The Potlatch Fund Board of Directors wishes to inform you of the transition of the Executive Director position. After three years of service Cleora Hill-Scott has transitioned out of the role of Executive Director. The Board is actively working to ensure a smooth transition. In the interim, Rebecca Miles and Shannon Kopelva will step into the role as Co-Directors as they have both proven track records within the Potlatch Fund and are committed to maintaining stability and continuity in operations. We understand the importance of transparency in our relationship with our valued funders, community partners, grantees and NW tribes and we are dedicated to providing updates on our progress. Our commitment to the Potlatch Fund’s mission is unwavering and we
Lawrence Leake – A Tribute to His Service
Lawrence Leake – A Tribute to His Service Recently, Potlatch Fund honored one of its longtime employees with a blanketing ceremony to acknowledge his many contributions and to wish him well as he moves on to many more great endeavors. We wrap him in our love and appreciation for his work in our Native Community. This is not goodbye, Lawrence is a part of our community and we look forward to appreciating his success ahead. After serving Potlatch Fund for more than 14 years, Lawrence Leake will join the development team at the Museum of History and Industry. During his time with Potlatch Fund, Lawrence wore many hats, most recently as the organization’s managing director. His first position with the
Welcome to Shannon Kopelva, Administrative Manager.
Potlatch Fund’s third new team member is Shannon Kopelva who will serve as our new Administrative Manager. Shannon comes most recently from Seattle Foundation, where she worked in development and operations, and from the Seattle Public Library, where she worked as the project coordinator for Beyond the Frame, a community-wide initiative revisiting the photographs of Edward S. Curtis. Shannon grew up in Arizona and received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona in Tucson before traveling north to Seattle to obtain her master’s degree in museology from the University of Washington. We hope you will enjoy getting to know Shannon a bit better through the following article. Meet Shannon Kopelva An interest in law school first brought
Welcome to Katherine Paul, or KP, as our Interim Relationship Manager.
Katherine Paul, or KP, joins Potlatch Fund as our interim Relationship Manager. KP grew up on the Swinomish Reservation here in Washington and attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., where she received her bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology. For most of her life, KP has been involved in music in one way or another. She attended the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Portland as a teenager and later became the first camper to become a member of its board of directors and board chair. She is an accomplished musician and songwriter with two full-length albums to her credit, and she gained experience in various event planning, fundraising, customer service and promotional positions while working for
Welcome to Rebecca Miles, Operations Director.
Meet Rebecca Miles Rebecca Miles, joins Potlatch Fund as its Operations Director from Lapwai, Idaho, where she grew up a member of the Nez Perce Tribe. Although Rebecca left Idaho to go to school—first to get a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Washington State University in Pullman and then a master’s degree in professional studies and organizational leadership from Gonzaga University in Spokane—she returned to Lapwai afterward and has served her tribe and local community ever since. Rebecca was the first woman to be selected as the Nez Perce’s tribal chairperson and served two terms. The experience of leading her people led her to want to serve further, and she spent additional years on staff until coming to Potlatch
Potlatch Fund Welcomes Three New Employees and Looks to the Future
Potlatch Fund is pleased to welcome three new employees and co-workers to the organization. These three Native women represent an extraordinary range of talents, abilities, and experiences. We hope you will share in our excitement as they join our team and welcome them to the Potlatch Fund community. Rebecca Miles joins the organization as its Operations Director. Rebecca comes to Potlatch Fund with a strong background in leadership and national, state and tribal policy. She is a member of the Nez Perce Tribe who grew up, and continues to live, in Lapwai, Idaho. Rebecca attended both Washington State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, and Gonzaga University, where she received a master’s degree in professional studies
Amber Schulz-Oliver, Board President Welcomes New Executive Director
Dear Friends, I don’t have to tell you that we are living in strange, unprecedented times. We all experience the COVID-19 crisis differently, and yet we are all in it together. Daily, we are inspired by and grateful for all of the people risking their health and their lives to combat this disease. At Potlatch Fund, we are responding to COVID-19 by stepping up our support of the Native nonprofit organizations that are crucial to maintaining our way of life. I’ll share more about how we’ll be doing that later in this letter. But right now, I am elated to welcome Cleora Hill-Scott (Crow/ Sioux/ Pawnee) as the new, permanent Executive Director of Potlatch Fund. We are fortunate to have a strong,