S moke S ignals
FEBRUARY 1, 2016
7
44 employees recognized for their years of service
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Forty-four employees with a
combined 571 years of service to
the Tribe were honored during an
Employee Recognition Breakfast
held Thursday, Jan. 21, in the
Tribal gym.
Leading the way and setting a
record with every work anniversary
she celebrates was Tresa Mercier,
Health & Wellness Clinic Business
Office manager, who reached her
31st anniversary of employment
with the Tribe.
Reaching the coveted quarter-cen-
tury mark were Public Works Co-
ordinator John Mercier and Tribal
Librarian Marion Mercier. Both
received $250 gift cards in appreci-
ation for their years of service.
The breakfast started with Tribal
Artisan Travis Stewart performing
a blessing song on drum. Nutrition
Program employees Kristy DeLoe,
Patti LeClair and Charles Neujahr
served a breakfast of scrambled
eggs, sausage and waffles with all
the fixings. They were assisted by
Public Affairs Administrative As-
sistant Chelsea Clark and Tribal
Council Administrative Assistant
Shannon Simi.
After the employees ate, General
Manager David Fullerton welcomed
those in attendance and presented
certificates and bonus checks to
employees reaching employment
milestones of five years or more.
He was assisted by Compensation/
HRIS Specialist Becky Mode, and
Tribal Council member Brenda Tu-
omi and Human Resources Depart-
ment Manager Patrick Dempsey
shook recipients’ hands.
In addition to the three Merciers,
those honored were:
Five years: Assistant Chinuk
Wawa Teacher Jeff Mercier and
Tribal Employment Rights Office
Photo by Dean Rhodes
Tribal Employment Rights Office Secretary Keri Kimsey shakes hands with
Human Resources Department Manager Patrick Dempsey after receiving
a certificate and bonus check in recognition of her five-year employment
anniversary with the Tribe on Thursday, Jan. 21, in the Tribal gym. General
Manager David Fullerton read off the list of 44 Tribal employees who were
honored at the breakfast.
Secretary Keri Kimsey.
Six years: After Care Adviser
Jessica Lillard, Radiology Lab Tech-
nician Niki Mosley and K-5 Chinuk
Wawa Teacher Esther Stewart.
Seven years: Foster Care Re-
cruitment Specialist Amanda Mer-
cier, Cultural Education Specialist
Flicka Lucero, Pharmacy Clerk Isa-
iah Sherwood and Patients Account
Specialist Desiree Allen.
Eight years: Cultural Artisan
Brian Krehbiel, Compliance Tech-
nician Misty Thorsgard, Housing
Authority Administrative Program
Manager Joan Dugger, Senior Staff
Attorney Jennifer Biesack and
Driver Assistant Arnoldo Moralez.
Nine years: Contract Health
Specialist Tauni McCammon and
Telecommunications Technician
Joe Loomis.
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10 years: Early Head Start
Teacher Jessica Cruickshank,
Children and Family Services In-
vestigator John Genera, Housing
Improvement Coordinator Loyal
Hamilton and Gaming Commission
Audit Manager Rose Smith. (People
reaching the 10-year mark also re-
ceived a Pendleton blanket).
11 years: Cook Rebecca Gro-
serich and Education Home Visitor
Shawn Bobb.
12 years: Employee Relations
Specialist Eva Simmons and Cul-
tural Education Department Man-
ager Kathy Cole.
13 years: Police Chief Jake McK-
night and Web Designer Willie
Mercier.
14 years: Housing Improvement
Coordinator Donald Coon.
15 years: Planning and Grants
Development Manager Kim Rog-
ers, Auditing Specialist Michelle
Manso, Health & Wellness Accred-
itation Coordinator Jill Hafliger
and Shipping and Receiving Clerk
Nathan Rolston.
16 years: Chinuk Language Spe-
cialist Crystal Szczepanski.
17 years: Health Information
Technician Supervisor Lillian Engel.
18 years: Senior Dental Assis-
tant Donnette Spaulding.
19 years: Ceded Lands Program
Manager Michael Karnosh.
20 years: Social Services De-
partment Manager Dana Ainam,
Member Benefits Administrative
Assistant Hollie Mercier, Asset
Inventory Specialist Jerry George,
Compensation/HRIS Administra-
tor Candy Scranton, Recruitment/
Employee Relations Administrator
Daphney Colton and Benefits Ad-
ministrator Tammy Gould.
“On behalf of Tribal Council, we
thank you for your service,” Ful-
lerton said. “I’ve attended a couple
of these. Years ago, it was a lot of
five- and six-year employees. Now
we’re moving up to where we have
the 12- and 15-year employees and
20-year employees, and that’s real-
ly nice to see.”
After the certificates and bonus
checks were handed out, a raffle for
a Chrome Notebook, coffeemaker,
kitchen mixer and 48-inch TV was
held. n
Elders seeking help in making jam
Tribal Elders are seeking small jelly jars, donations of sugar and vol-
unteers to help make jam for Elder Honor Day in July.
Drop off donations at the Elders Activity Center, 48940 Blacktail Drive.
For more information, call 503-879-2233. n