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Corporate Governance

Spirit Mountain Casino was created to enhance economic self-sufficiency opportunities for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, its members, and surrounding communities. The Spirit Mountain Gaming, Inc. (SMGI) Board of Directors is responsible for protecting Spirit Mountain Casino and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde shareholder interests, establishing policies for management, supporting executives and their teams, maintaining company resources, setting general company goals, making sure that SMC is equipped with the tools it needs to be managed well, and general oversight of the corporation and making decisions about important issues that the company faces.

There are 4 committees of the SMGI Board:

Audit
Finance
Corporate Governance
Surveillance

Board Members

SMGI Board Vice Chair & CTGR Council Member

Kathleen George

"I enjoy learning Chinuk Wawa, our tribal language, and love any opportunities to be on our rivers." Kathleen is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.

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Board, Committee and/or Council Service

Kathleen has served on the board for 4.5 years, and on Tribal Council for the same time period. Kathleen enjoys learning about and helping enhance the governance of the board of the Tribe's most important economic investment.

Professional Background

Tribal Councilwoman September 2016 - present
Director, Spirit Mountain Community Fund October 2011 - September 2016
Owner, Cedar Consulting, LLC June 2010 - October 2011. Environmental consulting firm
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Economic Revitalization Team Liaison February 2011- September 2011
Senior Policy Analyst, Department of Natural Resources, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) 2002 -2010.
Environmental Coordinator, Department of Natural Resources, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Department of Natural Resources, 1996 - 2002

Education

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Biology from Dominican University 1994.
Graduate studies in Public Administration

SMGI Board Member & Surveillance Committee Chair

Matthew Kirkland

Matthew is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and credits his career to the early professional opportunities provided to him by the Tribe. He was the 7th employee hired at Spirit Mountain Casino in 1995, where he worked in the Human Resources Department.

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Board, Committee and/or Council Service

Matthew has been serving on the Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. Board of Directors for four years.

Professional Background

Following six years of military service in the U.S. Army, Matthew attended Western Oregon University where he received a B.S. in Public Policy and Administration.

Matthew's Human Resources career included roles as a Regional Human Resources Manager for Safeway's Seattle Division and the Director of Human Resources for Tribal businesses and governments in California, Oregon and Washington.

Education

Matthew went on to receive a M.S. in Human Resources Management and a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University in 2000. In 2004 Matthew shifted from HR to a career in the Federal government.

Matthew's work as a public administrator included serving as the National Realty Officer for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington D.C. and his current role as the Director of Real Property Services for Bonneville Power Administration in Portland Oregon.

SMGI Board Member & Finance Committee Chair

Drew Mahalic

Drew is committed to physical and mental exercises to keep himself healthy and productive, with the goal of becoming a better version of himself each day. Drew says, “I believe in the power of prayer that has potential beyond our imaginations."

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Board, Committee and/or Council Service

Drew’s Board service began at the beginning of 2019. He has a deep affection for the Grand Ronde Tribal Nation and experience to advise effectively on financial and other business-related decisions.

Professional Background

Drew was the CEO of the nonprofit Oregon Sports Authority for 22 years and is now retired. The organization was the "chamber of commerce for sports in Oregon." He is also a five-year veteran of the National Football League, with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers.

Education

Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame in Business Management
Juris Doctor from Harvard Law

SMGI Board Member & Corporate Governance Committee Chair

Lisa Watson

Lisa is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. She has recently developed an interest in hiking through the vast forests of the Pacific Northwest. Lisa is fond of solving puzzles, and she loves both dogs and cats. In non-COVID times, she enjoys traveling internationally. Lisa is an avid reader and listens to political podcasts daily.

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Board, Committee and/or Council Service

As of January 2021, Lisa is one of the newest members of the SMGI Board, and is excited to serve on the SMGI Board to give back to the tribal community and to be in service to the tribe and her ancestors. She hopes to learn more about Grand Ronde tribes and people, current challenges and resiliency, and to connect with more tribal members.

Professional Background

After a sales career in the food industry, Lisa was a small business entrepreneur for 10 years as founder and owner of Cupcake Jones Bakery in Portland, she was Director of Development at Latino Network, then Deputy Director at Our House of Portland. Lisa is now the Executive Director of American Leadership Forum of Oregon (ALF). Lisa's ALF experience was transformational personally and professionally, and was the catalyst for her to reconnect with her Native American heritage.

Education

Lisa graduated from PSU with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology in 1989.

SMGI Board Member & CTGR Council Member

Matthew Haller

Matthew Haller was born in Salem, and he was raised in Grand Ronde where he has lived for most of his life. Growing up with his grandfather, Bob Haller, who served three terms on the Tribal Council, Matthew was surrounded by political conversations and actions during his formative years. His grandfather, a mentor and guide, encouraged him to run for Tribal Council before his passing in 2022, leaving Matthew with a deep sense of duty to continue his legacy.

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Matthew is happily married to his childhood sweetheart, April Ackerman Haller, who is of Choctaw descent. Together, they have three children: Cheyenne, 16; Bob, 12; and Abby, who is seven months old. Just as Matthew did when he was young, his children attend Tribal Council meetings, with the older two participating in the Tribe's Youth Education Program. Cheyenne is also active in the Tribe's Youth Council, proudly representing the youth of the Tribe.

Matthew's professional journey with the Tribe began at the age of 14 through the Tribe’s Youth Education Program, where he was placed in the Finance Department. There, he developed a passion for numbers and accounting, which he continued to nurture throughout his career. At 20, he became a certified table dealer, making him one of the few Tribal members ready for a gaming career even before being old enough to work on the casino floor. Matthew worked at Spirit Mountain Casino for 12 years before moving to Utah to attend trade school, where he gained knowledge of stocks, bonds, and annuities. He went on to manage a Farmers Insurance agency before returning home. Matthew managed Fort Hill Restaurant and Bar, and later purchased the Wildwood Café and Hotel, which he operated until joining the Tribal Council.

A strong advocate for cultural preservation, Matthew emphasizes that “Culture is everything.” In his personal time, he enjoys hiking in the mountains, and has been an active participant in numerous ceremonies since his first sweat ceremony at the age of eight. His lifelong dedication to the Tribe and its cultural values reflects his unwavering commitment to serve and represent his people.

Matthew currently serves on the following Boards and Committees:

SMGI Board of Directors
Finance Committee, SMGI
Surveillance Committee, SMGI
Fish & Wildlife Committee, CTGR, Liaison
Timber Committee, CTGR, Liaison
Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental Agency Board

Matthew is dedicated to the long-term sustainability and economic growth of the Tribe.

SMGI Board Member & CTGR Council Member

Tonya Gleason-Shepek

Tonya LaRae Gleason-Shepek was born in Salem, Ore., in November 1970 to Dennis and Laura Gleason. She is the granddaughter of Phyllis Cureton and great-granddaughter of Adeline Haller, who is descended from Joseph Shangaretta (Sangretta).

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She was raised in the Salem area until 1984 when her family moved to Kansas. Upon returning to Oregon, she and her husband, Mike Shepek, made Eagle Creek their home. Their daughter, Kryshanne, lives nearby with her son, Reece.

She has been employed in the human/health field her entire adult life. She started her job with Fresenius Health Care in January 2000 where she worked as a certified clinical hemodialysis technician until her election to serve on Tribal Council.

“It is with sincere gratitude that I thank everyone who participated in the 2014 Tribal election,” she said. “Thank you to those who believed in me. I will always be grateful for your support and efforts. I look forward to working with Tribal members, Tribal Council and staff to build on our common hopes for our future. I will work hard to represent the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde with honor.

“As your Tribal Council representative, your Tribal interests and business affairs will be my No. 1 priority and will receive my full attention."

Being raised in 1970 by a Native mother and a U.S. Marine father, when neither of these were popular or appreciated, and growing up during Termination, I learned to be independent while struggling to remain connected. After I moved to Kansas as a young adult, the gap between me and my Tribal family only widened. As a result, I acquired a firsthand understanding of the problems that distance can make for families living outside of Oregon. I believe improving communication and services for all members living near and far is absolutely necessary to the health of our Tribal community.

“I was raised to believe that everything I do should be rooted in love for people. This, along with my extended Tribal families’ strong history of service to our community, is what inspired my desire to serve on Tribal Council. I am dedicated to strengthening our Tribe My focus on the membership is what will guide all my decisions.

“I give thanks to God, The Creator, for all things and pray for a future rich in blessings.”

SMGI Board Member

Reyn Leno

Bio coming soon

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SMGI Board Member & CTGR Council Member

Toby McClary

Toby McClary was born in Eugene, OR in 1978. He is of the Mercier family. He is the grandson of Marion Mercier and the son of Joann Mercier. Joann moved Toby and his brother, Travis Stewart, to Grand Ronde in 1985. They lived on the corner of Grand Ronde Road and McPherson Road, where the EMS/Fire Station complex now stands.

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After graduating high school, Toby spent a total of 20 years working for the Tribe, both at Spirit Mountain Casino (SMC) as well as the Tribal Government (TG). During his tenure at both SMC and TG, he worked his way up from a dishwasher, into executive management. Toby served two consecutive terms on Tribal Council (2009-2015). He also served 10 years on the Board of Directors for Spirit Mountain Casino, and several years on the Board of Trustees for the Spirit Mountain Community Fund.

When Toby “retired” from Tribal Council in 2015, he began his next career in real estate, specializing in home financing. He assembled one of the top producing mortgage Teams in/around the Salem, OR area and eventually went on to become a 50/50 partner in his own mortgage company. During his mortgage career, Toby was very involved in community fundraising events and also served on the Board of Directors for St. Francis Family Housing for three years.

In 2019, Toby married his wife Lindsay (Belonga) McClary. Lindsay works as the Restoration Ecologist/Fish & Wildlife Policy Analyst for the Tribe’s Natural Resources Department.

In 2024, Toby decided to retire from mortgages and come back home to his Grand Ronde Family. The Grand Ronde Community has always been Toby’s passion and he was hired on to the Tribe’s Procurement Department in 2024. He was also appointed to the Tribe’s Housing Grievance Review Board in 2024 and maintained that position until he was (re)-elected to the Tribal Council in September of 2025.

“It’s an honor to come home and serve in this capacity”, said Toby. “All of history I have with the Tribe has truly been one of the highlights of my life. I look forward to many more years working with and for the Tribal Membership. We are all in this together.”

SMGI Board Member

Harris Reibach

Harris is a longtime community member and a proud member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde where his family descends from the Santiam Kalapuya Chief Joseph Sangretta (who signed the 1855 Willamette Valley Treaty which ceded the ancestral homelands of the Willamette valley). Harris enjoys being involved with his culture through traditional dancing and singing. Harris also enjoys traveling and exploring the Pacific Northwest where he, his wife, and their two children frequently camp and kayak in the summer and ski in the winter.

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Harris earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business, with a minor in Communication, from Western Oregon University and continued his education at Eastern Oregon University where he graduated magna cum laude from EOU’s Master of Business Administration program. Harris currently serves as Chairman of the Housing Grievance Review Board for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and in an Oregon Governor appointed role on the Oregon Workforce Talent and Development Board (WTDB) for the state. Harris has previously served on the Yamhill County Culture Coalition as Co-Chairman of the Grants Committee and the Oregon Statewide Database Licensing Advisory Committee (SDLAC), where he represented all Tribal libraries in the state of Oregon.

Harris Reibach currently serves as the Director of the Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. In his role as Director, Harris guides the efforts of TERO to help increase employment opportunities for Tribal members within the tribal government, private sector, and specified Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) projects. Additionally, TERO operates an Indian Owned Business (IOB) program which is ever growing and currently houses over 80 IOB’s in a wide capacity of business practices.

SMGI Board Member

Justin Martin

Justin Martin has over twenty-five years of experience in government, working at the federal, state, local and tribal levels. Justin served as The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde’s Intergovernmental Affairs Director for seven years. While at Grand Ronde Justin’s government relations program was nationally recognized by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development as one of the most progressive in the country.

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Justin worked as a Legislative Assistant during the 1995 Oregon Legislative Session for State Representative Terry Thompson and for the City of Salem’s Public Works Department in transportation planning. Prior to working in government Justin played professional baseball in the California Angels minor league system between 1988-1992. Even though Justin set an impressive mark in 1988, leading the Northwest League in wild pitches, the lure of fame and making millions of dollars as a major league pitcher couldn’t overcome his desire to work in government.

Justin received his Masters Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government and his Bachelors Degree in Public Policy and Public Administration from Western Oregon University.

Corporate Governance

Board Members

Kathleen George

Matthew Kirkland

Drew Mahalic

Lisa Watson

Matthew Haller

Tonya Gleason-Shepek

Reyn Leno

Toby McClary

Harris Reibach

Justin Martin

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