Vice Chair
A proud Tulalip citizen dedicated to seeing his Tribe and all its members thrive to the best of their abilities, Hazen is honored to be serving his second term as a Board of Director and first as Treasurer.
The middle child of nine siblings born to parents Rocky and Peggy Shopbell, Hazen learned at a young age the importance of family and staying grounded to his tribal roots. Hazen and his wife Tia Shopbell have been together for over a decade and together they are raising six culturally-minded children in the local Hermosa neighborhood.
Being able to gaze upon the beautiful waters of Tulalip Bay every day is a gift the avid fisherman does not take for granted. Hazen has been exercising his inherent Treaty Rights as a Tulalip fisherman since a teenager and recalls falling in love with life on the water at just 14-years-old when he first connected with his ancestral fishing grounds.
As a fisherman, Hazen learned the ins and outs of having a self-sustaining income and the importance of creating his business. The entrepreneurial spirit runs through his veins and is most evident in the litany of businesses he’s created; such as seafood distribution, mobile automotive detailing, tapping into the vapor industry, and being a general contractor for a wide range of construction projects. Managing his own businesses hasn’t prevented the Tulalip citizen from experiencing the casino life grind either. In fact, Hazen worked 12 years at Tulalip Resort Casino in various positions for Security before transferring into Table Games.
In the midst of working at the Casino, on the water fishing, and overseeing his own businesses, Hazen remained vigilant to read and research what the most successful business minds were up to. This allowed him to stay up to date with the latest happenings in Indian Country and beyond. All the years writing and negotiating contracts, interpreting profit-loss statements, reconciling budgets, creating sustainable business models, and working with city, state and sovereign tribal governments make him an ideal Treasurer.
Remaining true to his Native American ancestry, Hazen routinely sweats and Sun Dances with his family. He always looks forward to fishing and geoduck diving season, especially as his kids become old enough to join him on the water and learn the value of a hard day’s work.
Understanding the foresight of our ancestors who suffered and sacrifices for the benefit of their future generations, Hazen was a central figure in a recent rendition of the Fish Wars. In fact, he fought and won on behalf of all Coast Salish tribes against the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife for the inherent rights to fish in our usual and accustomed areas. This incredibly important experience only strengthened Hazen’s resolve to uplift his people by increasing his capacity to advocate on behalf of Tulalip fisherman, entrepreneurs, and forward-thinking membership.
