96 employees honored for 1,278 years of service

By Dean Rhodes

Smoke Signals editor

The Lenos led the way as 96 Tribal employees who were hired in the second quarter – April through June – reached the anniversary of their hire date with five or more years of service.

The 96 employees have a combined 1,278 years of service to the Grand Ronde Tribe.

During previous years, summer honorees and other Tribal employees typically feasted on a lunchtime barbecue picnic held in the Tribal gym. However, due to the recent surge of the COVID-19 pandemic’s Delta variant, the scheduled Aug. 19 barbecue was canceled.

Eighteen employees were honored for serving 20 or more years, led by Lead Groundskeeper Greg Leno, who hit the 33-year mark. He is only the second Tribal employee ever to achieve this status.

Other employees who have reached or surpassed two decades of Tribal service include Housing Department Maintenance Coordinator Lonnie Leno, 31 years; Member Services Benefits Administrator Liz Leno, 29 years; and Housing Department Manager Shonn Leno and A/V Network Technician Wendell Olson, 27 years.

Others with 20 or more years of service include Human Resources Specialist Cindy Mitchell and Fish and Wildlife Program Manager Kelly Dirksen, 25 years; Education Department Manager Angela Fasana and Tribal Council Senior Administrative Assistant Lauri Smith, 24 years; Children & Family Services Supervisor Kristi Petite, Gaming Commission Executive Assistant Kathy Doane, Senior Staff Attorney Deneen Aubertin Keller and Human Resources Training Specialist Vickie Hernandez, 23 years; Publications Production Specialist Justin Phillips and Senior Network Administrator Jack Dobiash, 22 years; and General Manager David Fullerton, Controller Amy Gallant and Lands Project Administrator Brandy Humphreys, 20 years.

Other employees honored included:

19 years: MAT Clinic employee Christopher Martin and Early Childhood Education Instructional Assistant Roxanne Moniz.   

18 years: Applications Administrator Candice Olsen, Natural Resources Department Manager Colby Drake, Gaming Inspector Kary Turner and Cultural Education Specialist Cristina Lara. 

17 years: Cultural Resources Department Manager David Harrelson, Children and Family Services Intake Specialist Donna Johnson, Family Services Coordinator Audra Sherwood and Swing Shift Housekeeper Sydney Clark.

16 years: Medical Receptionist Tina Leno, Early Head Start Teacher Jessica Cruickshank and Member Services Enrollment Coordinator Tisha Pellett

15 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.

14 years: Adult Foster Care Caregiver Carmen Parren, Cultural Center Specialist Rachelle Kellogg, Senior Forester Andrew Puerini and Biologist Matthew Zimbrick.

13 years: Gaming Commission Executive Director Michael Boyce, Chinuk Language Program Manager Ali Holsclaw, Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Michael Cherry, Gaming Commission Background Investigator Nicholas Bailey and K-5 Tutor/Adviser George Neujahr.  

12 years: Adult Foster Care Caregiver Ardyth Hoffer-Hallicola, Certified Medical Assistant Dana Seagrove, Head Start Teacher/Education Coordinator Kristina Jaquith and Fire Supervisor Jim Pinder.

11 years: Restoration Ecologist/Policy Analyst Lindsay McClary, Realty Specialist Teresa Brocksen, Dentist Erin Lange, Health Promotion Specialist Tammy Leno, TERO Compliance Officer Duke Kimsey and Youth Tobacco Prevention Coordinator Shannon Stanton.

10 years: Homeownership Coordinator Michele Plummer, Native Connections Coordinator Amber Mercier, Patient Account Specialist Loretta Meneley, Silviculture/Fire Protection Technician Daniel Schramm and Maintenance Technician Robert Wiggs.

9 years: Youth Enrichment Coordinator Tim Barry, Dental Secretary Carrie Brooks, Tribal Council Coordinator Chelsea Baranski, Groundskeeper Brady Bruckner, Youth Education Program Manager Justine Flynn, Gaming Commission Receptionist Kristina Summers, Early Childhood Education Program Assistant Denaee Towner, K-5 Tutor/Adviser Kyla McCallister, Budget Manager DeAnne Norton and Silviculture and Fire Protection Technician Gabriel Synegal.

8 years: Recreation Coordinator Leo Ayala-Guillen, Tribal Security Lead Officer Ronald Wellborn and Historic Preservation Technician Nicolas Atanacio.

7 years: Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department Lt. Tim Hernandez, Program Accountant Michael Hubbard, Pharmacy Technician Tawna Norwest, Staff Attorney Holly Partridge, Senior Records Clerk Emma Leno and Early Head Start Teacher Hannah Sabey.  

6 years: ERSEA Coordinator Dawn Doar, Home Based Family Educator Brandi Hancock, Cultural Protection Specialist Dustin Hawks, Clinical Nurse Manager Christa Hosley, Housekeeper Sabrina Labonte, Aftercare Educator Holly Marler, Groundskeeper Youvani Ring, Aquatic Biologist Brandon Weems, Gaming Commission Licensing Application Specialist Joel Greer and Bus Driver Heidi Whittington.

5 years: GIS Coordinator Alex Drake, Tribal Council Administrative Assistant Shannon Ham-Texeira, EHA Family Educator Tammy Fisher, Early Childhood Education employee Griselda Perez-Bravo, Children & Family Services Caseworker Aliea Finney, Emergency Operations Coordinator Steve Warden and Tribal Employment Rights Office Director Harris Reibach.

Employees received bonus checks and those reaching the 10-year mark in service had the option of receiving a Tribal Pendleton blanket or an extra $100 in their bonus check.