Toby McClary
Term Start: 9/2009
Term End: 9/2012
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.