Current Sealaska Board of Directors

Joe Nelson

“Sealaska is a local company that is on mission to make a positive impact globally. Today our ancient values – our connection to place and our collective identity — are driving our profits, partnerships and decisions.”

As the Chairman, Joe works with the board, management, and partners to further Sealaska’s strategic plan and fulfill their purpose of strengthening our people, our culture and our homelands.

He first found his way to the Sealaska boardroom as an attorney, helping to craft and develop a stock package for the new class of descendant shareholders. Joe was a member of the board when shareholders voted to approve the new stock, inviting thousands of descendants to enroll. Understanding indigenous values, Joe continually advocates for younger voices in the boardroom and throughout Sealaska, knowing that decisions made today will impact generations yet to come. He helped establish the Board Youth Advisor position in 2009. All of these young people are continuing to make significant positive impacts within the community.

As board chair, he serves as ex-officio member to all committees. He serves as a director on Spruce Root’s board and ex-officio trustee for Sealaska Heritage Institute. Joe has been a Sealaska director since 2003 and has been board chair since 2014. Joe also serves as the co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives, a trustee to Sitka’s Outer Coast College and a director for Alaska Legal Services.

Joe is a Brown Bear (Teikweidí) from Yakutat. He is also a Kwáashk’I kwaan yádi. His Tlingit name is Kaaxúxgu. Joe grew up commercial fishing and subsistence living in Yakutat. After graduating from Yakutat High School, Joe completed a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in American Indian Studies from UCLA. He also has a juris doctorate from Loyola Law School.

Joe, his wife Crystal and children, Job, Nora, and Jude live in Juneau.

Jodi Mitchell

“As a teenager growing up in Juneau I always felt it was my obligation and destiny to serve our Native people. I am in a good position to help make a difference in the lives of our people through IPEC and now as a Sealaska board member. It’s a responsibility this board takes very seriously.”

An expert in rural energy systems, Jodi has worked with Inside Passage Electric Cooperative (IPEC), known formerly as the Tlingit and Haida Regional Electrical Authority for more than 20 years, assuming the role of chief executive officer/general manager in 2008. Prior to IPEC, she worked at Sealaska as a senior accountant for five years.

Jodi is former chair and trustee of the Kootznoowoo Permanent Fund Settlement Trust, a director of the Kwaan Electric Transmission Intertie Cooperative, and a member of the Energy Committee for Southeast Conference. She also serves as a director of Synergy Systems, Inc., Olympic Fabrication, LLC, Kingston Environmental Services, Sealaska Constructors, LLC, and Haa Aani, LLC.

First elected to the board in 2006, Mitchell serves as chair of the Audit Committee and serves on the Compensation Committee and Finance Committee. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Oregon and is a certified management accountant from the Institute of Management Accountants.

Jodi is Tlingit/Raven, Deisheetaan (Beaver clan) and Dleit káa yádi (child of). Her Tlingit name is Tseiltin.

Michael Beasley

“As a Sealaska director, it would be beneficial for corporations and tribes to create meaningful business partnerships. If we are to benefit Our People and Communities, we have to walk down the path together, equal and hand in hand. Let’s make our land claims settlement together. Collectively, we can achieve great ideas. This director is interested in you, so share your ideas.”

A renowned Tlingit carver, Michael Beasley is a journeyman artist since 1987. Beasley has focused on the study and implementation of classic Tlingit art forms. He serves as a Tlingit & Haida Community Council delegate for Juneau, AK.

Beasley is Yéil (Raven) of the L’uknax.ádi (Coho) Clan. His Tlingit name is Daanawáak. Beasley graduated from the University of Washington with a BFA in metal design in 1987.

Barbara Blake

“My life’s ambition is to protect and cultivate Alaska Native rights to provide environmental, cultural, social, and economic well-being to current and future generations.”

Barbara works as Director of the Alaska Native Policy Center for First Alaskans Institute

From 2015 to 2019, Barbara worked as a political appointee under the governor and lieutenant governor of Alaska as the director of Native and Rural Affairs and as senior staffer for Fish and Game. She conducted special studies and developed policy in areas of Tribal relations, subsistence, fisheries, forestry, transboundary water quality, food security and Native affairs. Previous positions include work with the USDA-Office of the Secretary in Washington DC, assistant professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and vice president of an 8(a)-certified business in Anchorage.

Barbara holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in rural development from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, along with certificates in Tribal Business Law and Indianpreneurship. She is a Sealaska scholarship recipient, former Sealaska accounting intern and former Board Youth Advisor.

She was born after 1971, so she is the first shareholder on the board of directors with descendant stock (Class D). She has also inherited landless stock.

Barbara’s Haida name is ‘Wáahlaal Gíidáak (Potlatch Giver). Her Haida, Tlingit and Ahtna Athabascan family stems from Klawock, Hydaburg and Tsiis tl’edze’na’ (Chistochina). Her Xaadaas Clan is Yahkw Janáas (Raven Shark), her father is Naltsiine, and her grandfather is Teeyeeneidi.

Barbara Cadiente-Nelson

“The Native people of Southeast Alaska are some of the strongest, most innovative people in the world. I am proud to represent our people and work together to build a strong, enduring corporation that will benefit future generations.”

Barbara is the Vice President and Treasurer of F/V Star of the Sea, Inc. and the Juneau School District Native Education grants administrator, Title VI Indian Studies Project Director, and Co-chair of the District-wide Equity Committee.

She serves as chair of the Shareholder Relations Committee, a member of the Governance-Nominations Committee and Finance Committee, and serves as a Trustee on the Sealaska Heritage Institute Board of Trustees. Barbara has been a Sealaska Director since 2009.

She is a tribal member and officer of the Douglas Indian Association (DIA), Chair of the Culture and Education Committee, and Chair of Housing

Barbara is Tlingit, Teikweidí (Brown Bear clan), L’eeneidí/Filipino yádi (child of). Her Tlingit name is X’ashk’ugé.

Nicole Hallingstad

“It’s an honor to serve our shareholders and help guide Sealaska into a future of profitability and open communications.”

Nicole is the Owner and CEO of A&A Solutions, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in organizational efficiency.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a Master of Arts in European history from the University of California Berkeley.

Nicole has been a member of the Sealaska Board of Directors since June 2018. She chairs the Governance and Nominations Committee, is vice chair of the Compensation Committee, serves on the Audit Committee, and as a Trustee of the Elders’ Settlement Trust.

Nicole is the former vice president and corporate secretary of Sealaska, and the former director of operations of the National Congress of American Indians. She is a director on the national board of the American Indian Cancer Foundation, and former president and board chair of Cancer Connection in Juneau, Alaska. She is an enrolled tribal member of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and the Petersburg Indian Association, and is a member of Petersburg ANS Camp 16.

Nicole is Tlingit/Raven, T’akdeintaan (Sea Pigeon) and Tsaagweidi/Norwegian yádi (child of). Her Tlingit name is Ch’aak’Tlaa.

Morgan Howard

“It is with great commitment and passion that I serve on the Sealaska board of directors. I have a deep, personal connection to Sealaska’s mission and to serve in this leadership position fulfills an obligation to my grandparents and our ancestors.”

Morgan is the owner of Morgan Howard Productions.

He has a Bachelor of Science in communications from Northern Arizona University and a Bachelor of Arts in film production from Columbia College–Hollywood.

Morgan serves as chair of the Communications Subcommittee and since September 2018, he serves as chair of the Sealaska Finance Committee. He is also a member of the Shareholder Relations Committee.

Morgan served on the Tlingit Haida Tribal Business Corporation Board of Directors (8 Years from 2009-2017) and formerly on the Yak-tat Kwaan Inc. Board of Directors (10 years from 2006-2016). He is a member of the Seattle Chapter of Central Council of Tlingit & Haida of Indian Tribes of Alaska, Delegate; Alaska Native Village CEO Association, Founding Member; Alaska Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group, Founding Member; and Fledge.Co start-up mentor.

Morgan is Tlingit/Eagle, Teikweidí (Brown Bear clan), K’ineix Kwáa yádi (child of). His Tlingit name is X’agatkeen.

Lisa Lang

“We stand at a profound intersection of time, facing extraordinary challenges none of us have ever experienced here in Alaska and beyond. With a cultural world view, I hope to become a part of the evolving Sealaska team who collectively creates balanced and innovative solutions for our region and our shareholders. The skills I would offer as a Sealaska director draw upon my deep cultural values, education and personal commitment to strengthening our economic base.”

Kailljuus is the Executive Director, Xaadas Kil Kuyaas Foundation (XKKF), the elected Supreme Court Chief Justice for the Tlingit and Haida Central Council Indian Tribes of Alaska, and the owner of Minority Woman-Owned Business, Lisaverosh Consulting. She is bar licensed since 2012 to practice law in New Mexico.

She has a Master of Arts, Simon Fraser University; First Nations Linguistics, Xaad Kil; Juris Doctorate, University of New Mexico; Bachelor of Science in political science with a minor in business, Emporia State University, Kansas; Associate degree in liberal arts with a business emphasis, Haskell Indian Junior College.

Lisa is Northern Alaska Haida; she follows her mother Carolyn Sandersons Yahkw ‘Laanas Clan, a Raven, Two Finned Killer Whale, from the K’aad Naay (Shark House). Her Haida name is Ka’illjuus. She is a child of Gerald “Osh” Lang, a Tsimshian Eagle and Tlingit heritage from Metlakatla, Alaska. Lisa lives in Hydaburg, Alaska. Her children are Verlaine Ravana, Ty Edenshaw, and Stephanie Sanders. She has five beautiful grandchildren.

Liz Medicine Crow

“With profound gratitude for our Ancestors, I will continue to find ways to bring our peoples 10,000+ years of best practices into the work we do for our communities, homelands, our shareholders, no matter where they live, and our corporation. Being connected to who we are and ensuring there are rich cultural, language, and ways of life experiences and connection to our Tribes for our shareholders is critical to the well-being of our peoples and our corporation.”

La quen náay Liz Medicine Crow is both Haida and Tlingit from Kéex’ Kwáan, the Mouth of the Dawn People. On her Tlingit side, she is Raven Kaach.ádi, Fresh Water-marked Sockeye Salmon, from the Kutís’ Hít. She is the grandchild of the Tsaagweidí, the Killerwhale People from the House that Anchors the Village, and holds the Tsaagweidí, Dakl’aweidí, Wooshkeetaan, and Shangukeidí as direct opposites. As a Haida, she comes from Masset, Haida Gwaii then Hydaburg and finally Kake. She is an Eagle Tíits G’itanée, Hummingbird. Her grandfather was K’anaheik Thomas Jackson Sr. of Kake, her grandmother was Neunkwiigeigitkíiaaneuns Mona (Ingram/Frank) Jackson. K’anaheik was the son of Bessie (Sumdum) and Scotty Jackson, and was raised by his uncle/father Johnny C. Jackson. Neunkwiigeigitkíiaaneuns was the daughter of Sdaahlk’awáas Lucy (Jones) and Guskin Benjamin Ingram of the Yahgu ‘laanaas clan of Masset, and after her father passed her mother remarried Síigaay Luke Frank, also of the Yahgu ‘laanaas of Hydaburg who became Mona’s second father. La quen náay’s parents are Bill and Sdaahlk’awáas Della Cheney, the youngest daughter of Neunkwiigeigitkíiaaneuns and K’anaheik. Bill is the son of Lillian and Charles Cheney of North Dakota and Montana, whose families immigrated to the US from northern European countries. Sdaahlk’awáas and Bill make their home in both Kake and Juneau. Kat Saas is Liz’s Lingit name and La quen náay is her Xaad kil (Haida) name. Her home is and always will be in Kake and her work is based out of Anchorage and across Alaska.

La quen náay serves as the President/CEO of First Alaskans Institute, having formerly served as the organization’s Vice President and before that as the Director of the Alaska Native Policy Center. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Spruce Root, Philanthropy Northwest, Perseverance Theater, ACLU- Alaska, Vision Maker Media, and Get Out the Native Vote (GOTNV). Her current affiliations include: US Civil Rights Commission – Alaska Advisory Committee; University of Alaska System Alaska Native Recruitment & Success Initiative Steering Committee; Chair, Elections Policy Working Group, Alaska Lt. Governor’s Office/Division of Elections; Native Peoples Action Steering Committee; Philanthropy Northwest Nominations & Governance Committee; University of Alaska Strategic Planning Groups – Alignment and DEI; AFN Climate Change Task Force; AFN Council for the Advancement of Alaska Natives (CAAN); Co-Chair, Alaska Resilience Initiative Steering Committee; Anchorage Vaccine Advisory Committee; US Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation Coalition; Mariculture Task Force Alaska Native Advisory Committee; Fort Lewis College’s President’s Tribal Advisory Committee; Kake Tribal Corporation shareholder; Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp #10, Kake; Kéex’ Kwáan Dancers. She is on a learning journey with both her Xaad kil and Lingit languages.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BFA Equivalency) from Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO; Juris Doctorate (JD) and a Certificate of Indian Law, Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Tempe, AZ.

Dr. Angela Michaud

“I’m honored to be the second shareholder descendant to join the board. I will help build true relationships with our shareholders. I will encourage use of technology to reach out to our shareholders in different ways, to hear their voices and to help where I am needed.”

Angela is the Senior Director of Recovery Services for Cook Inlet Tribal Council in Anchorage, Alaska.

Owner/Manager, Apartment Rentals

Angela lives in Anchorage with her family. She also has family roots in Ketchikan and Hoonah, Alaska. Angela has a Doctor of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic and a Bachelor of Science in exercise and sports science from Oregon State University.

Angela’s Tlingit name is Saa Doo ou after Dorothy Carteeti and she is Eagle, Chookeneidi (Bear Clan). Angela’s father is Raven, from the T’akdeintaan (Kittiwak Clan), and her grandparents are Pauline and John Hinchman.

Richard Rinehart

“My professional goals have always included working for our Native communities and being part of innovative solutions to the issues facing our people and our corporation. I have always been a tireless advocate fighting for our Five Landless Native Communities, and this will always be my top priority.”

Richard is CEO for Tlingit and Haida Business Corporation, president of Raven Potlatch Development, LLC, and managing member of Raven Potlatch Real Estate, LLC. (Raven Potlatch is a private family-owned business).

Richard has 38 years of experience as a business executive and entrepreneur, including 20 years in private industry prior to working for Sealaska. Rinehart earned a Master of Business Administration from Portland State University and a Bachelor of Science from Portland State University.

He is a member of the Sealaska Audit Committee and Finance Committee and serves as chair of the Haa Aaní, LLC Board of Managers. He has been a member of the Sealaska Board of Directors since 2013.

Richard is a member of the Shx’at Kawáan Dancers and ANB Camp 4 of Wrangell. Richard is Tlingit/Raven, Kiks.ádi (Frog clan), Gagaan Hít (Sun House), Teeyhíttaan yádi (child of), and Haida. His Tlingit names are Du aani Kax Naalei and Tashee.

Vicki Soboleff

“My grandmother, Vesta Johnson from Hydaburg, taught me to be helpful; to be respectful of our elders, culture, nature, and subsistence food. She said: ‘If you see someone struggling; help them. Don’t stand by and watch.’ I embrace this philosophy and am eager to bring this mindset to my role on Sealaska’s board as I uphold my fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders.”

Vicki Soboleff is an accounting and finance professional who was born in Seattle, Washington, and raised in Ketchikan. She is currently the grants coordinator for The Tulalip Tribes in Tulalip, Washington, overseeing more than $25 million in grants. She has more than 20 years’ experience in finance and accounting, including 13 years with Sealaska corporation, first as managing accountant and then as corporate controller. She is the chair of the board for Haida Corporation, and is president of Haida Energy and a former board member of Catholic Community Services and Audit Committee.

Vicki is an artist, performer, mentor and teacher who has been involved in a variety of traditional arts and youth mentorship programs throughout her life. She founded the Juneau-based youth dance group Lda Kut Naax Sati Yatx’i (All Nations’ Children in Lingít) in 1995. The group still exists today, and she remains an advisor to the program. After moving from Alaska to Washington state in 2017, she continued her outreach to youth through the Washington chapter of Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, forming another youth dance group called X̲aat’áay ‘Wáadluwaan G̲aagáay (All Nations’ Children in Xaad kil). Vicki began studying cultural activities and Native languages in Ketchikan. She received instruction from Nora and Robert Cogo in Haida language, world-renowned Master Weaver Selina Peratrovich in Haida basketry, Julia Fawcett in moccasin making, and Beatrice Starkweather in traditional beadwork. Her Haida grandmother, Vesta Johnson, also taught Haida language, songs and dance, and button-blanket making

In 2019 Vicki was honored to receive the President’s Everyday Hero Award from Tlingit & Haida for her work as a culture bearer.

Vicki is Haida, Yak’Laanas (Raven/Double Fin Killerwhale) of the Brown Bear House; and Tlingit (adopted) Kiks.adi (Raven/Frog) of the Tinaa Hit (Copper Shield House) and the Gaagaan Hit (Sun House). Her Haida names are Hiilunjaat and Tl’aakahlwaas. Her Tlingit names are Shxaasti and Kukak.

Karen Taug

“I joined the Sealaska board as an independent candidate in 2020. I will use my business experience and financial background in this position. Sealaska and shareholders are a top priority and I look forward to interacting with shareholders year-round.”

In 2019 Karen retired as the Controller for Finance at Bartlett Regional Hospital after serving nearly five years. From 2009-2014 she was a Controller for Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium. Karen served on the Goldbelt, Inc board from 2008-2014 and as the board chair for Goldbelt, Inc. from 2011-2013. She served as Sealaska’s Senior Accountant from 2007-2008. She has served on the Goldbelt Heritage Foundation board since 2014.

She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting from the University of Alaska Southeast.

Karen is Tsimshian, Tlingit, and Panabscot and her Tlingit name is GunnaShaa.

Connor Deikeenaak’w Ulmer

Connor Ulmer is Kaagwaantaan (Eagle/Wolf) from Kóok Hít (Box House). He carries the name Deikeenaak’w (Little Haida) from his grandfather, George Obert. Ulmer is the son of Annette and Gary Ulmer. He was born and raised in Juneau.

Connor graduated from University of Alaska Southeast in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a concentration in management. In the autumn of 2018, he began working for Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska as an administrative clerk. Ulmer currently works for Tlingit & Haida now as an administrative assistant. He also serves as a Council Member on the Juneau Tlingit & Haida Community Council. His experience has allowed him to be a resource to his community and discuss new ways to improve it. Ulmer is considering an advanced degree in either business or law to help fulfill is ambition to help tribes develop their judicial systems.