Staff

Chief Ron Sam was elected to the Songhees Council in 2009 and then elected as Chief in 2013. He is currently serving his 2nd four-year team as the Songhees Chief alongside his position as Chief of Negotiations for the Te’mexw Treaty Association. Chief Sam is focused on community and on finding a successful resolution of a Modern Treaty that is acceptable to our people. In honour of the efforts of those who are no longer with us, and for the benefit of those who come after. Contact Ron at rsam@temexw.org

Katie is Te’mexw Treaty Association’s Project Coordinator. She started her role in 2014 and works with the communities to help develop Constitutions from the ground up.  Katie enjoys working with committee members in each community and considers it a privilege to participate in this important work. Katie’s job involves providing project planning, implementation, supporting Te’mexw Treaty mandate and initiatives, budget accountability, management of project deliverables, and reporting. Katie has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria in Sociology with a focus on Social Justice and Social Change. She also has a Leadership and Management Certificate from Royal Roads.

Contact Katie at kpoole@temexw.org

Contact Margaret at mmcgraw@temexw.org

Contact Nitish at npatil@temexw.org

Contact Desiree at dpearce@temexw.org

Contact Ida at idamak@temexw.org

Rhys provides support for multiple treaty-related projects at Te’mexw Treaty Association, and they’re a great addition to our team! They have a Bachelor of Science from the University of Lethbridge in Environmental Science with a minor in Small Business Management.
Email: rchapman@temexw.org

Shannon has been a Treaty Support Clerk since 2013. Shannon has been intrigued and surrounded by the treaty process since she was a young teenager. Her father was a negotiator in the late 1990s and was later elected to Chief in 2002. He passed away 5 months after being elected. This left Shannon feeling more connected to the success of the T’Sou-ke Nation. She had seen what her father was trying to achieve and wanted to stay involved. Before her position as a Treaty Support clerk, she sat on the Land Committee and participated in community meetings. Shannon believes in her father’s vision and sees value in a modern treaty for her children and the greater good of the Nation’s future generations. Shannon believes in promoting independence, self-sustainability and building capacity in the T’Sou-ke First Nation. She cares deeply about the environment, animals and supporting local businesses. Contact Shannon at splanes@temexw.org

Denise began her career working for the Department of National Defense. She started as a Typist and found herself completing her career with the government as a Human Resource Specialist. After 19 years, she made the switch in March of 1999 to work with the T’sou-ke Nation as a Treaty Negotiator.
What she thought would be a relatively short position turned into a 20 year career. Some areas of the Treaties take years to mandate and Denise is excited with the progress that TTA has made. Denise loves working with such a dedicated team of negotiators and consultants. She is looking forward to continuing their work on Modern Treaties. Contact Denise at dpurcell@temexw.org

Loretta began working for Te’mexw Treaty Association on April 7, 2000 with the late Wilson Bob and then with Chair of TTA. Loretta originally comes from Penelakut, but now resides in the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation with her husband, James Cook. Loretta enjoys the pleasure of working alongside the great staff and Treaty Clerks of the Te’mexw Treaty Association. Contact Loretta at lcook@temexw.org

Christine has been involved with Te’mexw Treaty Association for 21 years. As a Treaty Support Clerk, Christine handles the flow of information between TTA and Malahat First Nation. She is responsible for coordinating community meetings, working with the Treaty Negotiator, and working to facilitate several community activities.
Christine has a great passion for family, longhouse, canoeing, and sports for children. Contact Christine at chenry@temexw.org

Dave worked for the provincial government from 1992-2018, mostly with the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and is delighted to now be representing TTA at the treaty table. Contact Dave at davefern@temexw.org

Sharon has been responsible for a wide range of high priority administrative duties surrounding planning, archiving, and reporting on all things related to Beecher Bay First Nation Treaty Negotiations for the last 24 years. She has been on the Lands Committee 121 and the Board of Directors. Sharon works hard to ensure that the community is informed and engaged on the ratification and implementation of treaty negotiations. She aspires to see economic development, band member pride, and advancement of self-determination through the Treaty process for the Beecher Bay First Nation. Contact Sharon at sjay@temexw.org

Contact Patti at pchipps@temexw.org

Contact Hank at hchipps@temexw.org

Contact Garry at galbany@temexw.org

Alongside negotiation, Jackie was also elected to Songhees Nation Chief and Council in 2015 for a 2-year term and re-elected in 2017 for a 4-year term. Before becoming a Councillor, Jackie was the Band Administrator for Songhees Nation for 25 years. She comes from a long line of leaders in her family, including her father Late Chief John Albany who served as Chief for 32 consecutive years. Contact Jackie at jalbany@temexw.org

We welcome Frankie Taylor, who has joined us as the new Songhees Treaty Support Clerk. Frankie has joined for the position that is an integral part of Te’mexw and is tasked with ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the Songhees Treaty office. Frankie will be working to create a welcoming space for community members to visit and engage in the Treaty process. She’s very excited to step into this role as the Treaty Support Clerk for the Songhees Nation and we at TTA are thrilled to have her. Frankie is very passionate about her Nation and wants to continue learning more about the Treaty process. Frankie’s interests include playing soccer, enjoying video games, and spending time with family.

Contact Frankie at ftaylor@temexw.org