Aleut CEO Skoey Vergen elected vice chair of ANCSA Regional Association

Skoey Vergen has been elected vice chair of the ANCSA Regional Association, giving the Aleut Corporation an officer's seat at the table where the chief executives of Alaska's 12 Alaska Native regional corporations set shared policy positions. The Aleut Corporation announced the election.

The association's board is made up of the presidents and chief executives of the 12 land-based regional corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. Those corporations are owned by more than 160,000 Alaska Native shareholders. The group works on state and federal policy, economic development and the terms of ANCSA itself.

"As Vice Chair, my focus is on ensuring that collaboration translates into action," Vergen said, pointing to "policies that preserve the foundations of ANCSA and decisions that protect the sustainability of all ANCs." He said the association's strength comes from the collective expertise of the regional corporations.

Vergen has led Aleut since 2021 and has served on the association's board. Aleut serves more than 5,000 Unangax̂ shareholders and descendants. Its businesses include contracting, real estate, fuel sales, port services, environmental services and energy.

Aleut describes those operations as providing dividends, employment, training and cultural support to its shareholders and their descendants. The policy positions the association's officers coordinate shape the dividends, jobs and land protections tied to member corporations across the state.