Our Staff

The Executive Director & staff shall manage the organizational affairs, carry out the duties as assigned by the Executive Board, and pursue the established goals of the Affiliated Tribes.

Amber Schulz-Oliver (She/Her)

Executive Director

Amber Schulz-Oliver an American Indian (Celilo/ Yakama Descendant) Oregonian and has established firm roots in Portland, Oregon. As Executive Director of Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Economic Development Corporation (ATNI-EDC), she is dedicated to assisting ATNI Member Tribes fulfill their economic development goals and priorities. ATNI-EDC has a subsidiary organization, ATNI Financial Services, that is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and provides loans to Native American entrepreneurs that may not otherwise be able to obtain financing.

Amber graduated from Oberlin College in 2001 and soon after joined the Peace Corps. She then worked at a Native American owned Engineering firm, Akana, where she managed several projects in and for the benefit of Indian Country. She moved on to work for the non-profit organization, Ecotrust on a project to research the economic development needs, goals, and priorities of ATNI member tribes, and evaluated the feasibility of a fellowship model to meet some of those goals. In 2013, Ms. Schulz-Oliver earned her MBA, graduating with honors from Willamette University.
Amber serves as the President of the Potlatch Fund, Co-Chair of newly established Nch’I Wana Housing, and as board members of the Oregon Growth Board, and on the advisory boards of Ecotrust Community Development Entity, and Ecotrust Investments. She is committed to social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, sustainability, protecting Tribal sovereignty, and service to the Native community.

Chas Jones (He/Him)

Acting Climate Change Program Director

Dr. Chas Jones serves as the Acting Program Director for ATNI’s Climate Resilience Program He acquired his Ph.D. in Hydrology from the University of Alaska, where he incorporated traditional knowledge and science to assess exposure of indigenous people to the impacts of climate change. Chas is an expert in the dynamic interactions between climate, water, ecology, and society and enjoys using his knowledge and skills to benefit tribes in the Northwestern U.S. Dr. Jones is also community-minded scientist and has served as Mayor for the City of Philomath, Oregon, since 2020.

Tyrel Ott (He/Him)

Administrative Support Specialist

The Administrative Support Specialist supports Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) by performing administrative functions related to support and project activities, with a focus on providing excellent care to both support staff and tribal members.

Born and raised in rural Southern Oregon, Tyrel grew up learning the true value of community and how impactful it is on both the Individual and group levels. Tyrel graduated with a bachelors in Kinesiology with the hopes of pursuing graduate school in Public Health.

Email: tott@atnitribes.org

Cori Stevens (They/Them)

Fiscal Manager

Cori Stevens has worked in financial management and accounting roles in Oregon with Central City Concern, ShelterCare, Susan Matlack Jones, Milagro Theatre, and Oregon Coast Community Action. Cori served as Executive Director for The Majestic Theater and Managing Artistic Director for Oregon Contemporary Theater and founded Oregon Performance Lab. Nationally, Cori has served as Producing Artistic Director of Consolidated for Works in Seattle, WA, and Managing Director for InterAct Theatre in Philadelphia, PA. In New York, Cori worked in producing and general management with The Pearl Theatre, Epic Theater, Culture Project, HERE Arts Center, The Builders Associations, Godlight Theater, and The Lobbyists. Cori is known for their collaborations with Seattle-based Degenerate Art Ensemble, composer/lyricist Heyoung Kim, internationally acclaimed vocalist and storyteller Tsidii Le Loka, and playwright Lisa McCree. They are also an accomplished songwriter and composer actively recording and touring over the last 25 years.

Tanya Eison (She/Her)

Natural Resources Co-Manger

Tanya Eison is a citizen of Quinault Indian Nation and a Natural Resources Program Manager for ATNI. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of Washington Tacoma and a Master of Marine Affairs from the University of Washington where her graduate research studied Tribal equity within a Washington floodplain management program. Prior to joining ATNI, Tanya worked at Washington Conservation Action (formerly Washington Environmental Council and Washington Conservation Voters) where she helped increase the board membership to above a 50% BIPOC majority for the first time in the organization‘s history. She also spent a decade working for her tribe as the Legislative Aide for the Vice President and in the environmental protection department’s fish habitat and wildlife sections. Additionally, her experience with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) allowed her to explore opportunities where NOAA and the Northwest Indian College could partner to increase Indigenous students that advance into federal positions. Tanya is dedicated to working with the environment and the Tribal nations in the Northwest that are asserting their sovereignty to protect and manage their natural resources as they deem fit.

Kylie Avery (she/her)

Assistant Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison

Kylie Avery is an enrolled Shawnee tribal citizen and serves as the Assistant Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison for ATNI. In her role, she also supports the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. Kylie began working with ATNI as a Strategic Energy Innovation’s Climate Corps Fellow in the summer of 2022 and was hired into her current role in early 2023. She is a first-generation college graduate and earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology and a minor in Native American Studies from the University of California, Davis.

Elijah Duncan-Gilmour

Tribal Climate Resilience Fellow

Eli Duncan Gilmour is a graduate of American University with a degree in International Relations focusing on Sustainability and Global Health. Eli is also the co-founder of the Energy Democracy Coalition, a non-profit organization using documentary films to show how marginalized communities are fighting for a say in our energy system. Before attending college, Eli worked as a political organizer, mobilizing volunteers to elect climate-smart leaders and helping to pass landmark environmental legislation in his home state of New York. Eli has also served as an alternate on his local planning board, and today, he lives in Washington, DC, where he works remotely as ATNI’s Tribal Energy Liaison.

Taylor Aalvik (He/Him)

Natural Resources Co-Manager

Taylor Aalvik is a graduate from Eastern Washington University in 1997 with a biology degree. He went on to work for the Dept. of Natural Resources for Washington State, and then for his own tribe, The Cowlitz Tribe as the first paid Natural resources staff in 2002. In 2008, Taylor became the Director of the tribe’s Natural Resources Department. He significantly assisted in the growth of the Department from 1 to 15 staff members.

Taylor also went back to school for Graduate Studies at Washington State University. He also served on numerous Boards, Councils, and Committees. Of note; a Council member for the Cowlitz Tribe for over 13 years; a member of the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board for Washington State for 11 years; Chair of a non-profit organization, the Pinchot Partners for 10 years.

Taylor also served as an Executive Board member for the Affiliated Tribes of NW Indians (ATNI) as well as a Co-chair for ATNI’s Natural Resources Committee for several years. He is eager to continue his duties working for tribes in the NW to help in protecting our first foods and fighting the advancement of climate change.

Amelia Marchand (she/her)

Interim Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison

Amelia has 25 years working in the cultural and natural resource fields. Her professional work and personal experiences have increased her dedication to Indigenous rights, environmental justice and the implementation of socially equitable solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation that not only honor values of community and reciprocity, but also heal wounds from intergenerational trauma and institutional colonialism. Her role with the NW CASC is to engage with Tribal governments and NGOs in the region to identify needs and opportunities related to climate change, adaptation and resilience that advance Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

Amelia received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with a minor in American Indian studies from Eastern Washington University and a master’s degree in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School. As a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation with diverse heritage, she enjoys dedicating her free time to her family, friends and the numerous Indigenous and environmental conservation nonprofits she serves and supports.