The Alaska Native Heritage Center appoints four new directors to the Board; announces new Board Officers

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Friday, May 19, 2023 at 6:52 PM

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Tiffany Tutiakoff (Yup’ik/Dena’ina) is one of the four incoming Directors. (Photo courtesy: Alaska Native Heritage Center)

Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - The Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) is privileged to announce the appointment of four new Directors to their growing Board.

Four incoming Directors include Tiffany Tutiakoff (Yup’ik/Dena’ina), Michelle Ravenmoon (Dena’ina), Maija Katak Lukin (Iñupiaq) and Grant Rebne (Ahtna Athabascan).

Each new Director will serve a three-year term to advance the mission of ANHC to preserve and strengthen the traditions, languages, and art of Alaska’s Native Peoples through statewide collaboration, celebration, and education.

“We welcome our new board members and recognized that the expansion of ANHC’s Board is a reflection of the statewide nature of the groundbreaking work that ANHC continues to deliver” shared Alex Cleghorn, ANHC’s newly appointed Board Chair. “Collectively, we honor and thank Tabetha Toloff (Athabascan) for her steadfast leadership and service to ANHC as Board Chair for the last several years. Tabetha stepped in at a crucial time to ensure ANHC’s continued success and the Board is committed to ensuring that legacy. We look forward to ANHC’s bright future in carrying out ANHC’s crucial mission.”

The Directors were selected through a competitive application process reviewing their years of experience, demonstrated abilities and dedication to the Alaska Native community at large.

These new Board appointments bring ANHC’s total Board Membership to a total of 18 Directors representing every area and cultural group of Alaska.

The new Directors join the Board at an exciting time as ANHC, recognized as one of America’s Cultural Treasures, expands programming across the state, is preparing for several redesign projects of internal spaces, and is launching a new Responsibility Plan (recognized by most as a Strategic Plan) to guide ANHC’s work forward.

Duties of ANHC’s Board of Directors include serving on one of ANHC’s working committees including the Executive, Governance, Development, Program Policy, Audit and Finance, and Diversity and Inclusion committees.

The growing Board of Directors will also work closely with ANHC staff to ensure organizational sustainability through programming and projects.

“As the only statewide living cultural center with Board representation from each region in our state, the ANHC staff is looking forward to bringing our mission and vision to every area in our state and beyond,” said Emily Edenshaw, ANHC President and CEO. “Every Alaska Native person, whether you live in rural, urban, or outside of our state, deserves to have access to their culture and ways of life no matter where they live. ANHC’s diverse Board reflects the community that we serve and continue to be guided by.”  

ANHC is also honored to announce new officer positions as follows: Alex Cleghorn (Alutiiq) as Chair, Benjamin Mallott (Tlingit) as Vice Chair, Lauren Johnson (Alutiiq/Athabascan) as Secretary and Brandy Niclai (Athabascan/Yup’ik) as Treasurer.

In closing, ANHC also extends their most sincere gratitude to Roy Tansy (Athabascan) for 13 years of service on ANHC’s Board of Directors.

ANHC appreciates all of the ANHC’s Board of Directors for their passionate guidance, expertise, engagement, and thoughtful partnership in the past, present and future of ANHC.

For more information on ANHC’s full Board of Directors, visit https://www.alaskanative.net/board-of-directors/.

Above: Maija Katak Lukin (Iñupiaq) Below: Michelle Ravenmoon (Dena’ina) (Photos courtesy of Alaska Native Heritage Center)

Below: Grant Rebne (Ahtna Athabascan) (Photo courtesy of Alaska Native Heritage Center)

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