Local News
CTWS General Council Meeting
May
A General Council meeting was held last night (Tue, May 26, 2026) at the Agency Longhouse here in Warm Springs with 9 of 11 Tribal Council Members present and in all – 84 individuals in attendance. signed in at the Warm Springs General Council meeting last night at the Agency Longhouse.
The meeting started with a financial presentation from CTWS CFO Pam Douglas. She reviewed budgeted versus actual revenue and expenditures to date for 2026. The CTWS fiscal year is a calendar year.
New Chief Operation officer Caroline Cruz shared her responsibilities including Organization Structure, policies, Budgets and Monitoring plus the 5 Branches of government and High Lookee Lodge.
Director of Governmental Affairs Andrew Hofstetter introduced himself and shared some of his responsibilities including legislative issues, policy, MOUs and MOAs, strategies for dealing with federal – state and Tribal agencies. He also is the direct supervisor for planning, land services and communications. Hofstetter has been serving as Director of Governmental Affairs since March. His grandparents were Bessie David Guerin and Phil Guerin. Hofstetter said his mom is Phyllis Guerin Hofstetter. He also shared “I have been serving Tribes for 32 years. I just recently came back to the reservation. I served the tribe as a gaming commissioner from 2001 to 2007, and towards the end I was Chairman of the Gaming Commission. My background is in government affairs, policy, policy writing, grant management, grant compliance, and also regulatory compliance as well. I’ve served as a certified trainer for human trafficking, active shooter, threat assessments, and a whole bunch of other topics…It’s an honor to be back home to serve the people.”
Some themes that emerged from Tribal Member comments during the meeting:
- Urgent Need to Support Tribal Members and Address Wage Concerns
- Deepening Communication and Trust with Tribal Leadership
- Protecting Sovereign Rights and Demanding Fulfillment of Treaties
- Addressing Substance Abuse and Educational Challenges
- Increasing Accountability for Financial and Grant Transparency
- Preserving Tradition while Providing for the Modernization of Senior Services
