I readily endorse Ms. Briana Spencer for a member of the Pendleton School District 16 Board. I, as the executive director of a nonprofit organization, Enough-Iz-Enough, as well as a Mission and Pendleton local, have had many opportunities over the years to witness the growth and drive of Ms. Spencer.

Briana shows great empathy for our joint community’s citizens and is willing to listen to the voice of the people and advocate for them to be heard. Ms. Spencer has an adept ability to empower the youth and community through her example of compassionate leadership. She has a history of serving in her communities through responsible activism, affecting lasting, real, and diverse solutions to challenging issues.

Ms. Spencer serves with a level head and just heart as a dedicated champion of worthy causes. She voluntarily commits to taking on challenging tasks and has raised significant monetary support for community awareness. She knows how to coordinate with interagencies across multiple counties to meet a need and facilitate direct action for policy change.

Ms. Spencer is a multicultural member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, has been a resident with the CTUIR and Pendleton communities for most of her life, and knows many families here. Briana brings with her knowledge of the local people and area, contemporary ideas, understanding, determination, and the ability to create a positive and productive work environment.

For these reasons and further reasons listed in the above letter, I believe she will be an exceptional addition to the Pendleton School District 16 Board.

Willa Wallace

Pendleton 

The East Oregonian does not run endorsements of more than 400 words.

The East Oregonian will institute a deadline for letters to the editor, so we can be fair with all the letters we receive and allow for responses before Election Day, if necessary.

We run local letters of endorsement on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please submit your endorsement letters to the editor by 5 p.m. Friday, May 7. You can email them to editor@eastoregonian.com, or mail them to East Oregonian, c/o Andrew Cutler, 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton, 97801.

We will publish our last letters on Saturday, May 15. Any letters received after the deadline will not run. Election Day is May 18.