Saphronia Coochise, WSCAT’s newest staff member, began working with us in May 2021 as our Administrative Services Manager. Saphronia is a Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs tribal member, also of Wasco, Hoopa, Hopi and Yakama descent. She oversees the day-to-day operations of WSCAT, including administrative/office operations, financial management, payroll and human resource functions. Among many tasks, she maintains our system of accounts, manages accounts payable and receivable, supports auditing activities, assists with recruiting and hiring of new staff, and manages our 403b retirement plan, health insurance, and other insurance plans. Saphronia has worked in Warm Springs for over 30 years, in various capacities within the tribal organization, including the Spilyay Tymoo, Tribal Finance, ECE Head Start Program, Warm Springs Housing Authority, and Warm Springs Power & Water Enterprises. Saphronia owns her own home in Warm Springs, has two adult children as well as nephews she has raised. She enjoys numerous outdoor activities as well as working on beadwork and sewing projects.

Emily Courtney, WSCAT’s arts business & marketing specialist, is a Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs tribal member who began working at WSCAT in June 2018.  Though a WSCAT staff member, Emily’s role is primarily to assist Tananáwit, a new nonprofit arts organization (incorporated in May 2018), to build its capacity and open a new arts store featuring the work of community artists. Emily is working to develop Tananáwit’s financial and personnel policies and to create operating policies and a sustainable staffing plan for the Tananáwit store in the Commissary small business incubator, which is scheduled to open in May 2022. She will also develop sales and gallery space within the store and ensure appropriate advertising and signage for the store. Emily has worked for the CTWS for 14 years, including stints at the Early Childhood Education Center, Kah-Nee-Tah Resort and Spa, Indian Head Casino, Children’s Protective Services, and the Museum at Warm Springs. Emily dedicates time and energy to her community by coaching Special Olympics softball, donating her artwork to families fundraising for youth activities in the community, and helping out at bi-annual Museum at Warm Springs special events.

Nettie Dickson, WSCAT’s IDA program coordinator and AARP Tax Aid program manager, is a Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) tribal member.  Nettie has provided training to hundreds of CTWS community members in financial skills, credit repair, asset building, and entrepreneurship since 2010. She recruits participants into WSCAT’s courses, trainings, and programs, and assists IDA clients in staying on track to meet their savings goals.  Nettie is an accredited trainer in First Nations Development Institute’s Building Native Communities financial education curriculum and ONABEN’s Indianpreneurship curriculum, a certified AARP tax aide, and is working to become a certified credit counselor. Between 1984 and 2010, Nettie worked in various capacities with the Warm Springs Early Childhood Daycare Center, Vocational Rehabilitation Department, Tribal Court, and Warm Springs Forest Products.

Leah Guliasi came to WSCAT is 2015 as an AmeriCorps VISTA and continued to work with WSCAT when her volunteer year was complete. She currently serves as WSCAT’s IDA Program Manager and Artisans’ Co-op Project Manager, assisting community members in opening IDA accounts, co-facilitating trainings, conducting needs assessments and feasibility studies, writing grant proposals, running the outdoor market, and reporting on the IDA program. She is also a certified AARP tax aide and housing counselor. She has been working with artists since 2016 and helped Tananáwit become a non-profit. She is a liaison and Secretary to the Tananáwit board, where she continues to update online pages, oversees bookkeeping for the organization, and helps artists find ways to sell and promote their work. She also serves as the Board Secretary/Treasurer for the Madras Downtown Association. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics in 2014 and a Master’s Degree  in Community Development and Planning in 2015, both at Clark University in Worcester, MA.

Starla Green joined WSCAT in September 2019 as its Food Cart Manager/Trainer. In this role, Starla will train 25-30 Warm Springs tribal and community members per year in how to manage and operate food carts and food service businesses. Ms. Green is a CTWS tribal member, and is of Warm Springs, Dutch, English, Irish, and Scottish descent. She was born and raised in the strict cultural ways of her traditional family, raised to be a Traditional Indian Woman, provider to her family and people, and to carry on the traditional ways of her Indian family. She is from a ranching family, committed to hard work and sustainability, learning to live in two worlds; and to surviving and being successful in both. She is a lifelong longhouse cook and food gatherer, hide tanner, fisher, and hunter. She carries and teaches the traditional lifestyle as much as possible, so that we will always keep our identity as Indian people. Starla and her daughter reside at the old family homestead ranch where they run livestock and host traditional ceremonies of her ancestors. Starla operates a small business, Peaceful Spirit Creations, that she and her mother started several years ago.  She is or has been involved in cultural tourism, catering, food vending, and creating and selling crafts (including leather work, buckskin, purses, traditional clothing, pow-wow outfits, and kupins), and is a self-taught seamstress. Starla graduated with an Associate’s Degree from Blue Mountain Community College and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Western Oregon University. She had a career in law enforcement/public service for over 25 years, where she was a police officer, detective, and administrator with different law enforcement agencies throughout the State of Oregon and in Warm Springs.

Demus Martinez began working with WSCAT in January 2018. He serves as financial counselor, assisting Warm Springs community members in building and repairing their credit and in developing spending and savings strategies to reach short and long-term savings goals. As financial counselor, he also serves as a Pathways Home and Financial Skills for Families instructor, seasonal tax preparer, and occasional IDA provider. Demus is member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and has worked locally in the Warm Springs Tribal Court as a legal advocate for CTWS tribal member clients. He has volunteered for Warm Springs Victims of Crime Services, the Jefferson County Victim Impact Panel, and locally for the Native Aspirations Coalition, focused on preventing youth from engaging in behaviors that are harmful to themselves and others. He is married and owns a home with his wife and kids in Warm Springs. He enjoys salmon fishing on the Columbia River, in the traditional manner passed onto him by his elders. He enjoys teaching this and other skills to his kids and others.  

Carina Miller is a research analyst working on the Vibrant Tribal Economies (VTE) project, funded through a research grant from the Northwest Area Foundation. In this role, Carina collects data and analyzes the economic history of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs through document review, focus groups, asset mapping, leakage studies, and the utilization of statistical and other research methods. Ms. Miller is working with the community members and partners to collect peoples’ visions, experiences, and hopes for economic development. Working with WSCAT team members, she will present this information in accessible ways and help develop recommendations on how to overcome the many challenges vexing the Warm Springs Reservation economy. Carina was formerly an Agency district representative on the 27^th Tribal Council of Warm Springs, is currently the Co-Chair for the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Energy Committee, the Chair of the Native American Caucus for the Oregon Democrats, and a Columbia River Gorge Commissioner. Her biggest accomplishment is becoming a mother and being able to raise her son, Waluxpykee Barkley, here in Warm Springs.

Dustin Seyler joined our team in May 2017.  He serves as small business program manager, responsible for providing business planning assistance, instruction, and coaching to Warm Springs community members interested in starting or expanding their businesses. He also serves as an Indianpreneurship instructor, and has planned and executed various large community events, including the 2019 First Annual Warm Springs Small Business Conference.  In addition, Dustin works to support the Warm Springs Outdoor Market, the Commissary Small Business Incubator project,  local projects supporting agricultural entrepreneurship, and expanding educational and work opportunities for youth. Dustin is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, a United States Navy veteran, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Warm Springs Area Chamber of Commerce (WSACC).  He holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration with a concentration in leadership, organization, and management from Eastern Oregon University.  His professional experience includes over ten years of retail experience in various industries, internships with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Small Business Administration, and experience managing an oil company with 100 employees.

Mallory Smith joined WSCAT in March 2021 as our small business development specialist. This is Mallory’s second stint with WSCAT, having served as an AmeriCorps VISTA community development specialist from 2018-2019.  Mallory’s role is to work with aspiring Warm Springs entrepreneurs, providing small business coaching, co-moderating entrepreneurship courses, developing E-commerce and other marketing strategies for local businesses, assisting in developing websites for local entrepreneurs, and referring clients into programs or to organizations that can provide access to capital, training, or other types of small business assistance. Mallory grew up on the Warm Springs Reservation, attended Portland Community College (PCC), and worked as an educator in Portland for three years. She loves to be outdoors – either hiking, camping, or simply basking herself in mother nature’s beauty. Mallory has a passion for youth causes in the community, and hopes to develop after-school programs and to be an advocate for Native American youth in the coming years.

Chris Watson, WSCAT’s executive director, has worked at WSCAT since April 2013.  As executive director, he leads WSCAT’s 10-person staff and works with the WSCAT board, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) tribal government, and community partners to promote community development on the reservation. He is also responsible for strategic planning, fundraising, reporting, and ensuring proper financial management of the organization. Before coming to Warm Springs, Chris served as a senior analyst at the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) in Washington DC, evaluating nearly 100 community-based projects implemented by Native American tribes and nonprofits, including over 40 economic development projects.  Chris has also served as a consultant, researcher, and evaluator for various U.S. and international NGOs; as a grant proposal writer and project manager at a New Hampshire agricultural education center; as a US Army lieutenant, and as an ESL instructor. He has a bachelor’s degree in history and government from Claremont McKenna College and Master’s degree in sustainable development from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT.  He has worked or studied in Nepal, South Korea, Germany, Guatemala, and Saudi Arabia. He lives in Bend, OR with his wife Hanako and his dog Dewey.