Elwha votes for new chair position
Published 1:30 am Friday, May 29, 2026
PORT ANGELES — For the first time in more than 20 years, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe voters have chosen a new chair.
On Saturday, 207 valid ballots were cast in the race for the three-year Business Committee chair position.
Melissa Gilman, the current secretary/treasurer, garnered 115 votes, or 55.55 percent.
Gilman defeated Frances Charles, who has been the chairwoman for 22 years. Charles had 72 votes, or 34.78 percent.
Three other candidates were on the ballot: Russell Hepfer, current vice chairman, received 16 votes, or 7.7 percent, while councilman Steve Robideau and councilwoman Christia Skerbeck each received 2 votes.
“Congratulations to Melissa,” Charles said. “I’ll still continue on with the work we have started, and we’ll continue on with those tasks.”
In addition to being chairwoman for 22 years, Charles has been on the council for 33 years, she said.
“I have to really raise my hands up to a lot of the previous council because they’re the ones who have raised these tasks up for us,” Charles said. “We’re following their footsteps in the tasks we’re faced with today. That’s who I give my gratitude to. It’s not just me, it’s about everybody.”
During her time as chairwoman, Charles said the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe received several awards for its work with natural resources and extended its reach by working with other organizations.
“I think it was great, and we built good partnerships and we have done and accomplished a lot,” Charles said. “We had success taking out the dams, and the restoration efforts has everybody partnered with us. We’re still working on the clean-up stages in the Port Angeles harbor area and doing a lot of restoration work.”
The village of Tse-whit-zen, which was discovered in August 2003 at the base of Ediz Hook, was excavated during Charles’ time as chairwoman, another accomplishment she said she was proud of.
The tribe also successfully worked with area public schools to get its language taught as a foreign language.
“That’s a great feeling when you see (children speaking the language) because so many of the elders couldn’t speak the language because they were punished for it,” Charles said.
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is a sovereign, federally recognized Indian Nation with its own constitution and government, according to the tribe’s website at elwha.org.
The tribe is is run by Executive Director Tonya Clark, executive administrative assistant Keri Ellis, community liaison Nancy Hamilton and the five-member council, also known as the Business Committee.
“The Business Committee had full and ultimate responsibility for management of all tribal programs operating on an annual budget,” the website states. “The Community Council is comprised of the eligible voting tribal members, who enact the laws for the governance of the land and the people under its jurisdiction.”
The tribe will vote on the vice chairman and the secretary/treasurer positions on Monday night.
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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.
