Tribal Council

Meet the Leadership
of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe.

Tribal Council

The Tribal Council is the main governing entity.
To see a list of past Tribal Council click here.

If you’d like to attend a Tribal Council meeting contact Ann Sargent at 360-461-6126 or e-mail: asargent@jamestowntribe.org; or Liz Barbee 360-683-1109 or e-mail: lbarbee@jamestowntribe.org

W. Ron Allen

TRIBAL COUNCIL CHAIRMAN

PH: 360-681-4621

Ron was appointed to the Tribal Council in 1975. He has served on the Council since 1975, as the Chair since 1977 and as Chief Executive Officer since 1982.  He is a member of the JKT Art Board, Hunting/Fishing Committee (Ad Hoc member), Tribal Gaming Commission, and U.S. Canada/Pacific Salmon Commission.  He served four years as President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and a total of 26 years as an officer since 1989.  He is currently  President of the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA).  Ron serves as a Tribal representative on Advisory Councils for U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Justice (DOJ),  and Department of Treasury Internal Revenue Service (DOT/IRS). He has served as Chair of the DOI/BIA Self-Governance Advisory Council since 1998.

Loni Greninger

TRIBAL COUNCIL VICE-CHAIR

PH: 360-681-4660

Loni Grinnell-Greninger (“yúčciʔə”) was appointed to Tribal Vice Chair in January 2020, and elected in November 2020. She graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Pacific Lutheran University in 2012, and her Masters of Public Administration with an emphasis in Tribal Governance from The Evergreen State College in 2016. Her professional experience includes four years of working with the Washington State Department of Social & Health Services (DSHS) as an Office of Indian Policy Regional Manager, and then as a Statewide Tribal Liaison. Both positions led to help create systems and policy that increases access to state services for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Additionally, another role was to educate state workers in the government-to-government relationship that the State has with its Federally Recognized Tribes. In 2017, her Tribe called her home to serve her people within the Social & Community Services Department. She currently serves as the Department’s Director. Loni continues to partner with the State and local governments in the overall work to benefit Washington’s Tribal Nations. She currently sits on the Governor’s Oversight Board for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, is Chair to the Washington State DSHS Indian Policy Advisory Committee, and participates in local workgroups to further education and resources between the State and Tribe. Loni also received her Klallam Language Certification, in June 2019, to bring the Klallam language back to Jamestown.

Rochelle Blankenship

TRIBAL COUNCIL SECRETARY

PH 360-681-6702

Rochelle was appointed to the Tribal Council Secretary position in January 2020 and elected November 2020. She graduated with honors receiving her Masters of Business Administration in 2016.

She has served as Secretary for the Jamestown Higher Education Committee since 2013. Rochelle is also a Board Member on the Jamestown Economic Development Board. Being passionate about Safety and Law and Order, she represents Jamestown on the Clallam County Sheriff Citizen Advisory Committee, as well as on the Port Angeles Safety Advisory Committee. Additionally, Rochelle serves on the Board of Washington Association of Tribal Regulators as Secretary to help keep Jamestown on the cutting edge of important changes in regulations in gaming.

Rochelle has worked in gaming in some facet since she graduated high school. She has worked for the Tribe as the Executive Director of the Tribal Gaming Agency (TGA) since 2016 and worked at 7 Cedars Casino for 15 years prior to taking the TGA position. Rochelle also serves as Treasurer and a member of the Executive Board on the Dungeness River Nature Center.

Theresa R. Lehman

TRIBAL COUNCIL TREASURER

PH: 360-457-5772

Theresa was elected to the position of Tribal Council Treasurer in 2008. After attending college, Theresa moved back to the area and went to work for Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. While there she served on local boards, including the local Food Bank, and Healthy Families. She retired after 34 years from the state and shortly after ran successfully for Tribal Council.

She currently chairs the Jamestown Health Committee on which she has served since 1994. She also chairs the Jamestown Housing Improvement Committee on which she has served since 1992. She has served on the Jamestown Higher Education Committee since 1994 and currently serves as chair of the Jamestown Art Board on which she has served since 2008. In those capacities, and in her position on Council,  she works to develop resources to assist our citizens and particularly our Elders, in law enforcement, education, health, housing, and social services. The “Elder Honoring Luncheon” began 13 years ago under Theresa’s vision and continues to grow stronger.  

Regionally, Theresa serves on the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, American Indian Health Commission and was recently appointed to the Salish Sea Behavioral Health Policy Board, which represents all citizens in Kitsap, Jefferson and Clallam Counties. 

Dana M. Ward

TRIBAL COUNCIL MEMBER

PH: 360-774-0773

Dana was elected to the position of Tribal Council Member in November of 2021. Her professional work experience includes working for the Tribe as a clinical nurse at the Jamestown Family Health Clinic (JFHC) for several years prior to accepting the position of Community Health Nurse. This position included providing care to Tribal Citizens, developing, and implementing health programs, and grant writing at the state and federal level.  During her final 3 years at JFHC she filled the position of Nurse Manager and participated on the Clinics Leadership team.

Dana served as Secretary, then Vice-Chair on the Election Board from 2012-2020. Currently, she chairs the Cemetery Committee. She was on the Community Assessment Committee in 2016-2017 to determine current needs of our Citizens through the Tribal Citizen Survey. She presently sits on the Tribal and Urban Indian Health Immunization Coalition’s Vaccine Hesitancy-Confidence Task Force.