Currently serving term
09-01-09 through 09-01-12
Toby McClary has 5 blog posts
Toby McClary, born June 5, 1978, is a member of the Mercier family. His
grandfather was Marion Mercier, who passed away in 1953. His mother is
Joann Mercier and his brother is Travis Mercier.
He moved to Grand Ronde in 1986 from Eugene, Ore., where he became an
Oregon Ducks fan. He graduated from Willamina High School in 1996 and
started working at Spirit Mountain Casino two weeks after graduation.
He cooked at Legends Restaurant for two years before transferring to the
Receiving Department, where he worked for five more years.
He was hired in the Smoke Signals/Publications Department, where he
spent four years as a production assistant and photojournalist.
In 2007, Mr. McClary accepted a supervisory position at Spirit Mountain
Casino and occupied that position until his election to Tribal Council
for the first time in 2009.
“Over the last couple of years I have been involved with our Tribal
government due to my passion for the Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde,” he said.
“First of all, I’d like to say it is an honor for me to serve on Tribal
Council. As a young child, I was made to attend all functions held in
the Grand Ronde community, including General Council meetings. While
most of my time then was spent causing some kind of mischief, I would
occasionally listen to the words of the council members and I remember
the respect I had for them even at that age. My respect for the council
has never changed, nor has my determination to one day occupy a seat on
Tribal Council.
“Since those days of my childhood, the Tribe has experienced many
changes. These changes have had a tremendous effect on our people. One
of the most recognizable changes has been the Tribe’s financial status
due to the opening of Spirit Mountain Casino in 1995. One of my greatest
hopes is that we secure our success for the many generations to come. I
believe that if we build the foundation for our future, the present
will be taken care of along the way.
“Although the wealth has helped our Tribe a great deal, we also have
many other opportunities we can take advantage of. We need to continue
to educate our people and groom them into being strong leaders for our
Tribe. We need to not only learn the cultures of our ancestors, but
teach those to anyone willing to obtain the knowledge. We need to take
care of our Elders, passing their legends and wisdom on to our children
and grandchildren. We need to promote health care and assure that our
people will be around for generations to come.
“These are a few issues I am passionate about and look forward to working on them in my first term as a Tribal Council member.”
Mr. McClary lives in Willamina with his fiancée, Sandy, and two stepsons, Landon and Logan.