Guiding Value Award Winners

 

Sheena Weigand-Balancing Life

“I’m honored to be selected for the Balancing Life Guiding Value Award. I love that Stacey and Tracy were both working moms with sports loving kids and I truly appreciate the family/work life balance that they have built.

Not to mention it is amazing that I get paid 1 hour each week to attend onsite fitness classes. Redding Rancheria is phenomenal and I can’t imagine ever working anywhere else.”

Sheena was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Northwest Missouri State University, where she was also a member of the women’s soccer team.

She met her husband James at Northwest and after graduation they moved back to Northern California where he grew up. She loves working out, playing sports, and watching her kids play sports.

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Stitch

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Make time for fitness classes and self-care the benefits are well worth it. Also be active with your children, they only get one childhood and it is over in the blink of an eye.

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I love watching my kids play football, baseball, and softball.

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Sloth, especially after seeing Zootopia.

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Dr. Suess movies

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Drums

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My daughter is living her dream playing division 1 softball and a power four school on a full ride scholarship.

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Self-driving cars

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Marie Curie

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I’m really good at multi-tasking.

 

Tyler Edwards-Working Together

Tyler was born in Sacramento and raised in Redding. He graduated from several trade programs at American River College in Sacramento. He enjoys video games and playing whatever sport he can.

 

Lana McGee-Embracing Change

“I feel validated in my hard work because I was so incredibly excited for of all the projects I had the opportunity to be a part of in the past year.

I am also grateful to continue being part of a company that cares for and supports my goals. Moreover, I get to see my friends gain this honor too!”

Lana was born and raised in Hayward, California and moved to Redding to escape the business of the Bay Area. She attended Chico State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science by double major in Political Science and International Relations.

She also attended UC Berkeley for certification in Cybersecurity. She enjoys exploring the wilderness of Northern California by hiking, swimming and paddle boarding through BLM and National Park lands.

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Hades from Hercules (1997)

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My advice to future award winners is to keep up your fantastic work but make sure it has an element of YOU encapsulated there. YOU are what can make, break or elevate your team to the next level. YOU have it in you!

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My favorite sport to play is Softball, but my favorite sport to watch is Downhill Skiing.

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If animals could talk, I think donkeys would be funniest. Their laugh has to be enough proof!

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Atlantis (2001)

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I think mastering the piano would be the most beautiful and rewarding instrument to learn.

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I am proud of trying outrageous things and sticking to it! Because of that nature, I am beginning my certification for individual paragliding.

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The coolest gadget I have used recently is a JetBoil, exceptional for instant ramen when camping in the cold.

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A historical figure I would want to meet is Nadezhda Popova. She was a Soviet pilot in WWII as a commander of the Night Witches. She and her regiment would fly old decommissioned crop dusters with no navigational equipment, only a hand compass, ruler and a map. The Night Witches would cut their engines to move silently over targets, only able to carry two bombs per run. Popova set the record of 18 successful runs in a single night against the Germans. Fearless flying!

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I can fishtail braid without looking.

 

Pooja Jadhav Eshwarlal-Doing What’s Right

“I am truly humbled and honored to receive this award. I know there are so many deserving employees, which makes this recognition even more meaningful to me.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Rancheria for the way they go above and beyond to make us feel like part of the family.

I’m also grateful to our executive team that takes the time to recognize and appreciate our efforts, and that encouragement truly inspires me to do my very best.”

Pooja was born and raised in India. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Computer Science. She loves hiking, cooking, camping, and playing with her pets.

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Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. This character is playful, loyal and mischievous . I actually have a Chantilly-Tiffany cat who looks just like her-just without the wings!

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Stay grounded and true to your roots and everything else will fall into place.

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Badminton until I recently started playing pickleball and I’m loving it.

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Cats. They do the most funniest things with a lot of seriousness.

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Zootopia. It would be fun to have different kinds of pets around you!

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I’m proud of how far I’ve come-something the shy kid I used to be could have only imagined.

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AI Chatbots

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If you tell me your birthday once, I’ll remember it forever!

 

Krystal Crook-Respecting Differences

“I feel honored and thankful to receive the Respecting Differences guiding value award.”

Krystal was born in Southern California and raised in Shingletown, CA. She pursued her higher education at Chico State University.

She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a concentration in Women’s Health Studies.

Krystal enjoys traveling, camping, fixing and building things, and spending time with family and friends.

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Wall-E

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Always focus on our guiding values and remember why you are here and why you do what you do. The work you do is important, you’re a valuable part of the company.

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Basketball

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Horse

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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Who wouldn’t love a house made of jello and a talking monkey?

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Drums

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My totally cool children

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iPhone

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Harriet Tubman

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Cinematography

 

Don Blair-Working Together

“Winning this award is the most humbling life experience. There are many deserving of this recognition.”

Don grew up in a rural community outside of Anchorage Alaska. After graduating high school, he began work in the retail trade while also transitioning to real estate management and federal housing assistance programs.

After moving to Redding 37 years ago, he continued work in retail management, raising his family, and worked on career growth through business courses at Shasta College.

In 2001, he met his wife Patti, and in 2008, he became an employee of Redding Rancheria. He loves to golf, ride his e-bike or motorcycle, walk the trails of our beautiful city, or ride the back roads in their side-by-side.

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Values are your actions when no one sees, not your words. 

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Golf

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Dogs.  They have character, love to play, and sometimes look at you like you’re crazy.

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Star Wars

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Classical acoustic guitar

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My wife, my son, my daughter, where I am today in life.

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A telescope, love the stars

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Native American Kintpuash, Captain Jack.  I’ve visited his stronghold and surrounding area, the history leaves a mark on your soul.

 

Serving Others-Dr. Aishwarya Sharma

“Winning the guiding value award is such a privilege and honor. I am so grateful to be recognized for the work I do, but even more grateful that I have the amazing luck of working for the tribe in an organization I love.

It has been such an incredible gift to serve our native community and be a part of this beautiful town.”

Dr. Aishwarya Sharma is originally from India, but came to the US at age 7.  She spent majority of her time in Ohio, where she did all her primary and secondary training.

In 2023, she and her family traded snowy Ohio winters for the sunshine of Redding. After moving she started her role with the Redding Rancheria and pursued further education by completing two PCP-centered fellowships through UC Irvine, one in addiction medicine and one in Adult Psychiatry.

This has allowed her to better care for patients as a Family Physician and Medical Director for Recovery.

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Mulan

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Mahatma Gandhi said it best: The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

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I have kids, so my sport of choice is trying not to get hit in the face by their toys.

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Cats

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Marvel

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Guitar

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My academic achievements and my beautiful boys.

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The dictating Dragon

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Elizabeth Blackwell – the first woman to receive a medical degree in the USA

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I can beatbox

 

Serving Others-Marcus Clary

“I feel great, it is absolutely an honor to receive the award.

I’m happy to see my hard work has paid off.”

Marcus is originally from Nevada but he moved to Redding when he was 12 and has been here ever since.

He is currently at Shasta College working towards getting his RN license.

He loves his family, traveling and going to concerts.

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Goofy, he makes me laugh.

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Be proud of your award, you deserve it. When you get called up to receive your award try to relax, you don’t look as nervous as you feel.

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Football. Go Niners!

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I would have to say the Panda. They just seem really silly and would probably be funny.

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I would have to say Marvel. I think it would be cool to be a part of the X-men!

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The guitar

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I am proud of the man I have become after having a hard childhood. Lots of people don’t make it out of that cycle.

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The jaws of life when I went through the fire academy.

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Jesus

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I can play the guitar but would love to get better.