Tyson Johnston is the Self-Governance Director and former Vice President of the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN), serving in elected office for the past decade. He is also Head of Development and Chairman of the Board for Toptana Technologies, where he leads the enterprise development of Toptana and its subsea and terrestrial network solutions.
Today, Tyson serves QIN in matters of public policy by providing advocacy, support, and analysis on key policy issues on a local, state, and federal level. As one of the Nation’s primary spokespeople, his mission is to tenaciously defend and represent the QIN on matters that impact the tribe’s daily life and its future.
Tyson has held several leadership positions throughout his career on behalf of the Quinault Business Committee (QBC). He has served as Chairperson of Natural Resources, served on the Community Development sub-committee, and acted as policy lead on state legislative affairs. In all of these roles, Tyson frequently spoke on issues of climate change, resource conservation, and the digital divide, providing a powerful firsthand perspective on how these global issues impact QIN’s local community.
In addition to his work within the QBC, Tyson has an extensive government relations background, beginning with his work on the tribe’s Domestic Violence Task Force. Following this, he was elected to the tribal council, where he served for four years before being elected Vice President of the QIN. As Vice President, Tyson was responsible for leading advocacy initiatives, community outreach, and legislation. He has worked with local, state, and federal governments on managing environmental issues, such as water rights, in order to effectively co-manage resources. One of his most impactful contributions was within the tribe’s criminal justice system, where he led wide-scale reforms to modernize laws and criminal procedures, refocusing the system around the QIN’s cultural values of restorative justice.
Tyson received his Bachelors of Arts degree in American Indian Studies and Political Science from the University of Washington. Tyson is a life-long resident of Taholah, WA, the headquarters of the Quinault Indian Nation’s Government.
