Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs Director Tim Reynon steps down to join the Tribal Council of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians

Governor appoints Gordon James as interim director

OLYMPIA - Today Governor Bob Ferguson announced that Tim Reynon, the director of the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs, has stepped down following his election to the Tribal Council of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.

Reynon submitted his resignation prior to being sworn into his new position yesterday. Puyallup Tribal Council positions are full-time, requiring Reynon to resign from his position at GOIA so he can devote his full attention to the needs and interests of the Tribe. Governor Ferguson has appointed Gordon James, the Office of Indian Affairs special projects & training manager, as acting director, effective immediately.

Reynon has been a key leader in Governor Ferguson's work to foster partnerships with state agencies and Tribal Nations. Reynon has served on the governor's Executive Cabinet since Governor Ferguson elevated the position in October as part of his Executive Order establishing new consultation and training requirements for state agencies.

"Tim has been an important part of my team since the beginning of my Administration," Governor Ferguson said. "His knowledge and leadership have helped us to bring about historic change in our government-to-government relations with Tribes. It's no surprise to me that Tim has been elected to this important, demanding position - our loss is the Tribe's gain. I look forward to working with Tim in his new role. Thank you to Gordon for stepping up to lead this important agency through this transition."

"I appreciate the opportunity to serve our Tribal partners and the people of Washington, and to continue to build and strengthen government-to-government relations between our state and tribes," Reynon said. "It has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to have been able to serve along side the Governor, his executive team and cabinet."

A Puyallup Tribal member and former Puyallup councilman, Reynon was appointed to Governor Ferguson's staff in December of 2024, taking the lead of Governor Ferguson's Office of Indian Affairs (GOIA) on inauguration day in January 2025.

Reynon previously served on task forces and commissions including the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability and the Criminal Justice Training Commission, as well as serving as a past president of the Northwest Indian Bar Association.

GOIA promotes the government-to-government relationship between the State of Washington and Indian Tribes. The agency also advocates for the social and economic betterment of all Native people in Washington state, as well as greater cultural understanding of Washington's first citizens.

Reynon led a reimagining of the annual Centennial Accord meeting of state leaders and Washington tribes. The Centennial Accord is an agreement that established a framework for government-to-government relations between Washington tribes and the state.

At this year's Centennial Accord gathering, Reynon also played a key role in Governor Ferguson's historic Executive Order setting out new requirements and steps for state agencies to improve Washington's government-to-government relationship with our state's tribes. It requires agencies to take a number of measures to engage with tribes, establishes training requirements for state leadership and employees, and requires agencies - including the Governor's Office - to establish Tribal consultation policies.

The Executive Order also elevated the Executive Director of GOIA to the Governor's Executive Cabinet. That change was made permanent by Senate Bill 6034, sponsored by Sen. Claudia Kauffman (D-Kent), with a unanimous vote.

To lead GOIA during the search for a permanent director, Governor Ferguson named GOIA Special Projects & Training Manager Gordon James as acting director.

James has led GOIA's Government-to-Government Training since 2000, and is one of the developers of its curriculum. In this role, he has provided Government-to-Government Training for over 25,000 administrators and staff of state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, city and county governments, colleges and universities, public school districts, and others.

James previously served eight years as Chairman of the Skokomish Tribal Council and continues to serve as a Skokomish Gaming Commissioner. He is also the former Education Director for the Squaxin Island Tribe.