According to the Seattle Times, The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe has accused the Seattle-based land conservancy Forterra of misleading the tribe and the federal government in obtaining a grant worth up to $20 million to help fund a regional sustainable timber and housing project.
On an Indigenous People’s Day, the largely white staff of a major Seattle NGOs has taken a public stand against the NGO and in defense of a wronged Tribal Nation. Totally unprecedented, giant career risk. They released the following statement in support of the Snoqualmie Tribe.
To the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe and Forterra Board of Directors –
We, the undersigned, are former staff members and leaders of Forterra who are writing to express our solidarity and support for the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, which has made public very serious allegations of misconduct by Forterra.
It is clear from publicly available information that Forterra has, at minimum, behaved in an inappropriate, disrespectful, and misleading manner inconsistent with the organization’s stated value: We show respect for people, place, culture and each other. It appears that Forterra has mistreated a sovereign Tribal Nation on its own ancestral lands while claiming to act in its best interest. Beyond that, instead of approaching this embarrassing mistake with “accountability, humility and care”, it appears Forterra’s executive team has engaged in victim blaming, pointing to the Tribe’s “bad faith”. We are all too familiar with Forterra’s keen ability to deflect responsibility and create alternative narratives. Every one of us has either experienced this type of behavior directly or witnessed our colleagues endure it during our tenure with Forterra.
Simply put, we believe the Tribe. Even those of us who do not have specific knowledge of this situation believe the Tribe’s allegations to be credible because they are consistent with our own concerns regarding long-standing detrimental conduct by the organization’s leadership. It is our opinion that Forterra’s executive leadership team has created a toxic, volatile, and retaliatory workplace under the guise of becoming a “best place to work”. This leadership’s recent actions do not represent our values, nor do they represent the values Forterra as an institution has stood for when it has been at its best. We believe that executive leadership should be held accountable for failing to properly engage the Tribe throughout its grant application process, and these other similar harms.
We joined Forterra with joy, hope, and vision, committing years of our lives to the organization because we believed in its stated mission and held in great esteem its many real accomplishments. We all care deeply about the work we and our colleagues did at the organization and have pride in the organization’s achievements, their community partners, and the many wonderful people who have worked there throughout the years. However, collectively, we know this organization better than anyone. We are speaking up to defend the organization from its current mismanagement and dearth of leadership at the executive level and implore a drastic change in direction to preserve Forterra’s valuable legacy and restore its reputation in the communities we all seek to serve. It is time for accountability.
Making promises while knowingly unable to deliver those promises to its employees, communities in need, and the donors and investors who finance those efforts is unconscionable. We ask that the Board of Directors insist on accountability at the executive level so as to prevent additional harm to the organization’s many partners and stakeholders.
We, the undersigned, offer our continued support for the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe and stand ready to support them in persevering through this difficult and stressful time.
To the majority of those who are still there doing the work, we are always behind you, we are with you every step of the way. We look forward to actively supporting Forterra again when its integrity is restored and commitment to its mission renewed.
Sincerely,
Alex Greenler Graphic Design & Marketing Associate
Alex Reeder Associate Director of Philanthropy, Annual Giving
Alex Selvey Project Manager, Riparian Restoration
Ali Yeates Lakehart Green Cities Program Manager
Alicia Rinehart Grants and Budget Analyst
Alison Crowley Managing Director
Amanda Minix Corporate and Foundation Relations Manager
Andrew Shifflette IT & Business Systems Manager
Ashe Olds AP and Payroll Specialist
Ashley Arhin Senior Project Associate
Bonnie Tabb Executive Assistant
Bree Nicolello Project Manager, Innovations
Carrie Hawthorne Digital marketing manager
Cheryl A Wynne CFO and VP Administration
Christine Stephens Riparian Restoration Project Manager
Christopher Blado Green Cities Project Associate
Darcey Hughes Director of Conservation Transactions
Dre Anderson Community Engagement Manager
Elby Jones Green Cities Program Manager
Eli Tome Director of Riparian Restoration
Everett Lawson Senior Marketing Manager
Hayley Edmonston Project Manager
James Slone Grants Coordinator
Jenae Poe Investor Relations
Jenny Ugolino Green Cities Program Manager
Jessa Timmer Senior Project Manager
Jessi Velazquez Information Systems Associate
Jessica Vu Project Manager
Jill Scheffer Senior Director of Conservation
Jillian Brown Creative manager
Jordan Boulter Web and Audience Growth Manager
Jordan M. Rash Senior Conservation Director
Julie Witherspoon Managing Director, Transaction Operations
Justin W. Stewardship Associate
Kaitlin Hollander Accounting Assistant
Kalee Snorden Perry Stewardship Associate
Khushi Dayal Office Manager/Administrative Assistant
Kim Cuevas Director of Individual Giving
Ksenia Popova Assistant Director, Donor Engagement and Venture Philanthropy
Kyvan Elep Project Manager
Lauren Zondag Community Relations
Leah Marlow (Oren) Membership and Events Coordinator
Lindsay Hanna Senior Director, Policy & Communities Programs
Lucy Shirley Managing Editor, Design and Publications
Lynn Siniscalchi Data Coordinator
Mandy Gregory Operations and Development Director
Margaret Tyson Operations Director
Marc Seligson Communications Manager
Marisa Allison Database Specialist
Maya Klem Project Manager, Green Cities
Melony Pederson Sr. Construction and Development Manager
Mia Stigler Event Coordinator
Nicholas Carr Director Chehalis Basin
Nicole Marcotte Green Cities Project Manager
Nikia Washington Foundation Manager
Nora Peters Development Associate
Olgy Diaz Government Affairs Director
Paula Wrzecionowska Event Manager
Philip Deng Program Manager of Philanthropy
Rachel Perlot Major Gifts Manager
Rafael Saucedo Senior Corporate Relations Manager
Rebecca Schwartzman Project Manager, Innovations
Ryan Walker Director, Conservation Transactions
Sarah Sanborn Senior Communications Manager
Sarah Wyer Digital Marketing Manager
Shaila Davis Director of Philanthropy – Operations
Shannon Deasy Development & Donor Manager
Sheryl Wiser Corporate Partnership Manager
Stuart Watson Director of Land Management
Sue Badgley Staff Accountant
Susan LaCroix Conservation Transactions Project Manager
Susannah Hale Vice President of Philanthropy
Tatyana Manheim Senior Communications Manager
Tim Sandoval Sr. Project Manager
Tobyn Smith Senior Project Associate
Venice Wong Project Associate, Conservation Transactions
Waylon Robert Project Manager, Transactions
Whitney Rose Associate Director of Philanthropy & Investor Relations
- 10 additional former Forterrans wanted to sign in support, but felt that they were unable to for various reasons, they are in agreement with the 78 listed above, and also stand with the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe