In the Lushootseed language, we are known as the puyaləpabš, meaning ‘people at the bend at the bottom (of the river)’. This refers to the many windy bends in the original Puyallup River, where our many dispersed village sites were located. The name spuyaləpabš also became associated with our people’s welcoming and generous behavior, as we always had an abundance of natural resources to share. Over time, the meaning of spuyaləpabš, or Puyallup, has taken on this association.
We are one of the many Lushootseed speaking peoples of the northwest. Prior to European settlement, our people lived in villages from the foothills of Mount təqʷuʔmaʔ/təqʷuʔbəd, along the rivers, creeks, and prairies to the shores and islands of the Puget Sound.
Living off the waters of the Puyallup River, fed by Mount təqʷəʔbəd, our people continue to fish, hunt and travel these waterways, taking much care of our sacred resources. We continue to practice our Treaty Rights and traditional ways, just as our ancestors did.
Chief Executive Officer
Matt has over 15 years of experience in finance and business operations and has worked in Tribal Finance for nine years. Prior to joining the Tribe, Matt worked as a CPA for Deloitte in Los Angeles and managed cash and foreign exchange risk for a large consumer products company. Matt is a Tribal Member and earned his B.A. in economics from University of California, Santa Barbara and MBA from the University of California, Berkeley.
Chief Financial Officer
Julie began her accounting and finance career with the Puyallup Tribe over 28 years ago. After furthering her education and completing law school, Julie worked at Deloitte in Seattle for three years as a tax consultant. Returning to her Tribe, she became the first tribal financial officer for the Puyallup Tribe in 2007. Julie holds a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University, and a law degree from Seattle University School of Law.
General Counsel
Lois is a strong advocate for entrepreneurship having established her own small business in 2003 and consulted with various startups on marketing and overall structure. Lois works on a variety of subject matters including real estate, land use regulation, tax and licensing, and business development. Lois holds a law degree and an LLM in Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship from Seattle University and a MPA specializing in tribal governance from Evergreen State College.
Chief Operating Officer
Kyle has over 10 years of experience in estimating, finance, project management, and business roles and started with Puyallup Tribal Finance and Business Development in September 2021. Prior to joining the tribe, Kyle worked as a Finance Manager for Boeing in Seattle responsible for managing cash and negotiating contracts in support of new business and existing customer sales. Kyle graduated with a B.S. in Business from Missouri Valley College, and Master’s in Engineering and Technology Management from Washington State University.
Government Relations
Ehren has over 15 years of experience in the political, policy and government relations space. Ehren has worked for the Puyallup Tribe since 2007, first as a contract lobbyist, and currently as the director of government relations. Ehren has developed and passed numerous legislative policies to protect, advance and expand the Tribe’s economic development portfolio. Ehren graduated with a B.S. from California Lutheran University.
Director of Finance
Jennifer joined PTE in 2021. She is a CPA with over 20 years of experience in both retail and service industries. She has a Bachelor’s from the University of Puget Sound, and has lived in the Pacific NW her entire life.
Director of HR
Deborah is a certified SPHR/SCP human resource leader with extensive hands-on and strategic work experience in manufacturing, technology, and retail. She joined Puyallup Tribal Enterprises in 2010. She received her bachelor’s degree from Washington State University and MBA from City University of Seattle.
Port Executive Director
Jed has over 25 years of experience in business operations, facilities operations and management, and facilities development in the maritime environment. Prior to joining the Tribe in 2022, Jed worked for the US Coast Guard in various technical and leadership positions throughout the US culminating in his final assignment as the Coast Guard Base Seattle Installation Commander. Jed earned his B.S. in civil engineering from the US Coast Guard Academy and his M.S. in civil engineering from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.
CEO, Manufacturing
Brad has over 30 years of manufacturing experience and over 20 years in executive leadership, mostly focused on operations and servicing customers in highly regulated markets. Brad’s expertise include estimating, production, quality, customer service, lean manufacturing, supply chain management, and cultural enhancement. Prior to joining PTE, Brad ran GM Nameplate, a custom manufacturer and printer headquartered in Seattle, WA. Brad is also a serial entrepreneur who has been involved with several startups.
Project Planner
Roslyn (Roz) has worked at the tribe for over 18 years in numerous departments, including fisheries and percapita. Roz plays a pivotal role in the success of our projects by maintaining project budgets, schedules, and other critical elements.