Chuck Sams

Chuck grew up on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Northeast Oregon. He joined the Navy and like the salmon, he made his journey from along the Umatilla River to the Columbia River and out to sea. Since leaving his home, he has lived in many places across the United States.

He is the founding executive director for the Umatilla Tribal Community Foundation(UTCF). The UTCF is a newly organized, but fast growing tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and surrounding area. He is also the President /Chief Executive Officer of Indian Country Conservancy, which works across the U.S. helping tribes reacquire their land base.

Chuck has worked in the nonprofit natural resource management field for over 18 years. His primary work has been in salmon and watershed restoration throughout the Pacific Northwest with tribes and urban centers. He has served as the national director for the Tribal & Native Lands Program of the Trust for Public Land. He serves on the boards/councils of the Oregon State Parks Trust, River Network, Indigenous Waters Network, Indian Dispute Resolution Services, Center for Diversity and the Environment, and USS Ranger Foundation. Chuck holds a bachelor of science in business administration from Concordia University. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy where he served as an intelligence specialist.