S moke S ignals
APRIL 15, 2018
9
Fifty employees honored for 587 years of service
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
Records Administrator Kim
Mueller and A/V Network Techni-
cian Wendell Olson led employees
with 23 years of service to the Tribe
during the first-quarter Employee
Service Awards breakfast held on
Thursday, April 5, in the Tribal
gym.
The first-quarter awards honored
employees reaching their employ-
ment anniversary date in January,
February or March. Employees who
were hired five years ago or longer
received bonus checks and other
awards.
Fifty employees were honored for
a combined 587 years of service to
the Tribe during the event.
Elders Activity Assistant Daniel
Ham and Gaming Commission
Licensing Manager Julia Papen
reached the 22-year mark while
Lands Department Manager Jan
Reibach and Assistant Controller
Jody Jerger both were hired in the
first quarter of 1997.
Tribal Council member Kathleen
George blessed the breakfast and
General Manager David Fullerton
welcomed a large turnout of em-
ployees to the awards ceremony.
Other Tribal Council members
who attended and congratulated
employees were Vice Chair Chris
Mercier, Brenda Tuomi, Jack Giff-
en Jr. and Denise Harvey.
Mercier thanked employees for
all of their work, recalling how as
a teenager with long hair in 1991
that he was on the first Tribal youth
summer work crew.
“The growth now astounds me,”
he said. “The Tribe was restored to
help its members and help the com-
munity. It wasn’t all about keeping
it in the Tribe. I think sometimes
Tribal Council gets more credit
than we need because what we do
would be impossible without our
employees. It is great for me to see
our employees who have passion
for the Tribe.”
Cultural Resources Department
Manager David Harrelson also
spoke to attendees about what
service to the Tribal community
has meant during different periods
in history.
“We only have (approximately)
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Daniel Ham, Tribal Elders activity assistant, shakes hands with Tribal Council
member Brenda Tuomi as he is recognized for his 22 years of service to the
Tribe during the first-quarter Employee Service Awards held in the Tribal
gym on Thursday, April 5.
5,400 Tribal members, but the work
this government does is about the
persistence of a people,” he said.
Other employees honored were:
20 years: Health & Wellness
Center Payment Processing Spe-
cialist Sunni Ulestad.
19 years: Social Services Ad-
ministrative Assistant Tammy
Garrison.
18 years: Compensation/HRIS
Specialist Becky Mode and Tribal
Career Development Manager Da-
vid DeHart.
17 years: Facilities Manager
Tyson Mercier and Cultural Protec-
tion Specialist Christopher Bailey.
16 years: Legal Assistant Kerri-
na Mishler and Cultural Resources
Interpretive Coordinator Travis
Stewart.
15 years: Post-Secondary Educa-
tion Program Coordinator Joshua
Clift and Nutrition Lead Cook
Kevin Campbell.
14 years: Portland Office Trib-
al Services Representative Lisa
Archuleta.
13 years: Staff Accountant Nan-
CTGR Community Health
Coming to the Portland Office!!!
*
CTGR Community Health will be coming to help educate
yourself/and families on how to live a better lifestyle.
Every 3rd Wednesday of the month from
10-2pm
CTGR Portland Office
4445 SW Barbur Blvd Portland, OR 97239
For any questions please call
Lisa Archuleta 503-879-1881
cy Renfrow, who recently retired.
12 years: Education Department
Manager Leslie Riggs, Cultural Re-
sources Administrative Assistant
Toni Mercier, K5 Tutor/Adviser
George Neujahr, Full Charge Book-
keeper Debra Nolen and Vocational
Rehabilitation Caseworker Carmen
Mercier.
10 years: Construction Supervi-
sor Bart Bryant, Day Shift House-
keeper Rosie Saldivas, Smoke
Signals Photojournalist Michelle
Alaimo, Gaming Commission Com-
pliance Analyst Tyrell Soderberg,
Natural Resources Senior Admin-
istrative Assistant Michele Volz
and Cultural Collections Specialist
Nick LaBonte.
9 years: Hydrosystem Compli-
ance Specialist Lawrence Schwabe.
8 years: Adult Foster Care Admin-
istrative Assistant Candi Buswell,
Swing Shift Lead Housekeeper
Joseph Grammer, Rental Housing
Coordinator Leon Ramos and Early
Childhood Education Instructional
Assistant Lindsay Ramer.
7 years: 477/Employment &
Training Specialist Khani Schultz,
Early Head Start Teacher Melissa
Phillips, Employment Program
Manager Michael Herrin, Dental
Assistant Shelby Hoyt and Dental
Hygienist Erin Muchmore.
6 years: Youth Prevention Co-
ordinator Cristina Lara, Chinuk
Wawa Assistant Halona Butler,
Housing Maintenance Technician
Gary LaChance Jr., Housing Main-
tenance Technician Robert Wiggs,
Historic Preservation Manager
Briece Edwards and Accounts Pay-
able Supervisor Tammy Chavez.
5 years: Utilities Maintenance
Technician Richard Smith, Child
and Family Services Caseworker
Shauna Hastings, Employment
and Training Specialist Barbara
Gibbons, Swing Shift Housekeeper
Gregory Shandy and Human Re-
sources Manager Patrick Dempsey.
Employees were served a breakfast
consisting of scrambled eggs, biscuits
and gravy, bagels, sausage, yogurt,
fruit and juices by Tribal Council
Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez,
Tribal Council Administrate Assis-
tant Shannon Simi and Adminis-
trative Assistant Meghan Zimbrick.
After the awards, Fullerton, Her-
nandez and Mercier raffled off door
prizes that included $50 gas cards,
gift cards to Kofi Haws, a garden
took kit, an insulated hydration
pack, memory foam bleacher seat,
wind spinner, barbecue tool set,
propane grills, waterproof tent,
trail camera, $50 Amazon cards
and administrative leave days.