The ANCSA Regional Association Board of Directors comprises the presidents and chief executive officers of the twelve land-based Alaska Native regional corporations created pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA). The board members represent over 130,000 shareholders who own the twelve Alaska Native regional corporations.
Shauna Hegna
ARA Chair
Koniag
President
Shauna serves as President of Koniag. Prior to joining Koniag in 2016, she was the Chief Administrative Officer for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the Vice President of Shareholder Services for Afognak Native Corporation.
Shauna holds a bachelor and a master degree from the University of Alaska, a graduate certificate from Alaska Pacific University and is a graduate of the High Potentials Leadership Program at Harvard Business School.
Shauna serves on the boards of directors for the Alutiiq Museum, Rural Energy Enterprises, the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce, and the RurAL CAP Foundation. She was a 2017 German Marshall Memorial Fellow, a 2010 Native American Top 40 Under 40, and a 2007 recipient of the Alaska Journal of Commerce Top 40 Under 40.
Hegna is a Shareholder of Koniag and Afognak Native Corporation. She is married to Josh and together they have two children, Kai and Paxson.
Aaron Schutt
ARA Vice Chair
Doyon, Limited
President & CEO
As president and CEO of Doyon, Limited, Aaron Schutt is responsible for managing the day-to-day business operations of the Doyon family of companies.
Prior to being named president and CEO in 2011, Schutt served as senior vice president and chief operating officer. Before joining Doyon in 2006, Schutt was an attorney at the Anchorage offices of national law firms Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Miller & Munson, LLP
Schutt has a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Washington State University, graduating with honors and as an S. Town Stephenson scholar. He earned a Master of Science in civil engineering from Stanford University and a law degree from Stanford Law School.
In addition to serving on the board of the ANCSA Regional Association, Schutt serves as a director of Northrim Bank, Akeela, Inc., and the Alaska Native Heritage Center. He also coaches youth hockey. In 2004, he was a recipient of the Alaska Journal of Commerce Top 40 Under 40 award
Andrew Guy
ARA Secretary
Calista Corporation
President & CEO
Andrew Guy has served as president and CEO of Calista Corporation since 2010.
Guy has served on the board of directors, worked at Calista Professional Services, and as vice president of Yulista Management Services. He then joined Calista executive team as general counsel, involving him in the corporation contract negotiations and business enterprises.
Guy holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from
Skoey Vergen
ARA Treasurer
Aleut Corporation
President & CEO
Skoey Vergen serves as the President & CEO of The Aleut Corporation, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. In this role, he is responsible for managing the day-to-day business operations of the Aleut family of companies to provide a significant impact in the Region and lives of shareholders and descendants through dividends, employment, training, and cultural support.
Mr. Vergen is an original Aleut Corporation shareholder, a shareholder of the Akutan and Shumagin Corporations, and a member of the Qagan Tayagungin Tribe of Sand Point.
Skoey has more than 20 years of related industry experience, including leadership and executive positions in technology companies and Alaska Native 8(a) corporations, establishing and leading best-in-class, sustainable enterprise business operations.
Prior to joining Aleut, Skoey served as a Senior Director at GCI in Anchorage, Alaska. He was responsible for planning, managing, and directing enterprise programs from initiation to launch. Prior to GCI, Skoey served as a Director at Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. He managed and led multi-company teams across ASRC focused on enterprise planning and infrastructure to support rapid growth in commercial and 8(a) business.
Skoey has significant expertise in Alaska Native 8(a) leadership and management, Federal SBA contracting, and compliance. He has also served as the President & CEO of Tiglax Corporation and the General Manager of Aleut Northwest Services, both Alaska Native 8(a) companies.
Skoey serves on the board of the ANCSA Regional Association, Arctic Economic Council, and the Alaska Federation of Natives. He previously served on the board of the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School. He also coaches flag football at South Anchorage High School.
Skoey was born and raised in Alaska and has three wonderful kids. His wife Jacole’s family is from King Cove and his mother Sarah Tcheripanoff is from Akutan. Skoey’s grandparents are William Tcheripanoff of Akutan and Annie Balamutoff of Unga.
Michelle Anderson
ARA Director
Ahtna, Incorporated
President
Michelle Anderson serves as president of Ahtna, Incorporated. She is based out of both the Anchorage and Glennallen corporate Ahtna headquarters
Anderson has two degrees bachelor degree in political science from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a master degree in rural development from the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Rex Rock, Sr.
ARA Director
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC)
President & CEO
As president and CEO of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), Rex Allen Rock Sr. oversees all aspects of ASRC business operations. In this role, he helps to foster a productive relationship with the board of directors and the corporation approximately 13,000 shareholders
A graduate of Tikigaq High School, Rock went on to attend college at the University of Alaska Fairbanks where he double majored in engineering and linguistics
Rock continues to serve on Tikigaq board, maintaining ties to his community of Point Hope. He also sits on the North Slope Borough Assembly, St. Thomas Episcopal Church Council, Local School Advisory Council, and Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. Rock has served in many capacities for his hometown, including as whaling captain and head coach for the Tikigaq High School boys varsity basketball team position he held for more than 20 years. He was elected Coach of the Year numerous times by his peers for his tireless dedication to Point Hope basketball program. Rock was inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame in August 2015.
Rock is a shareholder of ASRC and was raised in Tikigaq. Grounded in his Christian faith, Rock is honored to have married his best friend Ramona 30 years ago. They have four children together and are blessed with two grandchildren.
Jason Metrokin
ARA Director
Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC)
President & CEO
Jason Metrokin serves as president and CEO of the Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC).
Prior to being named as president and CEO in 2009, Metrokin served for five years on the board of directors and as director of shareholder and corporate relations for BBNC.
Metrokin holds a Bachelor of Science from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Master of Business Administration from Alaska Pacific University.
He has served on several corporate and non-profit boards, including BBNC subsidiary companies, United Way of Anchorage, the Alaska Community Foundation, Alaska Regional Hospital, and the Alaska Native Professional Association. Metrokin was selected as a recipient of the Alaska Journal of Commerce Top 40 Under 40 award in 1999, First Alaskans Young Native Leader award in 2012, and Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Laureate in 2016.
Metrokin is a BBNC descendent and beneficiary of his late grandfather shares. He is the first non-original shareholder of BBNC to become president. His family is from Kodiak Island, Bristol Bay, and Massachusetts. He was born and raised in Anchorage where he resides with his wife, Shannon, and their two sons, Tate and Quinn.
Cindy Towarak Massie
ARA Director
Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC)
President
Cindy Aġnaqhiq Towarak Massie is President of Bering Straits Native Corporation. Raised in Unalakleet, Alaska, Massie is the daughter of the late Clarence and Guerie Towarak. A dedicated member of the BSNC Board of Directors since 2019, Massie has played a pivotal role in shaping the corporation’s strategic direction.
Massie graduated from Covenant High School in Unalakleet and attended Seattle Pacific University. Her past leadership roles include co-founding multimedia company Outdoor Channel Holdings.
Massie is also a former owner of Winnercomm Inc., a production and program development company responsible for 13 Emmy Awards, and Skycam, which developed a cable suspended camera system for sports coverage.
Beyond her corporate endeavors, Massie is the President of the Thomas and Cindy Massie Foundation, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to philanthropy. In recognition of her and her husband Tom’s generous philanthropic efforts advancing causes in Alaska, they were awarded the Alaska Federation of Natives Small Business Award in 2018.
Katherine Carlton
ARA Director
Chugach Alaska Corporation
Interim President
A Chugach shareholder originally from Cordova, Katherine is a vital member of Chugach’s executive leadership team, overseeing Chugach’s community and regional development, Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) lands, and cultural resources. She also serves as President of the recently established Chugach Regional Development, and the newly formed nonprofit, Chugach Tribal Services. She began her Chugach career in 2005 supporting the federal division’s finance department and quickly advanced to hold numerous leadership roles across the organization.
Katherine currently serves as co-chair of Native American Contractors Association (NACA) and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, master’s certificate in executive leadership, and recently graduated from Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
John Aġnaqłuk Lincoln
ARA Director
NANA Regional Corporation (NANA)
President & CEO
The NANA Board of Directors named John Aġnaqłuk Lincoln as president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the company. Reporting directly to the NANA board, Mr. Lincoln will lead corporate initiatives to improve the quality of life for NANA shareholders by maximizing economic growth, protecting and enhancing regional lands, and promoting healthy communities.
Lincoln has served a combined 18 years working for NANA and the Maniilaq Association, the two largest employers of shareholders in the NANA region. He joined NANA in 2016, and most recently served as vice president for external affairs where he worked to ensure the protection of corporate, regional and shareholder interests. Lincoln also served as an Alaska State Representative from 2018 to 2021, where he was an original member of the House Special Committee on Tribal Affairs.
A native of Kotzebue, Lincoln graduated from Kotzebue High School as the valedictorian of his class. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree, concentrating in management science and public policy, from Stanford University. In 2021, Lincoln was named a “Top Forty Under 40” leader by the Alaska Journal of Commerce.
Joe Nelson
ARA Director
Sealaska Corporation
Interim President
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.