Young native professionals find support at ANPA: based in Anchorage, this grassroots organization has grown to reach outside Alaska via Internet.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa

As a young professional, it's always wise to garner contacts in the business world, especially with those people who can help you advance in your career or provide insight gained through experience. In some cases, this form of networking also can provide an opportunity for those entering or working their way up in the business world to take an active role in issues that could affect their futures.

This is especially true for the Alaska Native Professional Association (ANPA), a networking and leadership group geared to young Alaska Natives starting their careers in the Anchorage area. Formally established in 1998, the ANPA was created by a group of recent college graduates who wanted to find like-minded peers in the area interested in networking, gaining leadership experience and becoming involved in the community.

FOR THE UP-AND-COMING

"The Alaska Native Professional Association provides a place where the up-and-coming Native professional population can meet with their peers and discuss issues pertaining to our culture, heritage and professional backgrounds," explained Jason Metrokin, board chair of the ANPA and director of shareholder and corporate relations for Bristol Bay Native Corp. "It also gives us an opportunity to hear from leaders around the state and to talk to those leaders one-on-one about issues that concern us."

The organization, which has approximately 70 paid members as well as a Yahoo list-serves a group of about 900 that is not limited by age, though the majority of members tend to be under 40. The ANPA also is open to all ethnic groups, though the majority of members are Native Alaskan.

"Despite the fact that I am from Anchorage and started my career here, there are times when being an Alaska Native, I still feel left out of certain circles," explained Metrokin of the need for a group geared to this target audience. "The ANPA gives our members a certain comfort level they may not find elsewhere, and also gives them a forum to discuss issues specific to Alaska Natives.

"For example, at a recent meeting, we discussed whether Alaska Natives born after 1971 should be included as shareholders of Native corporations," he continued. "A lot of our members were born after 1971, so this is important to them because some feel excluded from their corporations. On the flip side, it would be quite a financial burden for corporations to issue additional stock to this growing population."

One of the benefits of being a member of the...