OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Evergreen State College honored Loni Grinnell-Greninger, MPA ’16, vice chairwoman of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, with the 2026 Joseph Albert Dear Distinguished Alumni Award during Return to Evergreen on Aug. 29.

The annual award recognizes Evergreen alumni whose leadership and commitment to public service reflect the legacy of Joseph Albert Dear ’77, an accomplished public servant and lifelong advocate for Evergreen.

Grinnell-Greninger earned her Master of Public Administration from Evergreen in 2016, with an emphasis in Tribal Governance. She has served as vice chairwoman of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe since 2020 and has held leadership roles within the Tribe’s Social and Community Services and Culture departments.

Her career has centered on service to Tribal communities and strengthening relationships among Tribal, federal, state and local governments. Before returning home to work for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Grinnell-Greninger worked for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services in Indian Policy and as a Tribal liaison for behavioral health services.

Today, her work extends across issues affecting Indian Country, including health and human services, behavioral health, Tribal sovereignty and government-to-government relations. In May 2025, she testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs during a hearing examining federal health and social service programs serving Native communities.

The Joseph Albert Dear Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 2014 in memory of Joe Dear, a 1977 Evergreen graduate whose career included leadership of the Washington State Investment Board and Department of Labor and Industries, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. Dear also served as chief of staff to Washington Gov. Gary Locke and on The Evergreen State College Foundation’s Board of Governors.

The award is presented during Return to Evergreen Alumni Weekend to recognize graduates who, like Dear, have made public service a defining part of their lives and careers.

Grinnell-Greninger joins a group of past recipients that includes Lt. Gov. Denny Heck ’73, Monica Alexander ’13, Seth Kirby ’02, MPA ’07, and marine researcher John Calambokidis ’78.

Grinnell-Greninger was recognized as part of Return to Evergreen, the college’s annual gathering celebrating Evergreen alumni and the connections between the college and the communities its graduates continue to serve.