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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2020)
6 AUGUST 15, 2020 Smoke Signals Years of Service honors 82 employees By Danielle Frost Smoke Signals staff writer Eighty-two employees recently were honored with a combined 1,205 years of service to the Grand Ronde Tribe. During prior years, summer honorees and other Tribal employ- ees typically feasted on a lunch- time barbecue picnic held in the Tribal gym. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, indoor group gatherings of more than 10 people have been prohibited, so no celebra- tion is currently planned. Seventeen employees were hon- ored for serving 20 or more years, led by Lead Groundskeeper Gregg Leno, who hit the 32-year mark. He is only the second Tribal employee ever to achieve this status. Oth er employ e e s wh o ha v e reached or surpassed two decades of Tribal service include Housing Department Maintenance Coor- dinator Lonnie Leno, 30 years; Member Services Benefits Admin- istrator Liz Leno, 28 years; Hous- ing Department Manager Shonn Leno and A/V Network Technician Wendell Olson, 26 years; Human Resources Specialist Cindy Mitch- ell and Fish and Wildlife Program Manager Kelly Dirksen, 24 years; Education Department Manager Angela Fasana, Tribal Council Se- nior Administrative Assistant Lau- ri Smith and Information Systems Operations Manager William Ke- phart, 23 years; Children & Family Services Supervisor Kristi Petite, Gaming Commission Executive As- sistant Kathy Doane, Senior Staff Attorney Deneen Aubertin Keller and Human Resources Training Specialist Vickie Hernandez, 22 years; Publications Production Specialist Justin Phillips and Se- nior Network Administrator Jack Dobiash, 21 years; and Equipment Operator Mark Mercier, 20 years. Honored employees were hired in the second quarter of the year between April and June. Other employees honored were: 19 years: General Manager David Fullerton, Controller Amy Gallant and Project Administrator Brandy Humphreys. 18 years: 477/Employment and Training Specialist Christopher Martin and Instructional Assistant Roxanne Moniz. AMERICAN INDIAN TEACHER PROGRAM Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez Dental Assistant Tammy Baird received a hug from Tribal Council member Steve Bobb Sr. in 2019 after she accepted her Years of Service Award during a ceremony held in the Tribal gym. This year, Baird reached the six-year mark in working for the Tribe. 17 years: Applications Adminis- trator Candice Olsen, Silviculture and Fire Protection Manager Colby Drake, Gaming Inspector Kary Turner and Cultural Education Specialist Cristina Lara. 16 years: Cultural Resources De- partment Manager David Harrel- son, Children and Family Services Intake Specialist Donna Johnson, Family Services Coordinator Audra Sherwood and Swing Shift House- keeper Sydney Clark. 15 years: Medical Reception- ist Tina Leno, Early Head Start Teacher Jessica Cruickshank and Member Services Administrative Assistant Tisha Pellett 14 years: Housing Maintenance Technician Randy Bean, Gaming Commission IT Network Analyst Tanner Fish, Silviculture/Fire Protection Technician Jeremy Ojua, Adult Foster Care Caregiver Anna Huston and Early Head Start Home-Based Visitor Shelley Clift. 13 years: Adult Foster Care Caregiver Carmen Parren, Cultural Center Specialist Rachelle Kellogg, Senior Forester Andrew Puerini and Biologist Matthew Zimbrick. 12 years: Gaming Commission Executive Director Michael Boyce, Chinuk Language Program Man- ager Ali Holsclaw, Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Michael Cherry, Gaming Commission Back- ground Investigator Nicholas Bai- ley and K-5 Tutor/Adviser George Neujahr. 11 years: Adult Foster Care Caregiver Ardyth Hoffer-Hallicola, Certified Medical Assistant Dana Seagrove, Head Start Teacher/ Education Coordinator Kristina Jaquith, Fire Supervisor Jim Pin- der and Silviculture/Fire Protection Technician Logan Kneeland. 10 years: Restoration Ecologist/ Policy Analyst Lindsay McClary, Realty Specialist Teresa Brocksen, Dentist Erin Lange, Health Pro- motion Specialist Tammy Leno, Chachalu Musuem Manager Julie Brown, TERO Compliance Officer Duke Kimsey and Youth Tobacco Prevention Coordinator Shannon Stanton. 9 years: Homeownership Coor- dinator Michele Plummer, Native Connections Coordinator Amber Mercier, Patient Account Special- ist Loretta Meneley, Silviculture/ Fire Protection Technician Daniel Schramm and Maintenance Tech- nician Robert Wiggs. 8 years: Vocational Rehabili- tation Administrative Assistant Rhonda Leno, Youth Education Program Manager Tim Barry, Dental Secretary Carrie Brooks, Tribal Council Coordinator Chelsea Baranski, Groundskeeper Brady Bruckner, Chinuk Immersion Teacher Justine Flynn, Gaming Commission Receptionist Kristina Summers, Early Childhood Edu- cation Program Assistant Denaee Towner, K-5 Tutor/Adviser Kyla McCallister and Budget Manager DeAnne Norton. 7 years: Recreation Coordinator Leo Ayala-Guillen, Tribal Security Lead Officer Ronald Wellborn and Historic Preservation Technician Nicolas Atanacio. 6 years: Dental Assistant Tammy Baird, Pharmacy Technician Randi Keyser-Crocker, Police Lt. Tim Hernandez, Program Accountant Michael Hubbard, Pharmacy Tech- nician Tawna Norwest, Staff Attor- ney Holly Partridge, Senior Records Clerk Emma Leno and Early Head Start Teacher Hannah Sabey. 5 years: ERSEA Coordinator Dawn Doar, Home Based Family Educator Brandi Hancock, Cultural Protection Specialist Dustin Hawks, Clinical Nurse Manager Christa Ho- sley, Housekeeper Sabrina Labonte, Aftercare Educator Holly Marl- er, Groundskeeper Youvani Ring, Aquatic Biologist Brandon Weems and Bus Driver Heidi Whittington. Employees received bonus checks and those reaching the 10-year mark in service had the option of receiving a Tribal Pendleton blan- ket or an extra $100 in their bonus check.