Job Description:
The Afognak Native Corporation President sets overall strategic alignment across the enterprise, motivates leadership, and drives long‑term value creation of Afognak Native Corporation and its subsidiaries. The President reports to the CEO and (on a dotted line); to the Board of Directors and will collaborate with the executive leadership team to translate Board‑approved strategy into measurable financial, operational, and mission outcomes, ensuring alignment with Afognak’s ANCSA mission and vision.
The President provides enterprise‑level oversight and performance accountability across the organization, to ensure that executive leaders and operating entities deliver results consistent with strategic objectives, governance standards, and cultural values. This role also serves as the primary corporate representative to local, state, and federal government entities.
This role requires exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and communication skills. The President must engage with diverse stakeholders, including Shareholders, and represent the Corporation’s interests. The ability to foster collaboration, navigate complex organizational dynamics, and drive results will be paramount to success in this position.
While the preferred location for this position is Kodiak or Anchorage, Alaska, candidates based outside of Alaska may be considered if they are recognized and notable Shareholders. The role requires significant in-state engagement—approximately 50% of work time in Alaska—to ensure strong cultural and operational alignment. A major focus will be maintaining a consistent presence in the Kodiak region to strengthen Alaska-based business opportunities. Additionally, the position will emphasize expanding the organization’s reach across broader markets and geographic regions to drive growth, integration, and overall success.
Communication and Culture:
- Emulate Afognak’s corporate values and ethics aligned with Kodiak Alutiiq community values, as well as integrate these values across business practices, and ensure operations benefit the community.
- Engage as the primary contact between the Afognak Board and other ANSCA organizations, Tribes, and partners (such as AFN, NCAI, NACA, ANVCA, KANA, Alutiiq Museum, municipalities, government representatives, and customers) to build strategic alliances, foster unity, and develop positive relationships.
- Keep the Board informed of activities, concerns, opportunities, and strategies that arise from relationships, with employees, Shareholders, partners, customers, government entities, and other stakeholders.
- Represent, protect, and promote Afognak’s goals, objectives, priorities, and sovereign rights with Shareholders, community partners, governments, civic and professional associations.
- Refine and maintain an effective and consistent communication system with Shareholders and employees throughout the organization and work with Afognak’s non-profit partners in the region and beyond.
- Create, communicate, and implement Afognak’s ANCSA mission initiatives, and ensure all employees at all organizational levels understand their individual roles to accomplish that mission.
- Advocate for Afognak community, natural resources, cultural integrity, and corporate interests, serving as the chief ambassador for the Afognak Alutiiq people through presentations, cultural events, public forums, policy debates, legislative hearings, lobbying, press releases, Shareholder communications, marketing materials, and media interviews.
- Develop comprehensive regional and national media strategies through both proactive campaigns and in response to any opposition initiatives, maintaining corporate and community interests and reputation, representing Afognak at meetings and functions as set forth by the CEO or the Board of Directors.
Strategic Leadership and Enterprise Performance:
- Promote strategic direction, priorities, and performance expectations that benefit Shareholders in education, safety, welfare, cultural practices, traditions, natural resources, employment, and connection to the Native community.
- Partner with the CEO and Board to develop, implement, and monitor enterprise‑wide strategic goals, measurable objectives, and policies.
- Support Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) to ensure that strategy, planning, execution, and performance measures integrate into a cohesive enterprise management discipline.
- Support the CEO and Board by providing enterprise performance insight, scenario analysis, and prioritization recommendations for current, mid-range, and long-range strategic decisions,
- This includes oversight of enterprise planning, budgeting, forecasting, performance reporting, and the monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs) to support informed decision‑making by the CEO and Board of Directors.
- Ensure disciplined execution of strategic plans through clearly defined performance metrics, accountability structures, and executive review cycles.
- Oversee the development and use of enterprise KPIs, dashboards, and performance reports to track progress against strategic, financial, and Mission objectives.
- Steward and seek to diversify Alaska-based operations to maximize Shareholder value through sustainable growth.
- Lead or facilitate regular enterprise performance reviews with executive leadership to foster a positive and productive work environment, identifying risks, corrective actions, and value‑creation opportunities.
Administration:
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight to senior leaders within Shareholder Services and Development, Corporate Affairs, Facilities, Natural Resources, and other assigned functions. This includes Senior Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Directors, ensuring accountability for outcomes and organizational performance rather than direct day-to-day operational management.
- Meet regularly with senior managers, ensuring all business decisions are thoughtful and timely, and partner with this group to ensure every employee throughout the organization understands their roles and responsibilities for contributing to Afognak’s heritage, community commitments, and Shareholder relations.
- Ensure enterprise-level financial governance and capital allocation discipline, including evaluation of portfolio performance, risk-adjusted returns, and investment tradeoffs across subsidiaries, in partnership with the CEO and CFO.
- Evaluate and recommend organizational structures, executive roles, and governance models to improve effectiveness, integration, and value creation.
- Provide advice, guidance, direction and authorization to carry out major plans, standards, and procedures consistent with established policies with CEO or Board of Directors’ approval as appropriate.
- Review enterprise performance results, compare them to established objectives, and ensure corrective actions are taken when results fall short.
- Carry out performance assessment responsibilities for direct executive reports, holding senior leaders accountable for results, compliance, and culture, consistent with Board policy and CEO direction.
- Participate in Board meetings and provide support as needed for Board Committees.
- Maintain awareness of both the external and internal competitive landscape and highlight opportunities for expansion of ANCSA-related goals and objectives.
Role Boundary:
- The President focuses on enterprise strategy, performance management, governance, and value creation, rather than direct supervision of routine operational, administrative, or transactional activities.
Afognak Purpose:
- Shareholders will have a perpetual source of land use, shared financial and cultural wealth to an extent justified by resources available. The Corporation will provide social, cultural, and economic benefits to Shareholders by building a sustainable, growing enterprise.
Afognak Vision:
- Grow sustainably to provide benefits today and invest in our future.
Organizational Goals:
- Shareholder Benefits: Support individual Shareholders to pursue the skills and opportunities for desired personal success
- Provide & Support Shareholder Employment: Ensure that Shareholders desiring jobs will, when jobs exist and qualifications are met, be given preference in hiring and support for professional development, career advancement and retention.
- Support Personal Development: Ensure that Shareholder wishing to pursue personal development will have access to opportunities to enhance skills, education, and leadership development.
- Foster Afognak Alutiiq Culture & Community: Ensure that Shareholders have access to opportunities to connect with the Alutiiq community and share a connection to our culture and history.
- Enable a Traditional Alutiiq Way of Life: Ensure that Shareholder households will have the opportunity to engage in traditional harvest, fishing, hunting, gathering, and other cultural activities.
- Community Economic Development: Collaborate with Regional partners and Tribes to support community and economic investment in the Kodiak Archipelago to the fullest extent possible.
- Lands & Natural Resources: To protect and sustain a culturally secure land base that supports the traditional Alutiiq way of life—preserving its size and location and ensuring first use and benefits for our Shareholders.
- Business Operations: Position ANC for steady, recurring, strategic growth without impacting on long-term value.
- Board Governance: Strengthen Afognak’s governance to reflect our cultural values and support a strong, adaptive, and prosperous corporation.
Corporate Values:
- Harmony: Afognak accomplishes goals in the spirit of teamwork, strength, and unity while supporting each other.
- Appreciation and Respect: Afognak will take only what we need and leave some for the next generation.
- Efficiency: Afognak will expand only what is needed to accomplish tasks at hand.
- Communication: Communication within Afognak is truthful, positive, open, and fair.
- Trust: Afognak earns the trust of our Shareholders while we build trust throughout the Corporation by honoring commitments, honesty, and full disclosure.
- Elder Knowledge: Afognak is built on the ingenuity and resiliency of our Elders, while guided by their traditional knowledge and lifeways in our modern times.
- Heritage and Culture: Afognak honors our heritage and culture through a lifetime of learning.
- Commitment to Community: Afognak celebrates Shareholders and employees by contributing to our villages and the communities in which we do business.
Payrate: $318,054 to $405,519 Annually
Job Requirements:
The ideal candidate is an accomplished and experienced executive with:
- Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, Public Policy, Rural Development, or related fields; Master’s degree in a related field is preferred.
- Work History: A minimum of 10 years of business and financial management experience, with at least 3 years at an executive level.
- Indigenous Leadership: Respect for and a deep awareness of Indigenous Tribal governments, cultures, and protocols.
- Shareholder Development: A proven track record of accomplishments that grew Shareholder development, engagement, policy, communications, government affairs, advocacy, or related fields based on extensive knowledge and understanding of ANCSA corporate, ANILCA, Tribal, and Alaska Native community issues.
- Sugpiaq Alutiiq Community: Strong connections with Alutiiq communities and Alaska Native Shareholders so that they felt heard with the best interest of all Shareholders kept at heart.
- Leadership Capabilities: Built, motivated, and developed diverse, high-performing teams to meet an organization’s vision, mission, and goals by creating an inclusive workplace that respectfully fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation, and teamwork, and supports, constructive conflict resolution, both internally and externally. The ideal candidate will be charismatic leader who leads with an entrepreneur mindset, ensuring outstanding organization decision-making with a big picture in mind.
- Positive Leadership Reputation: Humble servant leadership skills and an untarnished reputation, who has led teams across multiple functions and capabilities in collaboration with other executives, Board of Directors, and team members is highly preferred.
- Integrity: High ethics and integrity as a mature professional who values compromise and can balance the needs of today alongside the needs of future generations. Demonstrated track record of maintaining independence from undue influence and effectively addressing needs and requests in a diplomatic and respectful manner.
- Communication: Excellent communication skills to speak publicly in a clear, calm, organized, and effective manner; display humble confidence; balance the need to be collaborative, team-oriented and influence and able to constructively challenge others with tact.
- PR & Advocacy: Effective engagement with diverse stakeholders, able to develop and implement policy strategies, communicate key messages, and navigate government relations.
- Demonstrated experience in change management, organization growth, and employee development initiatives.
- Diverse Businesses: Understand government contracting, commercial business and nonprofit industries, including risk management, performance management, principles, corporate compliance, regulatory requirements, and legal aspects of operations. Strong business-oriented focus on strategic growth with an understanding of operations, diversification, mergers, and acquisitions preferred.
- Judgment: Exercises good judgement, is resourceful, can make well-reasoned decisions with respect, confidentiality and discretion on corporation matters. A leader who is capable to strengthen relations and build relationships internally and externally.
- Internal Politics: Prior experience navigating internal corporate politics.
- Rural Alaska: Experience working or living in rural Alaska.
- ANCSA Lands: Knowledge of Alaska natural resources to include timber, logging, fisheries, hunting and subsistence programs.
- Non-Profit Grants: Knowledge and ability to identify and obtain grants and cooperative agreements to benefit Shareholders and non-profit partners in Alaska.
- Legislative Politics: Knowledge of political process at the local state, and federal levels. Prior experience, negotiating level of legislative structures would be considered an asset.
- Results Driven: A result-oriented leader, capable of leading a team to meet organizational goals, performance management principles, customer expectation and seek process efficiencies, while ensuring that all business decisions contribute to heritage, community and Shareholder relations, and produce high quality results by applying technical knowledge analyzing problems and calculating risks.
Preferred Qualifications or Skills:
- Shareholder Status: ANSCA corporate Shareholder status; Afognak Shareholder status is highly preferred but not a requirement.
- Enterprise Value Creation: Ability to translate strategy into measurable financial, operational, and mission outcomes.
- Enterprise Performance Management (EPM): Experience using EPM frameworks, systems, executive scorecards, KPIs, dashboards, and analytics to drive accountability and results, with prior experience partnering with a CEO and board on enterprise-level strategies and performance governance preferred.
- Drive Strategic Positive Change: Driven strategic positive change from plan to disciplined execution both within and outside an organization to set a vision, build innovative solutions, and meet goals within a continuously changing environment. This leader should be capable of driving and creating innovations, staying informed about the external environment, and being attentive to trends, developments, and challenges.
- Corporate Governance: In-depth knowledge of corporate governance best practices is considered an asset. A leader who has successfully collaborated with an Alaska Native Corporation and or other board directors and other senior executives.
- Investments: Background in capital allocation, portfolio management, or investment governance.
- Complex Enterprise Structures: Experience operating in a holding-company or multi-subsidiary enterprise model.
- Analytics Analysis: Familiarity with advanced financial and operational analytics used for executive decision-making.
