NANA has filled three key vacancies on their senior management team with well-established shareholder professionals. The new leaders are Lucy Aŋasuk Nelson, vice president, administration; Sandy Salaktuna Kowalski, vice president, shareholder relations; and Elizabeth Saagulik Hensley, J.D., vice president, external and government affairs.

“I am pleased to announce the recruitment of three senior team members who bring outstanding education, experience and commitment to our company and shareholders,” said John Lincoln, NANA president and CEO.

Nelson has 30 years of professional management experience, including as director of administrative services for the Northwest Arctic Borough School District and vice president and chief financial officer for Maniilaq Association. She most recently served as the mayor of the Northwest Arctic Borough. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business organizational management from Alaska Pacific University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Alaska Southeast.

Kowalski began her 30-year career in education as a teacher in Deering. She was the director of Indigenous programs for the University of Alaska Fairbanks before her most recent position as assistant superintendent for the Northwest Arctic Borough School District. Kowalski holds bachelor’s degrees in both English and Iñupiaq language from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from the National University in California. 

Hensley is an experienced attorney who has worked for NANA as well as for the Alaska Legislature, the U.S. Department of the Interior and as a partner at a private law firm. Her most recent position was as general counsel for the Maniilaq Association. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Native American Studies from Dartmouth College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona.

“Lucy, Sandy and Elizabeth are part of the next generation of leadership at NANA humbly working to achieve the vision of our board of directors and early leaders,” said Lincoln. “I am grateful for their willingness to help with the tremendous work of building a bright and prosperous future for our region and shareholders.”