2011 Leadership Honoring Awards

Awards are given in five areas of leadership:

Economic Development

The Antone Minthorn Economic Development Award

Bruce Thomas who left his successful legal career with Stoel Rives, Portland’s largest law firm, in 1993 to work for his tribe, The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. As CEO of Spirit Mountain Development Corporation and Spirit Mountain Gaming Corporation, Mr. Thomas assembled a team of gaming professionals and helped develop Spirit Mountain Casino, which the Grand Ronde tribe built and operated without an outside management company. In 2000, Mr. Thomas and his original casino development team formed Polaris Gaming Group and helped develop four other casinos for tribes in Washington and California. By using Polaris’ development expertise and assistance in obtaining financing, all of those tribes were able to build and operate their casinos themselves, without outside management firms. Mr. Thomas has also assisted tribes with real estate and other business development and currently serves as CEO of Rolling Hills Casino and MDBarnmaster, a national modular barn company owned and operated by the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians in Corning, California.

Civic Participation

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award

John McCoy, elected in 2002, represents the 38th Legislative District which includes Tulalip, Marysville and Everett. In the Legislature John is Chair of the Technology, Energy, & Communication Committee and sits on the Education and the State Government and Tribal Affairs Committees. Nationally John chairs the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators. He is also active in the National Conference of State Legislatures Committee of Environmental Management Roundtable, United Way, the Native American advisory boards for the National and Snohomish County Boys and Girls Clubs, the advisory board for the Cascade Land Conservancy, and several other philanthropic groups. John is retired after an extensive career in management and computer operations and programming. Highlights of his career include 20 year veteran of the United States Air Force, computer technician in the White House and General Manager of the Quil Ceda Village Business Park in Tulalip.

Natural Resource Protection

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award

Eric J. Quaempts is an enrolled member of the Yakama Indian Nation and was raised on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Eric earned his Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Science from Oregon State University. His professional experiences include eight years on the Umatilla National Forest as a Wildlife Biologist, eight years as a Wildlife Biologist for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla, and seven years as Natural Resources Director at Umatilla. Eric combined his education, inter-disciplinary professional experiences, personal cultural experiences and words of Umatilla Tribal members to develop the CTUIR’s First Foods management approach in 2005.

Education

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award

Jamie Valadez became a certified teacher in 1989. She started teaching Klallam Language at Port Angeles High School in 1998. In 2003 she became tribal certified and received a state endorsement to teach the Klallam Language. After HB 1495 passed in 2005, Jamie began teaching Native American Studies. Other support roles that Jamie has taken on is having an Advisory class for Native students, Advisor for the Native American Club at the High School and being a Mentor Teacher for a Klallam Language Apprentice for the Middle School Program. Jamie also helps students apply for scholarship when they graduate from high school.

Cultural Preservation

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award

Leonard Forsman, has served as Tribal Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe since 2005. His passions include tribal education, cultural preservation, gaming policy and habitat protection. He has served on Tribal Council for a total of 21 years and formally was the director of the Suquamish Museum. Leonard is a graduate of the University of Washington (B.A. Anthropology) and Goucher College (M.A. Historic Preservation). Leonard grew up in Suquamish on the Port Madison Indian Reservation and continues to live there with his wife Jana Rice. Leonard regularly participates in cultural activities including Suquamish Song & Dance and the annual Canoe Journey. Leonard has played a major role in the Suquamish Tribe’s recent capital campaign to build new cultural facilities in Suquamish including the House of Awakened Culture, that was used to host the 20th anniversary of Tribal Canoe Journeys in 2009.

past awards