The Hunter Volume 2020, June

Annual Meeting Page 2 ›› 2020 Graduates Page 3 ›› COVID-19 Response Page 4 ›› Job Application Process Page 7 ›› In Memoriam Page 8 Volume 2020, June Summer Edition Message from the President & CEO Published by NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. Dear shareholder, This newsletter – Aŋuniaqti: The Hunter – exists as a time capsule of sorts. In its 31-year history, we could look back at a given issue, in a certain year, and get a sense of the milestones that were reached, loved ones who were lost, culture that was lived and values that were shared. The history that was made. This issue is no exception and was published during a time when many of us are hunkered down, socially distanced, wearing masks or working from home as the global COVID-19 outbreak continues Sharon and Wayne Westlake, president and CEO. to alter our daily lives in new and profound ways. Many of the stories and much of the news included in the following pages detail NANA’s response to the pandemic, and I’m reminded that our response to life’s uncertainty – as Iñupiat – is often what sets us apart as the real people. Throughout this time of change, our Iñupiat Iḷitqusiat guide our actions and provide a framework for our decisions. Our values are fundamental to who we are and are evident when neighbors help neighbors, families come together at home, friends call on one another and coworkers connect while apart. At NANA, we joined with our partners on the Northwest Arctic Leadership Team (NWALT) to align our regional COVID-19 response and moved forward plans to provide emergency relief for shareholders – efforts you can read more about on page 4. In mid-March, NANA employees acted quickly to begin working from home as our corporate offices closed to the public (page 5), and our family of companies immediately adapted operations to continue to serve clients and customers safely and without interruption (page 6). Shareholders voted two new directors to the NANA board during a first-ofits-kind Annual Meeting (page 2), and I thank the leaders and community members of Kivalina for their flexibility, understanding and cooperation as we made necessary changes to the meeting agenda. We look forward to visiting Kivalina to celebrate on a larger scale at a later date, when the public health threat of COVID-19 is reduced. On a personal note, though I’ve returned to working at the NANA office, during the height of the state of Alaska’s health mandates, Sharon and I spent more days hunkered down at home. The time allowed us to reflect on memories of family and friends and connect with others through phone calls and virtual check-ins. These moments of forced stillness remind us of what we have, and for that I am grateful. NANA shareholders live all over the world, and many of you live in communities that are combatting different phases or levels of the pandemic. Our own region reported its first confirmed case in May. My prayer for each of you is that you remain safe, comforted and surrounded by the care and support of loved ones, if only from a distance. May our values continue to inform the ways in which we live, during this pandemic and in the years after it – when future shareholders look back at this moment as another milestone in our history. Taikuu, Wayne Westlake President & CEO PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Anchorage, AK Permit No. 444 Board Corner Actions from the telephonic board meeting on April 30, 2020. Meeting called to order at 9:07 a.m. • Postponed election of officers to next in-person board meeting. NANA Calendar Photo Contest • Approved a waiver to Buckland 14 (c) map of boundary. • Approved the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities purchase of a construction easement and authorization of a permit for construction for the Selawik barge landing access road and boardwalk improvement project. • Approved funding for the Native Village of Noatak for the purpose of purchasing a sludge pumper. • Approved funding for water truck for the Native Village of Shungnak and the City of Shungnak. Meeting adjourned at 12:21 p.m. For the 2021 NANA calendar, we will feature photos taken by NANA shareholders. The photos should showcase aspects of the NANA region, including Iñupiaq culture, activities, landscapes, animals and people. Our goal is to collect photos from our shareholder communities: Ambler, Buckland, Deering, Kiana, Kivalina, Kobuk, Kotzebue, Noatak, Noorvik, Selawik, Shungnak and out-of-region. Please read through the contest specifications and submit your photos to [email protected]. The next board of directors meeting is July 30, 2020, in Kotzebue, Alaska, if permitted per COVID-19 travel restrictions. Deadline to submit: Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020 P.O. Box 49 Kotzebue, AK 99752 For full contest rules, visit nana.com/photo-contest. Questions can be sent to [email protected] or call the NANA communications department at (907) 265-4176. All shareholders who submit photos will be entered into a prize drawing.