By Hailey Palmer, Puyallup Tribal News
The Puget Sound Business Journal recently named Puyallup Tribal Councilwoman Annette Bryan one of its Directors of the Year, recognizing her for the work she’s done serving on various organizational boards throughout the community, including the Puyallup Tribal Council.
Throughout her career, Bryan has been a member of not only the Puyallup Tribal Council, but the United Way of Pierce County, Tacoma-Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Housing Sub-Committee and many others.
She called it an honor to be recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal.
“I think it’s really important that each situation you’re in to get involved on some level, and I’ve always believed in that,” Bryan said. “Whether it be at the workplace, the Tribe or different community settings, I’ve tried to be involved in some way. Being on Tribal Council and on the board of major entities has been one of the biggest challenges of my career, but also the most rewarding.”
She mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic as a time of her career she looks back on a lot.
During the pandemic, Bryan said, working on boards outside of the Tribe and on Tribal Council at the same time was hard on every level.
“Just to be able to communicate with your other board members and have the ability to see things from a big-picture view – that was probably the biggest milestone of my career because I was sitting on several boards and Tribal Council,” she said.
Though it can be challenging at times, Bryan said she loves her work and enjoys looking at how the past and present impact the future, especially for the Tribe.
“For me, the Tribal community is my life,” she said. “It means everything to be able to think in a big-picture way to make sure our future is sustainable.”
Bryan had one message for younger Tribal Members interested in pursuing the same type of work she does: get involved.
“There are a lot of committees – that’s a way to get to know the policies, the people and the Tribe,” she said. “When I was younger I served on the Election Committee, the Planning Commission for about 20 years, and I really felt that connected me to some of the work the Tribe does. I encourage our younger members to really start applying for these committees.”
To read Bryan’s feature in the Puget Sound Business Journal, head over to www.bizjournals.com/seattle/c/directors-of-the-year-2024/27524/directors-of-the-year-annette-bryan.html.
