S moke S ignals
OCTOBER 1, 2018
11
Employees honored for 921 years of service
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
Seventy employees were honored
for a combined 921 years of service
to the Grand Ronde Tribe during
a third-quarter Years of Service
ceremony held on Thursday, Sept.
27, in the Tribal gym.
Leading those honored in em-
ployment longevity was Natural
Resources Department Timber
and Roads Program Manager Jeff
Kuust, who reached the 29-year
mark in working for the Tribe.
Joining him in the quarter-cen-
tury or more club were Natural
Resources Manager Michael Wilson
and Finance Officer Chris Leno,
who both reached 26 years of ser-
vice. Higher Education Manager
Bryan Langley notched 27 years
and Health Benefits Specialist
Barbara Steere, Staff Accountant
Melanie Hubbard and Procurement
Assistant Kelly Leno attained 28
years apiece.
Tribal Attorney Rob
Greene reached his 24th
year of employment, As-
sistant Tribal Attorney
Kim D’Aquila hit the 22-
year mark of service and
Cultural Adviser Bobby
Mercier reached 21 years.
Head Start Teacher
Toni Lockwood, Family
Services Assistant Elaine
Lane Raven and Dental
Hygienist Sheila Black-
eter reached the 20-year
mark.
Third-quarter award recipients
were hired between July and Sep-
tember.
Employees received certificates
and bonus checks in appreciation
for their increasing tenure with the
Tribe. In addition, those reaching
the 10-year mark received a Tribal
Pendleton blanket or an extra $100
in their bonus check.
The ceremony began with an
invocation from Tribal Council
member Steve Bobb Sr. Then em-
ployees were treated to breakfast
sandwiches, biscuits and gravy,
fruit, pastries and juices from Sim-
Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Planning Director Rick George, center, receives a hug from Tribal Council
member and wife Kathleen George while being recognized for five years of
service during the third-quarter Years of Service ceremony held in the Tribal
gym on Thursday, Sept. 27
Member Services Department
Manager Veronica Montano, right,
receives a hug from Tribal Council
member Kathleen George after
being honored with eight years of
service during the third-quarter
Years of Service ceremony in the
Tribal gym on Thursday, Sept. 27.
ply Delish Catering.
Tribal Council members in atten-
dance included Bobb, Vice Chair
Chris Mercier, Secretary Jon A.
George, Kathleen George and Jack
Giffen Jr. Tribal Council members
also lined up to shake employ-
ees’ hands and gives hugs as the
Years of Service honorees were
announced.
General Manager David Fuller-
ton announced employee names
and Tribal Council Chief of Staff
Stacia Hernandez handed out the
awards.
Other employees honored during
the third-quarter event included:
Ad created by George Valdez
19 years: Procurement Supervi-
sor Kevin Mueller.
18 years: Elementary Lead Mat-
thew Bucknell, Senior Network
Administrator Jack Dobiash, Trib-
al Court Judicial Assistant Julie
Boekhoff and Grand Ronde Police
Department Records/Evidence
Clerk Egypt Leno.
17 years: Security Officer Roel
Hernandez and Education Senior
Administrative Assistant Deborah
Bachman.
16 years: Part-time College
Program Coordinator John Harp,
Audit Director Trudi Yoshikawa,
Natural Resources Machine Equip-
ment Operator Mark Mercier and
Treasury Manager Rick Andersen.
15 years: Benefits Specialist Peg-
gy Carpenter, Nutrition Program
Manager Kristy Criss-Lawson and
Ceded Lands Coordinator Brandy
Humphreys.
14 years: Health Information
Technician Stephanie Simmons,
Tribal Council Administrative
Assistant Shannon Simi, Finance
Executive Assistant Ken Trevino
and Employment Specialist Brandy
Hembree.
13 years: Housing Services Co-
ordinator Deborah Kroeker and
Purchased/Referred Care Specialist
Erica Mercier.
12 years: Graphic Designer
George Valdez.
11 years: Central Phones Opera-
tor Scarlett Holtz, Senior Help Desk
Technician Alec Palanuk-Mercier,
Publications Coordinator Dean
Rhodes, Preschool Bus Driver/
Aide Jennifer Jerabek and TERO
Workforce Development Specialist
Misty Carl.
10 years: Controller Linda Han-
na, Community Health Events
Coordinator Kandee Little and
Natural Resources Fish and Wild-
life Technician Matthew Zimbrick.
9 years: Patient Account Repre-
sentative Kayla Leno.
8 years: Maintenance Technician
Jason Bailey, Health Information
Technician Amanda McMahon,
TERO Compliance Officer Marvin
“Duke” Kimsey Jr., TERO Adminis-
trative Assistant Lori Sterling, Mem-
ber Services Department Manager
Veronica Montano, Early Childhood
Education Department Manager An-
gie Blackwell, Housing Maintenance
Technician Michael Lane, Adult and
Family Services Supervisor Amber
Zimbrick and Cultural Resources De-
partment Manager David Harrelson.
7 years: Early Head Start Home
Visitor Amber Mercier, Youth Ed-
ucation Administrative Assistant
Amber Yates, Chachalu Manager
Julie Brown, Medical Technologist
Staci Pemble and Legal Secretary
Susan June.
6 years: Child and Family Ser-
vices Caseworker Tara Verner,
Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia
Hernandez, 477 Employment and
Training Specialist Angey Rideout,
Registered Nurse Tashina Blair,
Senior Telecommunications Tech-
nician Mark Scheelar, Mailroom
Clerk Anna White, Parks and Rec-
reation Specialist Jerry Bailey and
Forest Technician Andrew Puerini.
5 years: Maintenance Technician
Daniel Mooney, Swing Shift House-
keeper James Byars Jr., Planning
Director Rick George, Patient
Account Representative Loretta
Meneley and Cultural Education
Coordinator Jordan Mercier.
Prizes raffled off included gift
cards to Amazon and Kofi Haws,
Portland Trail Blazers tickets, an
ice cream maker, roadside assis-
tance kits, a pressure cooker, tool
kit, work bench, knife set and vac-
uum food sealer. At the conclusion
of the event, Fullerton announced
that all employees would be given
a half-day of administrative leave,
which resulted in loud cheers from
the audience.