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MARCH 1, 2015
S moke S ignals
Hatfield Fellow Mary Bodine briefs Tribal Council
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Current Hatfield Fellow Mary
Bodine was back in Oregon to take
a tour of the district her boss, U.S.
Rep. Peter DeFazio, represents in
the House of Representatives.
The Fourth Congressional Dis-
trict in Oregon covers 17,171 square
miles in the southwestern part of
the state from the California border
to north of Corvallis.
“It has been very tiring,” Bodine
said during her visit with Tribal
Council on Friday, Feb. 20. “It is a
large district, but I got to sit in on
constituent phone calls with Rep-
resentative DeFazio and met with
the Tribe in Coos Bay (Coos, Lower
Umpqua and Siuslaw).”
Bodine has been Spirit Mountain
Community Fund’s Hatfield Fellow
since November. As the fellow, she
took a one-month orientation with
the American Political Science
Association in Washington, D.C.,
before being placed in DeFazio’s
congressional office.
“I was a bit nervous the first two
weeks,” she said. “There was so
much shuffling going on with the
election.”
Originally, Bodine expected to be
assigned to work with the House
Committee on Natural Resources
on which DeFazio was the ranking
minority member. But with the
November election giving Republi-
cans an even larger majority in the
House, DeFazio was elected to the
Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee.
“It all changed,” Bodine said. “But
after answering phones, they’ve
given me everything and I am now
Tribe to honor the late
Sen. Mark Hatfield’s
public service to Oregon
and the Pacific North-
west. Grand Ronde Tribal
member Peter Wakeland
was the first Hatfield Fel-
low.
“I was the first Hat-
field loser,” Tribal Council
member Chris Mercier
joked. “I lost to Pete. That
year there were only two
applicants.”
Spirit Mountain Com-
munity Fund Director
Kathleen George said this
is the first time DeFazio
has permitted a fellow of
any kind to work in his
congressional office. Bo-
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
dine said he might have
Mary Bodine, middle, the current Spirit Mountain Community Fund Hatfield Fellow,
changed his perspective
talks with Tribal Council members Denise Harvey, left, and Cheryle A. Kennedy, right,
on that policy.
Community Fund Director Kathleen George, back left, and Louis King, Community Fund
“I think he will now,”
program coordinator, during a visit with Tribal Council on Friday, Feb. 20.
Bodine said. “He likes
me.”
a legislative assistant. I’ll get a
D.C., as the Hatfield Fellow, she
Community Fund Program Man-
is on leave from her job with the
memo on something and be expect-
ager Louis King said the quality of
Bonneville Power Administration
ed to brief the congressman two
recent Hatfield Fellows, such as
hours later.”
as the corporate fish and wildlife
Bodine and Tribal Council Chief
Bodine is a Warm Springs Tribal
paralegal/project manager in Port-
of Staff Stacia Martin, bodes well
member. She grew up in Portland
land.
for continued success with the
“I like the work,” Bodine said
and was valedictorian of her senior
program.
about working in Congress. “But I
class at David Douglas High School,
George said that with the caliber of
where she also played three sports
grew up in Oregon with the trees
fellows the program is attracting, the
– softball, basketball and cross
and the mountains. I don’t see liv-
Community Fund receives affirma-
country.
ing there permanently.”
tive answers from members of Ore-
She graduated from Lewis and
Bodine said DeFazio and his
gon’s congressional delegation quickly
Clark College at the age of 20 in
staff are thankful for her legal
when approached about placement.
2009 and enrolled at law school
knowledge. She recently passed the
Next year’s fellow will work in the
Oregon State Bar exam.
there. She received her juris doc-
office of Sen. Jeff Merkley.
“They are already saying, ‘We
torate degree in 2013 with an En-
Applications for next year’s Hat-
vironmental Law certificate.
don’t know what we’ll do when we
field Fellow placement open March
While working in Washington,
lose you in five months.’ I am glad
16, King said. Tribal members in
they feel that I am an asset to them.
Oregon, Washington and Idaho who
I work 10-, 11-hour days and stay
have a minimum of a bachelor’s
until everyone else leaves.”
degree can apply.
Although she is working long
“Thank you for providing me a
days that provide little opportuni-
life-changing experience,” Bodine
ty for anything else but sleeping,
added.
she has had a few highlights while
Tribal Council members who at-
living in Washington, D.C., which
tended Bodine’s briefing included
included attending the State of the
Mercier, Tribal Council Vice Chair
Union address.
Jack Giffen Jr. and Ed Pearsall,
The Hatfield Fellowship was cre-
Cheryle A. Kennedy and Denise
ated in 1998 by the Grand Ronde
Harvey. n
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