Board of Trustees

Trevor Aaron

Board Chair

Trevor Aaron is the Director of Information Technology at Spirit Mountain Casino, an entity of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. A long-time resident of the Pacific Northwest, Trevor began his IT career in 1992 and has since held leadership roles across Tribal government and enterprise operations.

Trevor holds a bachelor’s degree in business and information systems, an MBA, and is currently pursuing a master’s in hospitality administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. With over two decades of leadership experience, he is known for his expertise in technology management, business operations, and strategic innovation.

Trevor actively supports causes such as Suicide Prevention, Ending Alzheimer’s, and SMART Reading. He also serves on the Courtney Place Veterans Housing Board.  A proud father of three daughters and a passionate advocate for Tribal and veteran royalty traditions, Trevor’s leadership is rooted in kindness, unity, and a commitment to building a better future for his Tribe and community.

Julie Fahey

Vice Chair

Julie Fahey represents House District 14 (West Eugene & Veneta) in the Oregon State Legislature. She was first elected to the House in 2016 and was elected by her colleagues to serve as Speaker of the House in 2024. Prior to being elected Speaker, she served as House Majority Leader for two years.

In her time in the legislature, Speaker Fahey has focused on housing affordability as Chair of the Housing Committee. She played a significant role in crafting and passing legislation to address the homelessness and housing affordability crisis in Oregon, including 2023's Affordable Housing and Emergency Homelessness Response Package. While this work is ongoing, policy priorities have included housing affordability, living wage jobs, worker protections, and improving education outcomes.

During her time as Majority Leader, she served as the Chair of the Rules Committee, focusing on elections, ethics, and democracy reforms. In that role she championed an expansion of Oregon’s automatic voter registration program and helped pass 2024’s historic campaign finance reform bill that placed limits on campaign contributions.

Outside of the legislature, Rep. Fahey has two decades of experience in the private sector as a business consultant and co-founder of a human resources consulting firm for businesses and non-profits. Through her work, she helps employers pay their employees fairly, build skilled workforces, and make their organizations great places to work. In her free time, she loves to hike, foster rescue dogs, and do the Sunday crossword puzzle.​​

Kathleen George

Trustee

Kathleen George has spent her career helping tribal governments accomplish their goals and build their future. This work is the foundation to her deep commitment to ensuring that tribal leaders have a seat at the table when decisions are being made that affect tribal people and tribal resources. Prior to being elected to Tribal Council, Kathleen was the Director of Spirit Mountain Community Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Tribe. This position also provided opportunities to educate the world of philanthropy about the significant needs and tremendous opportunities in Indian Country today. Before working in philanthropy, she partnered with tribal communities throughout Oregon and Washington on efforts to restore healthy environments to protect tribal people and their resources. Kathleen’s consulting firm, Cedar Consulting, worked in natural resources policy and strategic planning.

Kathleen currently serves on the Spirit Mountain Gaming Incorporated Board of Directors and has served on a number of boards and committees.

Kathleen was awarded the “Columbia River Hero Award” by the Columbia River Toxics Reduction Working Group for her work to protect the health of tribal people who eat fish from Oregon rivers. She is also a graduate of Dominican University where she majored in Environmental Biology and studied Public Administration in Graduate School.

Maria Rojo de Steffey

Trustee

Maria Rojo de Steffey was born and raised with her nine siblings in a small-town farming community in Colorado.  As a young woman, Maria decided to attend college at the University of Oregon.  While there, her love for Oregon grew.  After graduating she made Oregon her home.  

Maria’s extensive experience includes two terms as a Multnomah County Commissioner where, among many initiatives, she originated and co-chaired the County’s Vital Aging Task Force, secured funding for the building the new Sauvie Island Bridge, secured the initial funding for the new Sellwood Bridge, led the process for the green roof on the Multnomah County Library in Portland and fought for funding for the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center.

Seeing a need for stable and safe housing for families, Maria co-founded with Clara Padilla Andrews the Hacienda Community Development Corporation. 

 As a small business owner, Maria served as the President and Owner of ALMAR Contracting, LLC.  Her company was a state certified WBE/MBE business renovating and repairing multi-family housing apartment buildings.

With a lifelong commitment to public service, Maria Rojo de Steffey has followed her path towards economic security and social justice for a diverse community.

Martha Schrader

Trustee

Martha Schrader has served continuously as a Clackamas County Commissioner since January 2013. She previously served as a commissioner from 2003 to 2009 (and as Chair from 2005 to 2007). Martha represented Oregon’s 20th District as state senator from 2009 to 2011. Before entering office, Martha was an entomologist, a schoolteacher and a librarian. From 1982 until 2012, she owned and operated Three Rivers Farm in Canby, growing and selling local organic produce. She is the proud mother of five children and three grandchildren. In her free time, Martha enjoys kayaking on the Clackamas River and around Willamette Falls. Martha holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, a master's degree in entomology from the University of Illinois, and a master’s degree in education from Portland State University. She is also a fellow with the American Leadership Forum. Bringing together her love of fresh food, farms and home cooking, Martha has a cooking show on the Clackamas County Government Channel called Cooking with the Commissioner.

Victoria Ernst

Trustee

Victoria Ernst is a human rights attorney based in Yamhill County, Oregon. She teaches international law, works for the United Nations International Law Commission, and consults on human rights legislation. She also works for an international wine importer based in Oregon. She has previously worked for other United Nations bodies, including the Committee Against Torture, as well as for the European Union. She started her legal career in Montana, working in Tribal Court on Fort Belknap. She was raised in Newberg, Oregon, and is deeply involved in community service in Yamhill County. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Encompass Yamhill Valley, the City of McMinnville Budget Committee, and the Finance Committee for Yamhill Community Action Partnership.

Matthew Haller

Trustee

Matthew Haller was born in Salem, and he was raised in Grand Ronde where he has lived for most of his life. Growing up with his grandfather, Bob Haller, who served three terms on the Tribal Council, Matthew was surrounded by political conversations and actions during his formative years. His grandfather, a mentor and guide, encouraged him to run for Tribal Council before his passing in 2022, leaving Matthew with a deep sense of duty to continue his legacy.

Matthew is happily married to his childhood sweetheart, April Ackerman Haller, who is of Choctaw descent. Together, they have three children: Cheyenne, 16; Bob, 12; and Abby, who is seven months old. Just as Matthew did when he was young, his children attend Tribal Council meetings, with the older two participating in the Tribe's Youth Education Program. Cheyenne is also active in the Tribe's Youth Council, proudly representing the youth of the Tribe.

Matthew's professional journey with the Tribe began at the age of 14 through the Tribe’s Youth Education Program, where he was placed in the Finance Department. There, he developed a passion for numbers and accounting, which he continued to nurture throughout his career. At 20, he became a certified table dealer, making him one of the few Tribal members ready for a gaming career even before being old enough to work on the casino floor. Matthew worked at Spirit Mountain Casino for 12 years before moving to Utah to attend trade school, where he gained knowledge of stocks, bonds, and annuities. He went on to manage a Farmers Insurance agency before returning home. Matthew managed Fort Hill Restaurant and Bar, and later purchased the Wildwood Café and Hotel, which he operated until joining the Tribal Council.

A strong advocate for cultural preservation, Matthew emphasizes that “Culture is everything.” In his personal time, he enjoys hiking in the mountains, and has been an active participant in numerous ceremonies since his first sweat ceremony at the age of eight. His lifelong dedication to the Tribe and its cultural values reflects his unwavering commitment to serve and represent his people.

Lisa Leno

Trustee

Bio coming soon.