What do you get when you place one ORISE intern on 420,000 acres in the Pacific Northwest and mentor her in all aspects of cultural resources management? An outstanding return on investment, according to Paul McGuff, mentor for Ms. Timi Vann. Vann, who holds a B.A. in liberal arts and an M.A. in anthropology, began her ORISE appointment at Fort Lewis, Washington, in January 1998. McGuff welcomed Vann’s help in managing archaeological sites, historic buildings, and Native American liaison efforts, but he also implemented a plan to expose her to as much cross training and developmental experience as possible.

McGuff recognized Vann’s potential early on, asserting, "Timi Vann is uniformly accepted by those with whom she comes in contact as a top professional. In my opinion, Ms. Vann is among the top one percent of individuals I have worked with in terms of her capabilities and developmental potential." Vann enthusiastically accepts the challenges offered by McGuff. On the road roughly one week out of eight, Vann completed exchange assignments at the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC. She served as an observer for a Source Selection Board for the contracting of archaeological services at Yakima Training Center. She participated in a design charette, a forum to look at project concept and design for the renovation of historic barracks. She attended training courses on environmental negotiation and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. "Paul believes in getting me out to other agencies to see how they do business. I come back with knowledge and perspectives most people don’t have. I also get the chance to tell others what we’re doing at Fort Lewis," says Vann.

Cultural resources activities at Fort Lewis include piloting ISO 14001, an environmental management system. The installation is the first to be certified in the new ISO system to assess the Army’s impact on natural and cultural resources. McGuff found an opportunity for Vann to participate in an ISO work group, developing goals, objectives, and compliance measures related to cultural resources.

Vann had prior experience working with Native American peoples, and she built upon that expertise when she arrived at Fort Lewis. Certain tribes in the area have an "active interest" in Fort Lewis and Yakima Training Center. These tribes regularly exercise their treaty- reserved rights to hunt, fish and gather foods and medicine on the installations. Vann participated in developing an executive overview on local and DoD Indian policy to quickly train incoming military officers. The objective is to educate military decision-makers on the federal government’s complex legal responsibilities to tribes within the historic context of U.S.-Indian relations.

The Pacific Northwest provides a rich training ground for a new anthropologist. McGuff and Vann manage archaeological and historic sites at Fort Lewis, Yakima Training Center, Vancouver Barracks (a Hudson Bay Company site along the Columbia River), Camp Bonneville (undergoing BRAC), East Fort Baker, California, and Hamilton Army Airfield, California. Vann maintains databases, including GIS data, on historic buildings and prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, and participates in establishing strategies to evaluate the archaeological sites. "We interface with many aspects of installation happenings," says Vann, reflecting on her cultural resources experiences.

When asked about her future plans, Vann says she wants to stay in the environmental field, preferably in federal service. Eager to emulate her mentor, Vann attests, "Paul is the best guy to learn from. He has a high sense of ethics. He does the right thing in the best interest of the taxpayer. His intention with my ORISE appointment is to develop talent. He is grooming me for program management." McGuff seconds the motion adding, "Timi Vann shows tremendous potential for future employment in a federal civil service position, and we believe the ORISE program is providing her with essential skills for such a future position."