SUQUAMISH — Rich Purser, a Suquamish Tribal Council member and for 10 years the general manager of the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, received the Potlatch Fund’s Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award at the fund’s annual gala, Nov. 5 at the resort.

Paul Lumley, executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, received the Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award.

Pat Courtney Gold, founder of the Northwest Native American Basketweavers Association and an instructor at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., received the Fran James Cultural Preservation Award.

Purser, a citizen of the Suquamish Tribe, has spent the last 28 years “improving the future of the Suquamish Tribe through land purchasing, program implementation and expansion of properties,” the Potlatch Fund stated in its award announcement. During Purser’s management, Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort – which overlooks Agate Passage — has grown to 186 rooms, with a 10,000-square-foot conference center, a spa, seven dining venues, and transportation to and from the Suquamish-owned White Horse Golf Club and the Suquamish Museum. The resort’s public spaces are appointed with museum-quality Coast Salish art.

The resort was the catalyst for the growth and diversification of Port Madison Enterprises, the Suquamish Tribe’s economic development arm. Port Madison Enterprises now comprises six ventures or subsidiaries and is the second-largest private sector employer in Kitsap County.

Purser is also a geoduck diver and “devotes a substantial amount of time assisting several non-profits in the community with fundraising efforts and implementation of their events.”

The Potlatch Fund is a Native-led nonprofit that provides grants and training throughout Northwest Indian Country. Since 2005, it has awarded more than $2.5 million in grants for projects that benefit Native youth, make communities stronger and healthier, preserve languages, and promote Native arts.