Sealaska eNews

Sealaska Director and Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians, Jackie Pata testified to the U.S. Senate subcommittee on contracting oversight this week. Senator Claire McCaskill, chair of the subcommittee, called the hearing to examine the impact of Alaska Native Corporations’ contracting preferences within the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program.

According to Pata, the SBA program is vital for building internal capacity within the Native corporations and tribal member shareholder employment continues on a growth trajectory as education and leadership programs grow. “Tribes and ANCs use internships, scholarships, on the job training, and subcontracting opportunities to build their own talent,” said Pata. “Sealaska is a perfect example with many of its executive and subsidiary management having benefited from the company’s scholarship and internship programs.”

Since the hearing, McCaskill announced she would not pursue an amendment to the program for now. Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich worked with McCaskill to convey the role and importance of Native corporations in federal contracting. McCaskill and the Alaska delegation will continue to work with Alaska Native corporations to evaluate the program.

To learn how the 8(a) program benefits Sealaska shareholders and the region click here

Sealaska would like to thank the tribal member shareholders who hosted and participated in the 2009 annual meeting in Sitka on June 27. More than 300 shareholders and their guests gathered for the meeting with another 135 households viewing our webcast.

Our shareholders voted to retain incumbent directors Albert Kookesh, Bill Thomas, Joe Nelson and Tate London to three-year terms. Newly-elected Director Barbara Cadiente-Nelson was also elected to the board for a three-year term. Barbara replaces longtime Director Marge Young of Craig.

Barbara is the vice president of the F/V Star of the Sea Inc. in Juneau. She has a Master of Arts in teaching from the University of Alaska Southeast and a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Western Illinois University. Barbara is Tlingít of the Teikweidi Clan (Eagle moiety, Brown Bear).

“I look forward to joining the diverse board of directors that lead the corporation,” said Barbara. “The corporation’s top priority is uplifting the economic opportunities for tribal member shareholders in Southeast, and I look forward to contributing to that effort.”

To view photo slide show of annual meeting click here

To read more about our new youth board advisor click here

Elders will receive official letters soon
Shareholders voted at the annual meeting to allow Sealaska to issue new shares of “Class E” non-voting stock to original shareholders age 65 or older. Many shareholders are already eligible to receive these shares. Sealaska will be contacting those eligible Elders with a letter, and Elders wanting those Class E shares must check the ‘YES’ box and return the letter to the Corporation.

Original shareholders over age 65 should look for these letters to arrive in the mail soon. Anyone with questions on the process should call Shareholder Records toll-free at 1.800.848.5921 or 907.586.1512.

Sealaska tribal member shareholder Bob Wysocki, whose family is originally from Ketchikan, will lead Wóochteen United, a majority owned subsidiary of Sealaska Corporation and joint venture with United Excel Corporation. United Excel is a national leader in design and general build construction in the health care arena. Wóochteen-United, based in Kansas City, was created by Sealaska in early 2009 to pursue government contracting opportunities in health care and hospital construction.

Wysocki will also lead Synergy Systems, Sealaska’s wholly owned subsidiary in Redmond, Washington. Sealaska has refocused Synergy’s operations to concentrate on developing construction opportunities. Synergy Systems was formerly a prototyping and limited-run manufacturing company. In 2009 it transitioned to provide general contracting construction solutions for the federal government, and it remains a wholly owned subsidiary of Sealaska. Synergy is a Small Business Administration 8(a) and Small Disadvantaged Business company and additionally is minority certified by the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council . Synergy Systems is expected to enter into a mentor protégé agreement with United Excel Corporation.

Wysocki previously served Sealaska in multiple capacities such as financial analyst to the corporate controller and director of finance. He has a Bachelor of Science in business with a focus on Production & Operations Management from Central Washington University. He obtained a MBA from the University of Washington through the Executive MBA program. Most recently Bob served as President & CEO for the Huna Totem Corporation for 6 years.

When asked last spring by a local newspaper, “What are you doing for spring break?” DeAndre Howard-King replied Gold Medal and Battles of Fire and Water. Gold Medal is the yearly basketball tournament held in Juneau. Battles of Fire and Water is a theatrical performance of a book by Richard and Nora Marks Dauenhauer.

DeAndre, or “Sugarman” as his mom calls him, recently moved from the stage in Juneau to Hollywood’s silver screen. He recently he’s been filming with actors such as Ed Harris on location in Barrow.

DeAndre graduated from Juneau High School in 2007. He started acting in 2006.

Christopher Baz is the son of tribal member shareholder Ruth (Grant) Baz of Juneau and Juan Baz of Oregon. Christopher is also the grandson of the late Lillian (Dick) Lopez and the great-grandson of the late Frank Samuel Dick Sr. of Yakutat.

Christopher has served his country as a marine sergeant in Iraq and in New Orleans responding to Hurricane Katrina. He is currently stationed at 29 Palms, California with his wife Norma. Christopher is attending college with the hopes of becoming a physician while his wife studies to be a registered nurse.

He looks forward to learn more about his family’s culture and is anxious to learn how to traditionally dance. His family is very proud of the man he has become.

Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) has produced a unique collection of Haida curriculum for distribution to schools with Haida language programs, in hopes of weaving more Native lessons into the public school system. The curriculum, a series of elementary-level, thematic units, features Haida language, culture and history. The series includes 14 units and resources on topics such as beach, cedar, plants and salmon. It also has audio of Haida words and phrases recorded by Erma Lawrence and SHI Linguist Dr. Jordan Lachler . It was distributed to schools and posted online in the institute’s language resources section. The project is part of SHI’s goal to perpetuate and preserve Native languages. It was funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Learn more about the Haida curriculum here