8
S MOKE S IGNALS
JULY 15, 2018
New TERO director praises progressive program
Steve Campos served in similar role for Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks
for Grand Ronde’s new Tribal Em-
ployment Rights Office Director
Steve Campos.
He drove approximately 2,200
miles from Oklahoma to Oregon
during the week of June 17 and
then began working for the Tribe
Monday, June 25.
His 2,200-mile road trip included
the plains of Oklahoma and Kansas
to the Rocky Mountains of Colora-
do, Yellowstone Park and then the
Oregon Coast.
This type of schedule would sound
exhausting to most but Campos, 45,
who spent 14 years climbing the
ladder of high-pressure corporate
America sales, takes it all in stride.
“I’m a West Coast guy so it is great
to be back here,” Campos said while
unpacking his new offi ce. “This job
is an opportunity to do something I
wanted to expand on and I’m excited
about that.”
Campos has a bachelor of science
degree in business management
from the University of Phoenix,
which he earned while working full
time with three children at home.
“It was pretty rough getting that
degree,” he said. “The kids would be
in bed Sunday night for school the
next day, and I literally wouldn’t see
them until Wednesday night.”
But he knew having a degree was
an important piece of furthering his
career. It eventually led Campos to
serve as TERO director for his Tribe,
the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma,
for four years to help other Tribal
members better themselves.
During his time as TERO direc-
tor, Campos brought the Pawnee
program from a defi cit of more than
$185,000 to a profi t-generating en-
terprise. Those proceeds were used
to fund small
include job preparation
Tribal business-
and training, and Tribal
es.
contracting and subcon-
He described
tracting.
the Confederated
The ordinance re-
Tribes of Grand
quires all employers,
Ronde’s TERO
including Tribal govern-
program as very
ment, Tribal businesses
“progressive” in
and contractors who
nature due to its
perform work on the
memorandum of
Reservation, to provide
Photo by Michelle Alaimo Grand Ronde Tribal
understanding
with the Oregon Steve Campos is the Tribe’s and Indian preference
Department of new Tribal Employment Rights in employment, and
Transportation. Office director. He started on Indian preference in
“Oklahoma is Monday, June 25, and was pre- contracting and subcon-
not there yet,” viously the TERO director for tracting.
C a m p o s s a i d . his Tribe, the Pawnee Nation of
Campos’ moved from
“The TERO pro- Oklahoma.
California to Oklahoma
grams there need a coalition that four years ago after years spent
will blanket all of them like in working for Xerox and Canon. When
Oregon. This is a real progressive he learned the job in Grand Ronde
program, and as young as it is, with was open, he decided it was time to
lots of traction and much has been pursue new opportunities.
accomplished.”
“I’ve just been really taken back
Campos said he would like to take by the kindness of the employees
Grand Ronde’s TERO program to and the beauty of the surrounding
the next level.
Grand Ronde area,” he said. “For a
“I want it to be recognized as the small and fairly young Tribe, they
TERO of the year by the Council for are doing more than longtime estab-
Tribal Employment Rights,” he said. lished Tribes.”
Campos was born in Los Angeles
The award encompasses several
factors, such as how many people and grew up in San Diego, so being
were put to work, how much money in proximity to the beach is appeal-
was made and the different certifi - ing, although surfi ng in Oregon’s
cold waters is not as much so.
cations employees receive.
“My brother lives in Kauai so that
“I am also trying to open the
opportunity in other industries be- is my vacation spot,” he said.
In addition to surfi ng, other hob-
sides construction,” Campos said. “I
would like to see TERO start Tribal bies include fishing, disc golfing,
businesses to generate revenue and “regular” golfi ng and hunting.
He has three children: Sashay, 19,
opportunities for the Tribe.”
The Grand Ronde Tribe enacted DiEtte, 18, and Kimowen, 14.
After introducing himself at the
its TERO ordinance in November
2013 to promote the interests of Tribal Council meeting on Wednes-
self-governance and ensure that day, June 27, Campos was asked by
Indian people can participate in Vice Chair Chris Mercier how to say
economic opportunities on and near “Go Ducks” in Pawnee.
A search of the Pawnee dictionary
the Reservation. The opportunities
did not turn up any ducks, so Cam-
pos said he was going to need to call
on the experts before answering
that question.
He noted that his Indian name is
Kuruks Ruhurlrahat, which means
“Bear taking care of his own.” It was
given to him in a Tribal ceremony
fi ve years ago.
Now that Campos is at the helm,
former Interim TERO Director John
Mercier will return to his regular job
as the Tribe’s Public Works coordi-
nator, developing and maintaining
the public infrastructure with most
duties transportation focused.
“I am very pleased and excited to
have Steve taking on the position
of TERO director,” Mercier said.
“He has a varied career background
in private industry with the last
four years of his career working
directly in TERO. He will become a
well-rounded addition to the TERO
team.”
Mercier said that Campos will be
very busy.
“He has a lot of work to do, prob-
ably more than most new TERO
directors, and he is taking on all
this work with enthusiasm and
dedication to Tribal employment,”
Mercier said. “I told Steve this is a
great place to work, and employees
like to stay for a long time. I hope
he is one of those employees.”
In a staffwide e-mail sent Friday,
June 29, Mercier also thanked fel-
low TERO employees for making his
two-year stint as interim director
easier.
“Steve joins a great team in the
TERO program,” he said. “I thank
Steve for joining us, and I want to
thank Duke Kimsey, Lori Sterling
and Keri Kimsey for their hard work
and support as I was part of their
team for the past two years.” n
O PEN E NROLLMENT
FOR
2018-19
C HINUK K INDERGARTEN
I MMERSION
As of May 14th, 2018 we will be accepting registration applications for interested
incoming Kindergarteners. We are a half day immersion program offering instruction
in Chinuk through our culture and place-based curriculum. Our students attend
half day in our program and must be enrolled in Willamina Elementary School as
well. No prior language experience required, however we do have language and
Tribal preference once we are at capacity.
Applications are available at Adult Education and can be turned in starting May 14
Ali Holsclaw
K5 Chinuk Teacher
503-879-1490
ali.holsclaw@grandronde.org
Justine Flynn
K5 Chinuk Teacher
503-879-2066
justine.flynn@grandronde.org
We enroll families, not just students. It is our
belief that the only way for the language to
live and flourish is for it to be learned and
used in the home by the whole family.