CHIEF & COUNCIL

The W̱JOȽEȽP Band’s Leadership consists of elected members of the community that make up the Chief and Council.

Elections are currently held every four years, with the most recent election having been held in December 2025. The Current leadership are:

Chief: Curtis Olsen

Council:

  • Lawrence Bartleman
  • Gord Elliott
  • Verna Ellsworth
  • Leo William Morris
  • Rhiannon Olsen
  • Chris Paul
  • Adam Sampson
  • Joe Seward
  • Philip (ĆILTEN) Tom

Chief
Curtis Olsen

Councillor
Lawrence Bartleman

Councillor
Gordon Elliott

Councillor
Verna Ellsworth

Councillor
William Leo Morris

Councillor
Rhiannon Olsen

Councillor
Chris Paul

Councillor
Adam Sampson

Councillor
Joe Seward

Councillor
Philip Tom

CHIEF & COUNCIL COMMITTEE LIST

  • Chief Curtis Olsen
  • Verna Ellsworth
  • Gordon Elliott
  • Chris Paul

Staff responsible

  • Administrator
  • CFO
  • Project Coordinator

  • Chief Curtis Olsen
  • Gordon Elliott
  • Chris Paul
  • Rhiannon Olsen
  • Joe Seward

Staff Responsible

  • Administrator
  • CFO
  • HR Office Manager

  • Chief Curtis Olsen
  • Will Morris
  • Joe Seward

Staff Responsible

  • Director of Community Services
  • Language Manager
  • Education Coordinator

  • Chief Curtis Olsen
  • Adam Sampson
  • Phil Tom
  • Yexwesten Bartleman
  • Rhiannon Olsen
  • Joe Seward

Staff Responsible

  • Director of IGRN
  • Director of Stewardship
  • Stewardship Projects and Funding Coordinator, Executive Coordinator IGRN

  • Chief Curtis Olsen
  • Verna Ellsworth
  • Gordon Elliott
  • Phil Tom
  • Yexwesten Bartleman
  • Rhiannon Olsen
  • Joe Seward
  • Will Morris

Staff Responsible

  • Director of Community Services
  • Manager of Health

  • Chief Curtis Olsen
  • Gordon Elliott
  • Chris Paul
  • Adam Sampson
  • Phil Tom
  • Yexwesten Bartleman
  • Verna Ellsworth

Staff Responsible

  • Director of Capital Projects
  • Public Works and Housing Coordinator

  • Chief Curtis Olsen
  • Chris Paul
  • Adam Sampson
  • Will Morris
  • Yexwesten Bartleman
  • Verna Ellsworth
  • Joe Seward

Staff Responsible

  • Director of Community Services
  • Manager of CFS

Our Core Values

Respect

  • We model respect as it is a foundational teaching we learn from an early age and is a foundation for all other values

  • We share information appropriately and freely to ensure our community feels valued and informed
  • We ensure community members feel heard and that their input is considered appropriately in decision making
  • We value difference of opinion, diversity and, when necessary, can agree to disagree

Integrity

  • We make decisions for benefit of the whole community

  • We are honest about issues and challenges
  • We are committed to making the right decisions, even when no one is watching
  • We are authentic – acting the same in the boardroom as in community
  • We are accountable to our community

Honesty

  • We uphold honesty as a foundation of building and maintaining trust within our community

  • We act in an honest and straightforward manner in all relationships

  • We demonstrate an ability to have difficult conversations while at the same time safeguarding relationships
  • We accurately evaluate our capacity and view asking for help as a sign of strength

Collaboration

We consistently and effectively seek to collaborate with:

  • Each other as a Council Team to ensure good governance
  • Tsartlip First Nation community members to whom we are accountable
  • Staff (Administrator) to whom we provide good direction and adequate support
  • Wsáneć Nations and neighbours who wish to work with us for a common good
  • Partners and organizations who are interested in mutually beneficial initiatives

Balance

  • We prioritize the work undertaken by the Nation by balancing the needs of the community with the Nation’s resources to deliver

  • We support and foster work/life balance among our team and staff
  • We take time for culture, people, and family

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