We are honored to introduce Jennifer Hines, the fantastic new Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) of MCEC, who joined us in April of 2023. With extensive professional experience and a passion for promoting equity and empowerment, Hines brings a fresh perspective and a commitment to making a lasting impact on the Nisqually Indian Tribe and its community.

Hines’ professional journey has been diverse and marked by significant achievements. A licensed Washington state attorney, she started her career in south Florida, working her way up to a senior position at a small corporation. She then transitioned to a role at the largest title insurer in Florida, gaining valuable experience before returning to her prior corporation as its director. Hines’ desire to explore new opportunities led her to Washington state, where she fell in love with the place during a vacation.

“My parents were getting older and having some health issues, so we decided we would combine households and move out to Washington. I was able to work remotely back and forth to my position in Florida. After working remote for two years, I realized remote work was not for me. And flying back and forth to Florida was also not for me. So, I sought out a position with the city of Tacoma, and that’s where I was for the last nine years,” Hines explained.

During her tenure at the city of Tacoma, Hines made it a priority to build strong partnerships with diverse entities and organizations in the surrounding communities. She recognized the importance of cultivating relationships with Tribal partners and worked diligently to promote equity.

Hines’ dedication to equity led to her appointment as an equity lead for the city of Tacoma. She developed a keen understanding of the challenges faced by traditionally underserved and unrepresented communities.

Speaking about the importance of equity, she passionately shared, “There’s a difference between symbolism and action. Inequities stem from government and law and have for hundreds and hundreds of years. Even now, when people talk about how we’re transforming and we’re trying to create more equitable government and more equitable laws, often what they’re doing is they’re just using symbolism.”

“There’s a difference between symbolism and action. Inequities stem from government and law and have for hundreds and hundreds of years. Even now, when people talk about how we’re transforming and we’re trying to create more equitable government and more equitable laws, often what they’re doing is they’re just using symbolism.”

Jennifer Hines, MCEC Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Hines firmly believes that tangible action is necessary to address the deep-rooted issues of inequity.

“Writing a land acknowledgement and reading it at the beginning of a governmental meeting is not increasing equity,” Hines said. “It’s simply a symbol, with the good that it does stopping as the last word of the acknowledgement is read. Symbolic acts like that do little to nothing to shift the power differential. And the issue with equity is that the people who are holding the power, who took that power in the first place, must be willing to give up some of that power to make a change.”

Drawing from her experiences in the city of Tacoma, Hines shared an example of her impactful work in promoting equity. “I passed a policy through the Tacoma City Council that gave all our Tribal partners a right of first refusal over all our surplus properties. I was able to create this policy and keep it alive through all its stages of development by carefully selecting other equity-minded individuals to partner with me and fight for the policy’s success through considerable and mounting barriers that were being thrown up against it. Otherwise, it would have been reduced to symbolism,” she emphasized.

Hines’ dedication to equity and her policy achievements are commendable. In fact, her policy passed through the Tacoma City Council was recognized as the first of its kind in U.S. history by the National Indian Law Library. This groundbreaking policy is a testament to her tenacity and commitment to bringing about tangible change.

Now, as the DCEO of MCEC, Hines aims to continue her advocacy for equity within the corporation and expand her efforts to benefit the Nisqually Indian Tribe.

She recognizes that achieving equity is an ongoing process, even within a Tribal entity. At MCEC, she is committed to improving equity within the corporation and ensuring that all employees are valued and that their voices are affirmed, heard, and listened to as MCEC goes about its paramount work of supporting the Nisqually people.

Hines’ goal is also to work outwardly from MCEC with policy and decision makers in the state and beyond to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and ensure that those in positions of power work toward rectifying the inequities of the past.

“One of the things that I would teach through training in equity is that it’s not the responsibility of the Tribes to fix things. It’s not the responsibility of those who have been marginalized to fix things. They weren’t the ones that messed it up. The burden of change rests on the shoulders of the people who have the privilege and the power to make the changes and fix things,” she stated.

“One of the things that I would teach through training in equity is that it’s not the responsibility of the Tribes to fix things. It’s not the responsibility of those who have been marginalized to fix things. They weren’t the ones that messed it up. The burden of change rests on the shoulders of the people who have the privilege and the power to make the changes and fix things,”

Jennifer Hines, MCEC Deputy Chief Executive Officer

As the new DCEO of MCEC, Hines brings her corporate background, strategic planning expertise, knowledge of law, and policy-creation experience to the role. She has a forward personality and is unafraid to have tough conversations and push for necessary changes. Hines values teamwork and recognizes that the performance of every team member is crucial to MCEC’s success. She stated, “You’re only as good as the performance of the entire team, and as part of the team, you must be willing to jump in and do the work.”

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Hines is a person with a rich and fulfilling life outside of work. She cherishes her close-knit family, which includes her mother, stepfather, son, daughter-in-law, younger sister, younger brother, and 11-year-old niece. “That’s our family. Small but mighty,” she said.

She also finds joy in various hobbies, such as hiking, kayaking, and being outdoors, surrounded by the beauty of nature. She also has a passion for reading and immersing herself in captivating stories. Additionally, Hines’ culinary skills extend to baking, as she took professional cake baking and decorating courses in the past. “I love to cook. I could be in the kitchen all day long. It’s my happy place,” she said.

Jennifer Hines’ appointment as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of MCEC marks a significant step forward in the pursuit of equity and Tribal empowerment. Her unwavering commitment to actionable change will undoubtedly create a positive and lasting impact on the Nisqually Indian Tribe and its community. With Hines onboard, MCEC is well-positioned to champion equity and continue its mission of fostering growth and prosperity for the Tribe.