Council Member
Board member Sheldon has served on the Tulalip Tribes Board of Directors for over fifteen years, six of those as chairman. He also currently serves on the Services Committee. He was reelected to the Tulalip board in March 2015 after spending a year at Strategies 360, a public policy and communications firm in Seattle as vice-president of Native American affairs. Along with his fellow Tulalip board members, Sheldon has helped to lead economic development efforts at Tulalip, including the construction of the Tulalip Resort Casino – one of the largest employers in Snohomish County – and the first-ever federally chartered tribal city in the United States, Quil Ceda Village.
Under his and the board’s leadership, the Tulalip Tribes have initiated major transportation and infrastructure projects and built a strong police department and tribal court. They have completed important environmental restoration projects and created strong partnerships with other community leaders and organizations. An active and engaged leader in Snohomish County, Sheldon has served in many capacities, including on the boards of Providence Hospital Foundation, Economic Alliance of Snohomish County, Citizens Committee for Marysville Schools, and the Boy and Girls Club of Snohomish County. He has also served as a vice-president in the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, an association representing nearly 50 tribes.
Previously, he worked as a commercial fisherman in Puget Sound and Bristol Bay, Alaska. After high school graduation, he immediately enlisted in the U.S Army serving a tour of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. Sheldon graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
