Tribe fetes employees for 1,141 years of service

By Nicole Montesano

Smoke Signals staff writer

The Tribe celebrated a combined 1,141 years of service from its 92 first-quarter employees Thursday, March 19, during a breakfast in the Tribal gym.

“As I was coming through the corridor from outside, you could just hear the cheerful chatter,” Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy said. “It reminded me of the birds, when they’re all happy, when they’re … coming together for where they’re going to winter. That’s what it sounded like and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s a great sound.’”

In addition to Kennedy, Tribal Council Secretary Jon A. George and Tribal Council members Kathleen George and Matthew Haller attended the event. Jon A. George gave the invocation. The Grand Ronde Canoe Family, led by Tribal member Bobby Mercier, drummed and sang the meal song. Employees were treated to a breakfast of scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy and fruit.

“It’s good to be here, today,” Kennedy said in her welcome speech. “It’s always a pleasure to come before you … to express gratitude and appreciation for all of the hard work that all of you have done, not only this year, but for many years.”

Kennedy recalled in the early days when the Tribe was striving to regain its federally recognized status, “There were a lot of visions that were in our head. A lot of dreams that were talked about, staying up late at night and remember when smoking was all over the place? Well, I wasn’t a smoker and I would go into our rooms, and it would just be blue with smoke.”

Taking time to reflect and celebrate, she said, is necessary.

“It’s always good to laugh and to enjoy, to know that you’ve done a good job,” she said. “That creates those good feelings within us. It creates the memories. It creates the stamina to go forward another day to do all of the hard work that you do. It is hard work. I know that. Building a nation is not an easy thing.”

The audience laughed sympathetically  when Kennedy shared comments received recently from visiting Polk County commissioners.

“They were totally amazed at everything that Grand Ronde has. They said ‘Wow, and all this happened in such a short time.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Short time?” Kennedy said. “‘I was very young, when I was first here, in my early 30s! But now I’m almost 80. So, it’s a long time.”

She said she is warmed by the achievements the Tribe has been able to make in those years, citing accomplishments and projects in progress from the Health & Wellness Department, Natural Resources Department, the Tribal Grants Program and Tribal Attorney’s Office.

“When you do your job, I know that you do it with the thought that ‘I’m contributing. I’m making a difference in the lives of Tribal people,’ who were and sometimes still get marginalized, still an afterthought, still not the ones people want to go to for advice, because it raises other feelings within them,” Kennedy said. “But I’m thankful that you’re here and you decided to work here. You didn’t have to. But you made a decision to work here, for us…This nation of Grand Ronde is very proud of you, thankful that you’re here, that you’re able to contribute.”

Tribal Organizational Development and Training Manager Scott Mode led the crowd in playing games for $100 and $50 prizes, before Tribal Council members took turns reading out the names of the employees being honored for their years of service.

Afterward, Tribal Council members took turns raffling off paid leave time and cash prizes, while Interim General Manager Bryan Langley drew names. The Tribe awarded nine prizes of a day’s administrative leave, 12 prizes of $250; six prizes of $500 and three prizes of $1,000.

It honored the following employees:

36 years: Kelly Leno, procurement specialist.

30 years: Julia Papen, licensing program manager.

28 years: Sunni Ulestad, billing supervisor.

27 years: Melody Baker, clinic business office manager.

26 years: David DeHart, employee relations manager; Becky Mode, compensation-HRIS specialist.

25 years: Angela Sears, Spirit Mountain Community Fund director.

24 years: William Mercier, web administrator; Jake McKnight, chief of police; Kerrina Mishler, office manager-paralegal.

23 years: Joshua Clift, post-secondary education coordinator.

22 years: Shawn Bobb, early Head Start family educator; Lisa Archuleta, Portland Tribal services representative.

20 years: Toni Mercier, employment specialist; Debra Nolen, staff accountant.

19 years: Jessy Powley, employment specialist.

18 years: Bart Bryant, construction supervisor; Rosie Saldivas, housekeeper; Desiree Allen, health information supervisor; Michele Volz, fish & wildlife administrator; Nick Labonte, emergency assistance programs coordinator; Rachel Clark, denturist; Tyrell Soderberg, compliance analyst.

17 years: Kayla Leno, health care payment specialist; Lawrence Schwabe, hydrosystem compliance specialist.

16 years: Seth Mercier, lead shipping & receiving clerk; Leon Ramos, rental housing program manager.

15 years: Halona Butler, language nest lead teacher; Michael Herrin, social services employment manager; Sean Barton, employee relations specialist; Erin Muchmore, dental hygienist.

14 years: Dalton Robertson, gaming inspector; Briece Edwards, historic preservation manager; Alexandria Warren-Masters, family support specialist.

13 years: Sean Sell, groundskeeper; Shauna Hastings, child family services investigator; Angella Schultz, vocational rehabilitation caseworker; Tiny Gibbons, employment caseworker.

12 years: Joseph Kelley, groundskeeper; Tyler Brown, detective; Whitney Vanarsdel, patient insurance and eligibility specialist; Jade Colton, elementary lead teacher; Jordan Smith, AV technician-web specialist.

11 years: Lacy Leno, housing services coordinator; Rod McAllister, police sergeant; Stephanie King, Elder justice coordinator; Zoey Holsclaw, secondary Chinuk Wawa teacher.

10 years: Shereena Bates, staff accountant; Mark Donahoo, senior help desk technician; Jeannette Cavan, lead licensed practical nurse; Washie Squetimkin-Anquoe, assistant teacher; Brandy Bishop, emergency preparedness coordinator.

9 years: Joshua Biery, family partnership specialist; Jeri St. Onge, training specialist; Jessie Storm, human resources specialist.

8 years: Denise Fellows, senior mental health counselor; James Flynn, police officer; Tracy Haas, early head start family educator; Jonathan R. George, compensation/HRIS specialist; Teresa Larson, lab manager; Amanda Wilson, Tribal realty specialist.

7 years: Benito Rodriguez, staff accountant.

6 years: Anne Falla, victim assistant advocate; Trinity Leno, vocational rehabilitation trainee; Bethany McKnight, secretary; Jerald Harris, enrichment coordinator; Maria Ramirez, teacher aide/bus monitor; Lisa M. Leno, facilities maintenance technician; Alisa Mull, administrative assistant; Jesse Norton, cultural protection specialist; Brian Hamlin, police officer; Shane Thomas, health & physical education coach; Devon Mercier, academic advisor; Dina Sayers, applications administrator; Dorothy De la Rosa, behavioral health program care coordinator.

5 years: Chrystal Grimes, mental health counselor; Manya Helman, physician; Laurie Pierson, licensed practical nurse supervisor; Brandon McDonald, staff pharmacist; Troy Grover, senior network administrator; Brandon Trombla, Emergency Services Department lieutenant; Jake Gillins, Emergency Services Department lieutenant; Tiyeh Grudzinski, lead pharmacy technologist; Donnie Duncan, radiologic technologist; Trish Squires, controller; ChyAnne Schlappie, youth prevention grant coordinator; Reece Ebensteiner, administrative assistant; Jodi Grauer, certified medical assistant; Kelly Tarr, billing and auditing specialist, Michelle Ward, substance use disorder therapist; Maria Martinez, certified medical assistant; Chrystal Shepherd, certified medical assistant.