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JANUARY 1, 2024
11
Holiday event held for employees
SERVICE continued
from front page
Kennedy said. “I really appreciate
all of our employees. My heart is
blessed from all that is being done
and there is going to be a lot more
in 2024.”
Kennedy thanked Leno, who
then highlighted a few accomplish-
ments of the Tribe this year, in-
cluding hunting and fishing rights
expanding to its members through
the memorandum of agreement
with the state. He mentioned sev-
eral construction projects including
the recently-completed language
education building, the new health-
care/vaccination clinic and cooking
demonstration area, and a child
development center that will open
in late 2024.
Next, Leno announced
fourth-quarter service awards
honoring 69 employees with 983
combined years of service to the
Grand Ronde Tribe. The two lon-
gest serving employees honored
were Health Administration Op-
erations Director Tresa Mercier
with 39 years, and Public Works
Coordinator John Mercier with 33
years of employment.
As employees were honored for
years of service, each one was
presented a certificate signed by
Kennedy and Leno and received
personal congratulations from
Tribal Council members.
In addition to Kennedy and
George, Tribal Council members
in attendance included Vice Chair
Chris Mercier, Secretary Michael
Cherry, Kathleen George, Lisa
Leno and Brenda Tuomi.
Employees received certificates
in appreciation for their increasing
tenure with the Tribe. Employees
who hit milestone years of 5, 10, 15,
20 and 25 years also received bonus
checks. In addition, those reaching
the 10-year mark received a Tribal
Pendleton blanket and a $50 check,
or a $150 check.
Other employees honored during
the third quarter included:
28 years of service: Social Ser-
vices Department Manager Dana
Ainam, Facilities Senior Adminis-
trative Assistant Daphney Colton,
Benefits and Risk Manager Tammy
Gould, Records Clerk Hollie Merci-
er, Compensation/HRIS Adminis-
trator Candy Scranton, Behavioral
Health Scheduler Linda Evans and
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Internal Auditor Kailey Compton participates in the ugly sweater
contest during the fourth-quarter Years of Service awards and annual
Employee Appreciation Holiday Party held at the Spirit Mountain Casino
Event Center on Thursday, Dec. 21.
Tribal Lands Department Manager
Jan Reibach.
27 years: Timber Resources Pro-
gram Manager Michael Karnosh.
26 years: Dental Restorative
Assistant Donnette Spaulding,
Cultural Center Supervisor Crystal
Szczepanski, Judicial Operations
Supervisor Julie Boekhoff and
Police Records and Evidence Clerk
Egypt Leno.
25 years: Employment Specialist
Tauni Tollas is the newest member
of the quarter-century or more club.
20-24 years: Procurement De-
partment Manager Nathan Rolston
with 24 years; Housing Improve-
ment Coordinator Donald Coon
with 21 years; and Tribal Librarian
Kathy Cole with 20 years of service.
18 years: Gaming Commission
Audit Manager Rose Smith, In-
ternal Auditor Heather Roberts,
Social Services Support Counselor
Christopher Holliday and Housing
Improvement Coordinator Loyal
Hamilton.
17 years: Utility Maintenance
Supervisor Joe Loomis and Health
Administration Quality Coordina-
tor Tauni McCammon.
16 years: Housing Adminis-
trative Program Manager Joan
Dugger.
15 years: Cultural Education
Specialist Flicka Lucero and Social
Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy gives a welcome to Tribal
employees during the fourth-quarter Years of Service awards and annual
Employee Appreciation Holiday Party held at the Spirit Mountain Casino
Event Center on Thursday, Dec. 21.
Services SPF Coordinator Isaiah
Sherwood.
13 years: Employment Case-
worker Rhonda Leno and Infant/
Toddler Site Coordinator Melissa
Phillips.
12 years: Firefighter Daniel
Hyatt, Pharmacy Technician Su-
pervisor Stephanie Wolfe, Senior
Applications Administrator Jose
Luna and Senior Maintenance
Technician Brent Buckner.
11 years: Housing Adminis-
trative Assistant Nicholas Kim-
sey, Pharmacy Technician Cindy
Brickell, Medical Clinic Secretary
Jamie Adams, Education Services
Coordinator Devin Boekhoff and
Utility Maintenance Technician
Richard Smith.
10 years: Senior Maintenance
Technician Daron Pond Jr. and
Payroll Administrator Michelle
Peterson.
9 years: Behavioral Health Peer
Support Specialist Shelly Fox, Lead
Certified Medical Assistant Aman-
da Walker, Child/Family Services
Caseworker Santiago Atanacio
and Early Childhood Education
Instructional Assistant Shantell
Ulestad-Salinas.
8 years: Early Childhood Educa-
tion Teacher Aide Wendy Mercier,
Housing Maintenance Technician
Winston Mercier, Lead Housekeep-
er Coley Parazoo, Health Services
Executive Director Kelly Rowe,
Gaming Licensing Specialist Jef-
frey Smith and Grant Supervisor
Gloria Schwagler.
7 years: Domestic Violence Relief
Advocate Leah Bailey, Emergency
Management Division Chief Torey
Wakeland, Data Specialist Sommer
Bruckner and Tribal Security Offi-
cer Derek Ellenwood.
6 years: Librarian Aide Crys-
tal Bigelow, Certified Medical
Assistant Fermin Deras Diaz,
Publications Secretary/Advertising
Representative Katherine War-
ren-Steffensmier, Dental Assistant
Nina Umfrid, Employee Relations
Specialist Aaron Bigelow, Fam-
ily Partnerships Coach Lyndsey
Stuckey, Laboratory Assistant
Kateri Marrufo and Housing Safety
Specialist Bradley Leno.
5 years: Tribal Veterans Service
Officer Ramona Quenelle, Cook
Jason Ibarra, Cultural Resources
Specialist Christopher Rempel,
Community Support Specialist Is-
abell Bobb, Lead Patient Account
Representative Ashley Stonebrink,
Youth Enrichment Coordinator
Corina Limon and Early Childhood
Education Teacher Aide and Bus
Monitor Krystal King.
In addition to the service awards,
the holiday event featured an
audience-judged ugly sweater
contest that included prizes of
$100, $75 and $50. Many raffle
prizes were also given away and
included denominations of $100 to
$2,000, as well as administrative
leave days.
The Human Resources Depart-
ment handed out the cash, led by
Scott Mode on the microphone, with
cheers echoing through the lodge
hall as ticket numbers were called.
Spirit Mountain’s AV Tech Ivan
Calderon-Arceo kept the program
running smoothly on stage, while
Banquet Chef Brett Hutton and
Executive Chef Sean Huey guided
the many employees tending the
holiday party buffet.
Christmas ornaments adorned
the 74 round tables bedecked with
white tablecloths, each with eight
chairs decorated with red and green
cloth bands. The large lodge hall
also featured two large wreaths on
either side of the stage and at least
four Christmas trees.
At the end of the banquet, Tribal
employees were given the rest of
the day off with administrative
leave.
Tribal Dental
Assistant Nina
Umfrid hugs Tribal
Council Chairwoman
Cheryle A. Kennedy
as she is recognized
for her six years of
working for the Tribe
during the fourth-
quarter Years of
Service awards and
annual Employee
Appreciation
Holiday Party
held at the Spirit
Mountain Casino
Event Center.