Samantha Hansen is the Director of Alaska’s People Career Development Center at Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. In this role, she leads a dedicated team of Workforce Development professionals committed to empowering Alaska’s Indigenous community through comprehensive career development services. Under her leadership, the center offers individualized career counseling, assessments, personalized referrals, job leads, and job seeker support, ensuring clients can reach their fullest potential.Samantha serves as the Secretary for the Alaska Native Coalition on Employment and Training committee. Her team includes Workforce Development Coordinators, who provide one-on-one career support, and a Compliance and Quality Assurance team, which conducts initial eligibility assessments and referrals. The Education Services team offers educational assessments and support for Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Education Development (GED), and Life Skills programs, meeting clients at their current educational level.Samantha is deeply committed to the positive impact of her team’s work on the community. She believes in the power of training and education to unlock individual potential and is dedicated to ensuring her staff receive the training needed to deliver exceptional service to our job seekers.Before her current role, Samantha worked in the for-profit higher education sector. She began in Admissions, guiding students and families through the application process and explaining career paths, eventually becoming the Dean of Students at Alaska Career College. In this position, she focused on supporting students' academic and personal success. Samantha holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Project Management and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership.