Left to right: Mario Villanueva – USDA Rural Development State Director; Tuana Jones – USDA Rural Development, Rural Business and Cooperative Services Division, Director; Mary Swarthout – American Community Enrichment ; Michael Cardwell – Director of Quinault Indian Nation Community Services Division; Jesse Cardenas – American Community Enrichment President; Patrice Kunesh – USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary; Paul Johnson – USDA Rural Development, Special Projects Representative; Julie Law – Manager Quinault Indian Nation Grants & Contracts; Philip Eggman – USDA Rural Development Information Officer.
Patrice Kunesh – USDA Rural Development Deputy
Under Secretary
American Community Enrichment hosted a August 26, 2014 meeting with
USDA Rural Development
Deputy Under Secretary Patrice Kunesh
On August 5, 2014 American Community Enrichment was contacted by USDA Rural Development Special Projects Representative Paul Johnson, and invited to host a meeting with USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Patrice Kunesh. Deputy Under Secretary Kunesh was scheduled to be in our area from August 24 through August 26th for meeting with Olympic Peninsula Native American Tribes and hearing USDA Rural Development funded project presentations.
American Community Enrichment has been assisting the Quinault Indian Nation with their Biomass for Heat Projects that have been mainly funded through the USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) Program. Currently American Community Enrichment, in the role of Project Manager, is assisting the Quinault Indian Nation with their Tribal Pellet Manufacturing Feasibility Study Project funded through a USDA RBOG. Mr. Johnson felt it would be very beneficial to provide Secretary Kunesh with a program update. American Community Enrichment agreed to host this meeting on August 26, 2014 at their Elma, Washington location.
The August 26 presentation meeting consisted of a Quinault Indian Nation Biomass for Heat Project presentation by American Community Enrichment President, Jesse Cardenas and Michael Cardwell, Director of Quinault Indian Nation Community Services Division. The Quinault Indian Nation Department of Planning represented by Department Manager Teddy Wallace and her staff, provided a Tribal Relocation Master Plan Project presentation. This project is focused on completing all planning requirements for the relocation of the Quinault Indian Nation Village of Taholah from the current flood/tsunami location to higher elevation. Julie Law, Manager Quinault Indian Nation Department of Grants and Contracts, assisted with the August 26th meeting coordination and communicated details of the meeting to Quinault Indian Nation Business Committee Executives and Tribal Council. The meeting with USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Patrice Kunesh was a great success and provided her with details about current critical Quinault Indian Nation projects. She, along with the other USDA Rural Development representatives were very impressed with progress to date and offered continued USDA Rural Development assistance and support.
The August 26 meeting was attended by:
Patrice Kunesh – USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary
Mario Villanueva – USDA Rural Development State Director
Tuana Jones – USDA Rural Development, Rural Business and Cooperative Services Division, Director
Paul Johnson – USDA Rural Development, Special Projects Representative
Philip Eggman – USDA Rural Development Information Officer
Jesse Cardenas – American Community Enrichment, President
Mary V Swarthout – American Community Enrichment,
Lyndsie Winter – Port of Grays Harbor Marketing
Michael Cardwell – Director of Quinault Indian Nation Community Services Division
Teddy Wallace – Manager Quinault Indian Nation Planning Department
Pat Hopper – Assistant Planner, Quinault Indian Nation Planning Department
Garrett Phillips – Lead Planner, Quinault Indian Nation Planning Department
Kelsey Moldenke – Associate Planner, Quinault Indian Nation Planning Department
Charles Warsinske – Senior Planner, Quinault Indian Nation Planning Department
Julie Law – Manager Quinault Indian Nation Grants & Contracts
Lyndsie Winter – Marketing, Satsop Business Park
Edward Coumou – , President