Tribal Perspectives on Flooding

(Updated Speakers)
Join this 90-minute conversation featuring David Troutt, Anna Allen, Donella Miller, Jaime Pinkham, and facilitated by Bobby Whitener. Panelists will provide insights into their perspectives on flooding, flood dynamics in specific geographies, and reflections on cultural values.
Speaker Bios
David Troutt (Natural Resources Director, Nisqually Indian Tribe)
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David has served as the Natural Resources Director for the Nisqually Indian Tribe since 1987. He heads a diverse department focused on salmon, shellfish, wildlife and the environment in general, with duties including management, legal, administration, budget development, research and monitoring. Throughout his career at the Nisqually Indian Tribe, he worked closely with late Billy Frank, Jr. He also serves as chair of the Nisqually River Council and president of the Nisqually River Foundation, and he is the chair of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council. David previously served on the Washington Biodiversity Council, the Executive Committee of the Tri-County Response to the Endangered Species Act, the Development Committee of the Shared Strategy for Puget Sound, the Steering Committee for the Hatchery Reform Project, and as a voting member of the Resource Advisory Committee for the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Mr. Troutt received his bachelor of science degree from the University of Washington School of Fisheries.
Anna Allen (Shoshone-Bannock, Regional Government Affairs Director, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission)
* Anna is the Regional Government Affairs Director at the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), where she works on advancing the interests of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, and the Yakama Nation. Her work involves navigating complex governmental landscapes, building relationships with regional entities, and ensuring that the voices of the Columbia River tribes are heard in policy decisions that affect their cultural resources. Prior to her work at CRITFC, Anna held a number of positions across regional governments, including Tribal Affairs Advisor, Senior Project Manager, and Policy Advisor at Multnomah County. And served as the Equity and Inclusion Director with the City of Bend.
Jaime Pinkham (Nez Perce, Former Principle Deputy Assistant, Army Corps)
* Jaime A. Pinkham (Nez Perce) served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works for the Biden Administration from April 2021 to January 2025. Prior positions include Executive Director for the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission and Vice President of the Bush Foundation in St. Paul, MN. From 1990 to 2002, he worked for the Nez Perce Tribe where he was elected twice to the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee. He was also a department manager responsible for Tribal fisheries, forestry, wildlife, cultural resources, and agriculture programs. He has served on various conservation boards including The Wilderness Society, American Rivers, Defenders of Wildlife and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. He has a forestry degree from Oregon State University.
 
Donella Miller (Yakama, Fishery Science Manager, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission)
* Donella is the Fishery Science Department Manager at the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC). With over 29 years of experience in Columbia River fisheries resource management, she previously served as the Yakama Nation Fisheries Program Manager. Donella has also held roles such as the Yakama Nation Fisheries White Sturgeon Project Manager and has contributed to various projects throughout the Columbia Basin.
As always, we welcome feedback and ideas for upcoming topics so please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself (Allan Warren awarren@b-e-f.org), Carol MacIlroy (cmacilroy@gmail.com), Lisa Nelson, (lnel461@ecy.wa.gov) or Matt Gerlach, (mger461@ecy.wa.gov).
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2125469094
Passcode: 1234