SUQUAMISH, WA – The Suquamish Tribe elected three of its citizens to Tribal Council at the tribe’s annual General Council meeting held at Kiana Lodge on the Port Madison reservation overlooking Puget Sound.
Azure Boure and Lorilee Morsette were elected to Council Member positions previously held by Rich Purser and Sammy Mabe, respectively. Both Purser and Mabe decided not to seek reelection this year. Luther “Jay” Mills, Jr. was re-elected to his Council Member seat. Mills has served intermittently on the Tribal Council since 1984 and in his current position since 2009. He also serves as an ambassador for the tribe’s business arm Port Madison Enterprises.
Boure leads the Suquamish Tribe’s Traditional Food & Medicine Program, part of the newly formed Cultural Resources Department. Morsette has served in a variety of leadership and strategic planning roles in the tribal and non-profit sectors, and was recently accepted into Harvard Business School’s Executive Education – Leadership Program.
The Suquamish Tribe is led by a seven-member Tribal Council consisting of four officers – Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary – and three at-large Council Members. Tribal Council officers and members serve three-year staggered terms. The Suquamish Tribe is comprised of approximately 1,200 citizens. Suquamish tribal members vote for Tribal Council positions during their General Council meeting held each year in March. Outgoing Council Members Purser and Mabe were thanked for their service in a traditional blanket wrapping ceremony.
The new Suquamish Tribal Council now consists of Chairman Leonard Forsman, Vice Chairman Josh Bagley, Treasurer Denita Holmes, Secretary Irene Carper, and Council Members Luther “Jay” Mills, Jr., Azure Boure, and Lorilee Morsette.
