S moke S ignals
JULY 15, 2015
5
Tribe dedicates new employment building
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
The Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde dedicated the new
Employment Services and Train-
ing Center building on the Tribal
campus on Tuesday, June 30, with
a small gathering and a job fair.
After Tribal Council member Jon
A. George gave the invocation, he
accompanied drummers Jordan
Mercier, Travis Stewart and David
Harrelson for a welcoming song.
“This building of all buildings
today is designed to bring hope and
prosperity and new beginnings for
our Tribal families. Through these
doors, our members will have the
opportunity to change their lives …
to build for their families,” George
said.
Tribal Council Chairman Reyn
Leno was joined by the entire Trib-
al Council and said in his opening
remarks that the new building has
been on the minds of Tribal leader-
ship for years.
“I want to thank all of the peo-
ple who put this together,” said
Leno. “This has really been a vi-
sion of council that someday we
would have a one-stop shop type
of employment place to streamline
people to get hired. More impor-
tantly for council, we are fulfilling a
mission of having a Tribal member
walk through that door and maybe
be able to go to work and really
change their life not only for them,
but for their family.”
The new building will be the
home of the Tribe’s Human Re-
sources, the Tribal Employment
Rights Office, the 477/Vocational
Rehabilitation Program and Spirit
Mountain Casino Human Resourc-
es. All four programs will work in
concert to meet the employment
needs of Tribal members and for
the first time they will all work
under the same roof.
Each program was represented
by staff, who had tent-covered ta-
bles set up outside the new building
to share program information and
promotional material with interest-
“We condensed all the
planning and design and
construction into that
10-month window. Typi-
cally we would be looking
at 18 months to complete
construction,” said White.
“Tribal Council’s direc-
tion was to get it done and
I’m really happy with it.
Like Reyn said the direc-
tion from council was to
have a one-stop shop. As
soon as the Tribal member
walks in the door there is
someone there to assist
them and to evaluate their
needs. The building was
really set up that way with
each department having
their own space, but being
interconnected. I think
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Council, the exec-
From left, Tribal Council members Chris Mercier, Ed Pearsall, Tonya Gleason-Shepek
utive office and the Tribal
and Denise Harvey, Tribal Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr., Tribal Chairman Reyn Leno, Tribal
members will be pleased
Council member Cheryle A. Kennedy, Tribal Secretary Toby McClary and Tribal Council
with it too.”
member Jon A. George participate in the ribbon cutting for the Employment Services
Shirley, who founded
and Training Center building on the Tribal campus on Tuesday, June 30.
Anderson Shirley Archi-
tects with Karl Anderson
ed job seekers.
in 2004, said the enthusiasm and
happened.”
“This is something we (Tribal
excitement of the people he worked
Once those gathered began the
Council) thought about for a long
with on the new Employment Ser-
tour of the two-story office build-
time,” said Leno. “This is another
vices and Training Center building
ing, Leno took a moment to share
piece of what the council members
made the job fun for him.
stories with Tribal Engineering and
have all worked toward - the bigger
“I enjoyed the whole process,”
Public Works Manager Jesse White
picture and the bigger plan. I know
said Shirley. “Everybody was really
and the man who designed the
we are going to make this success-
enthusiastic about the project. All
building – John Shirley of Anderson
ful. I think we have a lot of good
the way through it has been a fun
Shirley Architects Inc. in Salem.
people to help do that.”
process and now to see it come to
“This was all just fields,” said
Tribal Council member Cheryle
fruition is icing on the cake.”
Leno. “There have been a lot of
A. Kennedy echoed Leno’s com-
Tribal Council Vice Chairman
changes, but this area was all just
ments and thanked everyone who
Jack
Giffen Jr. said the new em-
hay fields.”
made the new building possible.
ployment center had been an 11-
White said the building was con-
“Everything takes time, but we
year project for him and he thanked
structed on a tight time frame and
are here today and I’m very pleased
everyone who made it possible.
that the structure was modeled
about that,” said Kennedy. “I think
“Anytime you bring four different
after the Tribe’s Adult Educa-
we, as Indian people, have learned
departments together you have
tion Building. White said Shirley
to be very patient with things and
challenges,” said Giffen. “It will
worked on the Adult Education
sometimes they do take years to get
take a foundation of cooperation and
complex and it made sense for the
to this stage, but I’m very pleased
partnership to achieve the ultimate
Tribe to work with Anderson Shir-
that it has. There is a thrill that
goal of helping our Tribal members
ley Architects again on this new
goes through me about the lives
succeed. I’m happy to see this build-
building.
that will be changed because of the
ing open up and I’m happy to see the
White said ground was broken
services that are being offered here.
different departments come togeth-
on the project in August 2014 and
I raise my hands to all the people
er and forming that foundation for
that he was very pleased with how
that worked to make sure that this
the Tribal members.” n
quickly the building came together.
Ad created by George Valdez
Ad created by George Valdez