After graduating first in her class at Everett Community College and obtaining a certificate in Nuclear Technology from Shoreline College in Seattle, Lynette began a 35 year career as a Health Physics and Chemistry Technician, first working as a civilian for the US Navy aboard nuclear submarines during overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and then for a number of nuclear power plants nationwide. Much of her work involved quality control and procedural compliance. She has served as a volunteer with the diabetes awareness fundraising campaign for the health clinic of the Colorado River Indian Tribes in Parker, Arizona.
Lynette was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. She lives in Nevada now, but has maintained a close connection to the Siletz tribe. She’s a devoted student of the Chinook Wawa language, or Chinook Jargon, which was the first language of many Siletz people in the early days of reservation life, including her great grandmother, Minnie Lane. She has a deep passion for Native American history and geography, along with a keen interest in the genealogy of tribal families. She served on the Siletz Enrollment Committee for two years.
Lynette says, “I’m privileged to contribute my time and experience to support the mission of the Siletz Tribal Arts and Heritage Society.”