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Tlingit & Haida Welcomes New Managers

Juneau, AK (June 10, 2022) – As the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) continues to expand its programs and services, we are pleased to welcome four new managers to the Tribe.

Raymond Paddock III was promoted to Environmental Manager for the Native Lands & Resources division. Paddock is a long-time employee of Tlingit & Haida and has served as the Tribe's Environmental Coordinator for the past 10 years. In his new role as Environmental Manager, Paddock will oversee the Tribe's Environmental department where he will work to expand the Tribe's capacity and resources to develop and implement programs that incorporate traditional knowledge and address the Tribe's local and regional environmental priorities. "I am looking forward to taking on this new responsibility to help our team build up the program and capacity to ensure we are being the best stewards of our traditional lands and waters," shared Paddock.  Paddock also currently serves as co-chair of the Region 10 Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC) which works to protect and improve tribal health and environmental conditions consistent with the Environmental Protection Agency's Indian lands policy and trust responsibility. Paddock’s Tlingit name is Kusataan and he is Kaagwaantaan of the Eagles Nest House. He was born in Sitka, Alaska, but raised in Juneau, Alaska most of his life and is a graduate of Juneau-Douglas High School.

Jill Weitz is the new Natural Resource Manager for the Native Lands & Resources division. Her job will focus on transboundary watershed governance throughout the region.   Weitz earned her master's degree in Natural Resources Law and Policy from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2010.   Since 2013, Weitz has been working alongside tribes, local communities, fishermen, and business owners to defend and sustain Southeast Alaska's largest salmon-producing rivers and the communities dependent upon them in her work with Salmon Beyond Borders. Tlingit & Haida has been conducting water quality monitoring since 2015. Weitz said that’s important because it sets a baseline of data to ensure communities in Southeast Alaska remain protected from any development upstream in British Columbia and ensures our water is clean and our salmon remain wild and productive. “I think that healthy water and healthy salmon make for healthy communities,” Jill shared. “The transboundary work creates opportunities for building relationships and collaboration with other tribes and communities throughout Southeast Alaska, British Columbia and the Lower 48 to work together for improved management of these shared rivers that are so integral to Southeast Alaska." She’s eager to continue this important work on behalf of Tlingit & Haida to make sure the Tribe has a seat at the table when it comes to working with local, state and federal agencies to make policies about how the watersheds are managed going forward.

Vincent Rinehart is the new Grant Manager for the Grants & Resources department. In this position, he will be responsible for creating and maintaining grant management practices and tools to support grant applications, compliance, as well as report preparation and submission.   His professional background is in management of state and federally-funded early childhood education programs.   Rinehart hopes to find more funding opportunities that support the Tribe's mission and values. He understands first-hand how impactful the Tribe's support services can be and the priority to expand the Tribe's ability to reach all tribal citizens with our services. “My education is thanks to the scholarship opportunities provided by the Tribe,” Rinehart said. “My hope is to bring my professional skills and education back to Tlingit & Haida to help build our Tribe's capacity to deliver services to our people." Rinehart is from the Teeyhittaan clan of the Shtax'héen Kwáan and is a child of the Kaagwaantaan. He was raised in both Juneau, Alaska and New Mexico where his mother's tribe, the Taos Pueblo people, are from. Rinehart currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his two children.

Kathy Miller recently joined Tlingit & Haida as the new Human Resources Recruitment Manager. She will be responsible for the full-cycle recruitment process and strategies to attract a diverse pool of qualified and capable talent. These duties will include job posting management, sourcing, extending offer letters, coordinating pre-employment screens, and onboarding new hires. She will also educate and advise managers on recruiting, interviewing and selection practices. Miller's work experience includes previously serving as the Administrative Services Director for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and most recently as Director of Provider Recruitment for the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) where she worked for more than 10 years in several positions within Human Resources. "I’m very excited to be a part of Tlingit & Haida's Human Resources department," stated Miller. "It is very rewarding to assist prospective employees in all aspects of the recruitment process and onboarding. As our department works together, my goal is to ensure the hiring experience continues to meet and exceed expectations."  Miller is Tlingit and an Eagle of the Shungukeidi (Thunderbird) clan from the Kaawdiyaayi Hit (House Lowered from the Sun) of Klukwan, Alaska. She was born and raised in Sitka, Alaska where she continues to reside.

### Media Contact: Office of the President - Communications Heather Hintze, Media & Communications Specialist Direct: 907.463.7199 | Email: communications@ccthita-nsn.gov

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