Hafliger,
Health & Wellness Business Of
fice Assistant Michelle Masters,
Planning & Grants Development
Manager Kim Rogers and Tribal
member and Procurement Depart
ment Lead Shipping & Receiving
Clerk Nathan Rolston.
Housing Improvement Coordi
nator Don Coon and Optometrist
Charlean White reached nine years
while Tribal member and Forest
Patrol Officer Jake McKnight and
Tribal member and Tribal Web
Designer Willie Mercier hit eight
years.
Tribal member and Tribal K-5
TeacherChinuk Wawa Kathy Cole
and X-ray Technician Donna Todd
were honored for seven years on the
job while Early Headstart Teacher
Shawn Bobb and Tribal mem
ber and Cook Rebecca Goeserich
reached the six-year mark.
Newcomers to the event with
five years of service were Tribal
member and Public Affairs Admin
istrative Assistant Kristen Ravia,
Early Head Start Teacher Jessica
Cruikshank, Housing Improve
ment Coordinator Loyal Hamilton,
Indian Child Welfare Investigator
John Genera Jr. and the Gaming
Commission's AuditCompliance
Manager Rose Smith and Tribal
member and Background Investi
gator Trina Pesterfield.
In addition to the years of ser
vice awards, Education Division
employees Matt Bucknell, Mat
thew Zimbrick and Tracy Biery
were honored for going above and
beyond the call of duty, as was the
entire Medical Records staff at the
Health & Wellness Center for pre
paring paper records for electronic
conversion.
Tribal Council members Reyn
Leno, Toby McClary, Steve Bobb
Sr., Chris Mercier, Wink Soderberg
and Jack Giffen Jr. attended the
ceremony to congratulate employ
ees for their years of service.
With the retirements and depar
tures of several long-time employees
in 2010, the five longest-serving
Tribal employees are now Terri Mer
cier, Bonnie Mercier, Gregg Leno,
Jeff Kuust and Jeff Nepstad. B
SadldDe COinfo peirD
The Grand Ronde Saddle Club is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday near the former Grand Ronde Food Bank west of
Grand Ronde Road.
The Saddle Club is closed on Thursday and Sunday.
Everyone is invited to visit the horses and go for a ride.
For more information, contact Tribal member Clint Folden at
503-559-1977. H