Johnson says Sampson will hit the ground running
By Terry Murry on Monday, November 29th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
MISSION – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees is opting for experience as it has selected Don Sampson to be the new executive director. Sampson served in that post from 2003 to 2010.
“I don’t think he’ll have any need to get up to speed,” Interim Deputy Executive Director Matthew Johnson said. “I think he’ll just hit the ground running.”
Sampson is a hereditary chief of the Walla Walla people. He was executive director of the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission from 1998-2003 and was chairman of the board of the CTUIR Board of Trustees from 1993 to 1997.
The executive director’s office is the direct liaison between the Board of Trustees and the tribal government staff. That means Sampson will oversee the work of an estimated 560 employees with an operating budget of $137 million, which does not include tribally-owned entities that aren’t related to the government.
