Working to permanently protect Alaska Native ecosystems for coastal communities and strengthen our inherent rights of sovereignty, subsistence and spirituality by providing strategic direction and oversight of operations across all organizational initiatives.

Our 501c3/c4 organization seeks to honor and ignite the brilliance and rightful power of our Native peoples to heal, transform, and steward our world. Our founders are Alaska Natives who are honored to carry on our Ancestors’ legacy of protecting our ways of life, wellbeing, governance over our homelands and all that it encompasses, and in service to our diverse peoples, communities, and collective futures.Gínga (Xáadas/Haida) to bathe in cold water for strength ¤ Igniñ (Inupiatun/Iñupiaq) flint or stone used to create a spark and ignite fire: fire starter

Arctic Indigenous Exchange for Economic Sustainability is a new initiative that brings together Indigenous leaders, including business development professionals, government officials, and entrepreneurs from Greenland (The Kingdom of Denmark), Canada, and Alaska (the United States), for a multi-phase exchange program to explore areas of regional collaboration for economic development across the North American Arctic.

Qulliq Munaqtuġuut (tending to the seal oil lamp with great care) is a consultancy focused on supporting the self-determination and wellbeing of Alaska Native and Indigenous peoples and all who serve them.Current focus areas:- Inuit and Arctic Indigenous visioning + advocacy- Strategic visioning, planning + executive leadership coaching and support- Indigenizing and building equitable institutions and programs- Conflict resolution and strategic alignment building

Internally: Ensured the smooth continuance of daily operations of First Alaskans Institute (FAI) while working closely with the President/CEO to define and carry out the strategic mission and vision of the organization through the executive, administrative and fiduciary responsibilities of FAI. Directed daily operations and ensured the overall administrative, operational, and financial stability of FAI by overseeing grant, fundraising and social enterprise opportunities and the strategic development of staffing plans and management of employee relations. Grew and oversaw community engagement initiatives that aligned with and amplified FAI’s strategic vision and priorities. Externally: Advocated for the protection and advancement of Alaska Native and Indigenous ways of life locally, state/nationwide and globally. Engaged in and led community efforts to grow collective voice and unity around the issues impacting Indigenous peoples and Alaskans.

• Co-led First Alaskans Institute’s work to advance our ways of life as Indigenous peoples through our mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities; • Collaboratively led team through planning, execution and close-out of highly anticipated annual statewide events, including the FAI Elders & Youth Conference (2,500+ participants) and Howard Rock & Ted Stevens Smokehouse Gala (500-650 attendees) to engage community in the celebration of Native knowledge and cultures, shared learning and futures visioning, raising funds for FAI, etc;• Oversaw operations of FAI; including hiring and operationalizing Indigenous knowledge and measures of success while strengthening internal capacity and external relationships, provided direction for fundraising efforts including grant writing, campaigns, building long-term strategic relationships and the like;• Guided strategic planning efforts for FAI with the Trustees, leadership, and staff; • Oversaw the development and evolution of the Alaska Native Dialogues on Racial Equity (ANDORE) project engaging 25,000-plus Alaskans to date in working toward a more equitable society for all Alaskans;• Lead trainings related to the history of colonization, racial equity, social justice, decolonization and Indigenization, Alaska Native governance & protocols and the like with 100+ organizations and tens of thousands of Alaskans, North Americans and internationally over 12+ years;• Co-led strategic groundwork with the State Department of Health and Human Services, Tribal, nonprofit and community leadership to end decades of child welfare litigation between parties, co-crafted the first ever DHHS 5-year Strategic Plan which lead the way to the state’s first State/Tribal Child Welfare Compact, signed into law by Governor Bill Walker at AFN in 2017. This work has evolved into supporting efforts for the State to compact with Tribes in Education, currently.

Co-led FAI’s work to advance our ways of life as Indigenous peoples through our mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities. Oversaw operations of FAI; including hiring, operationalizing Indigenous knowledge and measures of success while strengthening internal capacity and external relationships. Guide strategic planning efforts for FAI with the Trustees, leadership, and staff, host trainings related to intergenerational trauma, the history of colonization, racial equity, social justice, decolonization and Indigenization, and the like. These roles are like sinew weaving our efforts as an organization together; sometimes very visible, other times less so, but always helping pull us together.

Worked closely with the President/CEO, staff, and Trustees to strengthen internal and external organizational effectiveness with an intentional focus of building organizational sustainability, connecting with our communities throughout Alaska, growing internal capacity and centering Indigeneity throughout our work, and evolving our initiatives to best serve our community.

Advanced the Policy Center strategic and work plans by designing dialogue processes and hosting community dialogues that empowered Alaska Native voices on issues that impact our communities, including the development, implementation and evolution of the Alaska Native Dialogues on Racial Equity (ANDORE) project which has engaged 25,000+ Alaskans to date in working toward a more equitable society for all Alaskans.

The Caleb Scholars Program supports Alaska Native students from Arctic regions to continue Caleb Pungowiyi’s legacy of advocacy by stewarding our ancestral knowledge and protecting our Arctic communities and ecosystems. The vision of the Caleb Scholars program is empowered Alaska Native scholars leading the way to thriving ecosystems through ancestral knowledge and stewardship.

Established the CITC Annual Fund and program-specific fundraising campaigns, cultivated funding partnership relationships, co-led sustainability and strategic planning, represented CITC leadership, established linkages between Administration and programs, co-created and maintained CITC publications and outreach materials, facilitated roundtable discussions with staff and CITC participants to inform sustainability planning efforts.

Created and disseminated internal program, service and community communications to Nat'uh employees, planned employee activities and special events. Co-developed and implemented CITC's employee professional development and training programs and supported HR in Employee Relations. Developed and maintained the CITC Intranet and company website.

Counseled students on postsecondary opportunities, managed 477 federal BIA and Alyeska Pipeline scholarship and grant budgets, developed and implemented consistent scholarship guidelines and grant reports, administered federal and private funding for four scholarship and grant programs, co-developed a program database for tracking and streamlining the application and payment processes, presented financial aid workshops. Case managed (with CIHA, 2003) the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program: developed client education, finance, housing and employment goals with detailed client progress reporting