Koniag, Inc.'s CEO Dr. Elizabeth Perry: 'Sharing the catch'.

• Author: Anderson, Tasha
• Position: Alaska Native Business

In May, Koniag, Inc.'s Board of Directors added to their existing core values--planning for the long term, celebrating our heritage and culture, embracing diversity, being open and honest, and having pride in our work--the newest core value: sharing the catch. The Summer 2017 Quliyanguapet, the Native Regional Corporation's newsletter, explains, "'Sharing the Catch' is a core value rooted in the act of sharing. Sharing embodies the Alutiiq cultural values of generosity and selflessness. In Alutiiq communities, providers share their catch with others, and all community members are valued for the various ways they do so. As a community, Alutiiq people celebrate the sacrifice and commitment of our providers, honor our interdependence on each other, and remember that resources must be sustained to catch--or provide--for future generations."

A Social and Cultural Mission

Elizabeth Perry, PhD, explains it was the company's values that drew her to her current position as Koniag's CEO, which she took on in March of 2014. "I was delighted to be able to do this work on behalf of a higher purpose. Giving back to the Alaska Native community and the Kodiak community is inspiring. Being able to work for a corporation with a social and cultural mission is truly energizing."

Perry is originally from the Seattle area of the Pacific Northwest. As a child Perry and her family moved to Arizona, where her father worked as a professor. After graduating from college, Perry went on to earn her PhD in Anthropology. While gaining her doctorate in Arizona, she worked with many Native American communities in the Southwest and Western United States. "I fell in love with working for indigenous communities," says Perry. "I found that these communities shared my personal commitment to cultural preservation, servant leadership, and giving back."

From there, she says, "instead of taking an academic route, I chose to take a consulting route. There was a fair amount of demand for scientific consultants to perform work to help comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. So I turned my education more to a business focus, working in anthropology and archaeology in support of regulatory compliance. We worked with tribes, we worked with Native American communities, we worked with industry, and we worked with government agencies."

It was in that capacity that Perry moved...