6 JANUARY 1,2012
Smoke Signals
More than 600 years of Tribal service honored!
Event recognizes 5 1 Tribal
employees on Dec. 2 1
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Fifty-one Tribal employees rep
resenting 608 years of service were
honored Dec. 21 in the Tribal Com
munity Center during the third
quarter Employee Recognition
Celebration put on by the Tribe's
Human Resources Department.
Leading the list of Tribal employ
ees in commemorating their 22nd
year of Tribal employment were
Human Resources Generalist Con
nie I lolmes and Natural Resources
Department employees Jeff Kuust,
who is the Timber and Roads Pro
gram manager, and Jeff Nepstad,
who is Silviculture and Fire Protec
tion Program manager.
Following an invocation given by
Tribal Council member Steve Bobb
Sr., Tribal employees were served a
lunch that included lasagna (meat
and vegetarian), salad, garlic bread
and cupcakes.
Tribal member and Tribal Execu
tive Officer Chris Leno opened the
recognition by telling employees
how much he appreciates their
hard work and effort. He then in
troduced Tribal Council members
June Sherer, Toby McClary, Jack
Giffen Jr. and Bobb.
"I appreciate everyone supporting
Tribal Council decisions through
difficult budget times," McClary
said. "I appreciate your willingness
to do what it takes to support the
Tribe."
"This organization is blessed to
have each and every one of you,"
Bobb said, saying he was inspired
by a recent employee e-mail in
which the person said they felt
blessed to work for the Tribe.
"I want to thank every one of you
i r
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
John Harp, Part-Tim College Program manager for the Tribe, shakes hands with
Tribal Council member June Sherer after being recognized as working for the
Tribe for nine years during the third quarter Employee Recognition luncheon in
the Tribal Community Center on Wednesday, Dec 21 . Also in line to shake hands
are Tribal Council members Toby McClary, second from right, and Steve Bobb Sr.,
third from right, and Tribal Council Secretary Jack Giffen Jr., left.
for your hard work in supporting
the Tribe," Sherer said.
"Thank you for your hard work
and dedication," Giffen said. "I
don't consider you as employees,
but as partners. Your hard work
and dedication had brought the
Tribe to where it is."
Tribal Human Resources Director
Walter Kalinowski then started the
slideshow that recognized Tribal
employees for their length of ser
vice starting at five years.
Those honored were:
Five years: Dental Assistant
Shanna Eide, Spirit Mountain
Community Fund Program Co
ordinator Louis King, Cultural
Resources Department Manager
David Lewis, Graphic Design
Specialist George Valdez and
Community Health Driver Mel
ody Wright.
Six years: Housing Services
Coordinator Deborah Kroeker,
Medical Clinic Secretary Erica
Mercier, Member Services Spe
cialist Reina Nelson and Public
Affairs Director Siobhan Taylor.
Seven years: Enrollment Pro
gram Manager Jolanda Catabay,
Maintenance Technician Jeffrey
Larsen, Social Services Secretary
Shannon Simi, Health Informa
tion Technician Stephanie Sim
mons and Finance Executive
Assistant Ken Trevino.
Eight years: Food Services Co
ordinator Kristy Deloe and Envi
ronmental Resources Specialist
Brandy Humphreys.
Nine years: Treasury Manager
Rick Andersen, Round Valley
Construction Foreman Thomas
Brown, Part-time College Pro
gram Manager John Harp, Round
Valley Equipment Operator Mark
Mercier and Audit Director Trudi
Yoshikawa.
10 years: Education Administra
tive Assistant Deborah Bachman
and Medical Transcriptionist
Linda Henry.
11 years: Tribal Court Clerk
Julie Boekhoff, Education Lead
Matt Bucknell, Network Admin
istrator Jack Dobiash and Optical
Technician Egypt Leno.
12 years: Alcohol and Drug Coun
selor Laura Burton, Procurement
Supervisor Kevin Mueller and
Senior Financial Analyst Jeff
Valentine.
13 years: Dental Hygienist Shei
la Blacketer, Disabilities and
Education Services Coordinator
Elaine Lane Raven, Head Start
Teacher Toni Lockwood and Pay
roll Specialist Georgene Sand
ers. 14 years: Lead Pharmacy Tech
nician Faith Goodman and Lan
guage & Culture Specialist Bobby
Mercier.
15 years: Assistant Tribal Attor
ney Kim D'Aquila, Employment
& Training Specialist Pearl Rife
and Referral Clerk Sharon Wat
tier. 17 years: Employee Benefits Spe
cialist Sheila Elliott-McDonald,
Tribal Attorney Rob Greene and
Home Ownership Coordinator
Nancy Holmes.
19 years: Executive Officer Chris
Leno and Natural Resources
Department Manager Michael
Wilson.
20 years: Higher Education Pro
gram Manager Bryan Langley.
21 years: General Ledger Spe
cialist Melanie Ebensteiner, Pro
curement Assistant Kelly Herber
and Tribal Member Health Care
Specialist Barbara Steere.
Honored employees received
a certificate and check in appre
ciation for their respective years of
service to the Tribe.
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WEBNATIV
Adult Foster Program
44
A Place To Call H
ll!f;jliiBM
The Tribe's Adult Foster Care lodges are committed to offering quality
care to our Elders and helping them remain as independent as possible,
while providing the personalized assistance they need. At our lodges, a
wide range of services is available in a comfortable setting where privacy
is respected and maximum independence is supported. For information,
contact the Adult Foster Program director at 503-879-1694. B