News
Alaska Natives in Modern Governance: A Gathering
State Seeks Public Comment on Alaska's Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD)
EPA Announces $150 Million for Environmental Grants for Alaska Native Villages
December 1, 2023
UAA College of Business and Public Policy and UAA College of Arts and Sciences is hosting a two-day gathering for an innovative approach to Board and Tribal trainings January 11 & 12, 2024 at UAA.
The two-day event will focus on trainings pertinent to Alaska Native Tribes, Corporations and non-profits.
Trainings and topics specific to Alaska Native Corporations include:
Hiring our People
Fiduciary Duty to the Generations Yet to Come
Reading Financial Statements 101
The Chairs Role for the Corporation
Options to Consider when Setting Open Enrollment Policy
Roberts Rules of Order - A Refresher
The Other Perspective: Improving Communication and Engagement with Staff
ANCSA Land, an overview and update from BLM
Storytelling for Community Success
Navigating Indian Country and Tribal Jurisdiction in Alaska
Putting Cultural Awareness and Indigenous Values in the Workplace
Oopsism: Communicating Effectively Across Cultures in the 21st Century
Working Together for Housing in our Homelands
EPA Announces $150 Million for Environmental Grants for Alaska Native Villages
State Seeks Public Comment on Alaska's Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD)
EPA Announces $150 Million for Environmental Grants for Alaska Native Villages
November 21, 2023
EPA’s new Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants program (Community Change Grants) has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for approximately $2 billion dollars in Inflation Reduction Act funds in environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. These place-based investments will be focused on community-driven initiatives to be responsive to community and stakeholder input. They are designed to deliver on the transformative potential of the IRA for communities most adversely and disproportionately impacted by climate change, legacy pollution, and historical disinvestments.
Alaska Native Villages have dedicated funds of at least $150 million to address contaminated lands, pollution reduction, and climate adaptation in Alaska.
State Seeks Public Comment on Alaska's Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD)
State Seeks Public Comment on Alaska's Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD)
State Seeks Public Comment on Alaska's Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD)
November 20, 2023
The State of Alaska, Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED), Alaska Broadband Office (ABO), is seeking public comment on the State of Alaska’s Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) “Initial Proposal, Volume 2” which provides the details on the State of Alaska Grant Program along with the other requirements of the BEAD Program.
The State of Alaska’s “Initial Proposal Volume 2” documentation is linked below for public review and comment. All interested parties are invited to submit comments on the “Initial Proposal Volume 2” using the ABO email address of ced.abo.general@alaska.gov by on December 20, 2023.
Digital Equity Plan 30 Day Comment Period
Digital Equity Plan 30 Day Comment Period
State Seeks Public Comment on Alaska's Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD)
November 10, 2023
Too many communities in Alaska lack access to high-speed internet. Many more face affordability barriers. There is a stark divide between those who have internet access and those who don't. Digital equity means all have access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet to access education, healthcare, employment, and participate in today’s economy. Starting November 9, 2023, and running through December 9, 2023, the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED), Alaska Broadband Office (ABO), is seeking public comment on the State of Alaska’s Digital Equity Plan.
The Digital Equity Act provides $2.75 billion nationwide to establish grant programs that promote digital equity and inclusion. In advance of “Capacity Grant Awards” (managed by the State of Alaska ABO) the Rasmuson Foundation and their partners over the last year have collected and compiled data and drafted the initial State of Alaska Digital Equity Plan.
The document outlines the inequities that exist in the state and develops Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are focused on reducing or eliminating digital inequity for eight covered populations identified in the Digital Equity Act.
Those populations are:
- Individuals with Disabilities
- Individuals with a Language Barrier
- Individuals who are Members of a Racial or Ethnic Minority
- Individuals who Reside in Rural Areas
- Aging Individuals
- Veterans
- Households at/or below 150% of the Poverty Level
- Incarcerated Individuals
The State of Alaska’s Digital Equity plan and comment form are linked below for public review and comment. All interested parties are invited to submit comments on the Plan using the linked comment form by December 9, 2023.
Curtis McQueen to Serve as New Director
Digital Equity Plan 30 Day Comment Period
Curtis McQueen to Serve as New Director
September 1, 2023
The Alaska Native Village Corporation Association (ANVCA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the hiring of Curtis J. McQueen as ANVCA Executive Director beginning September 15, 2023.
Curtis J. McQueen has a solid history of serving as an Alaska Native corportion CEO and serving on several for-profit and non-profit Boards throughout the State of Alaska.
“We are thrilled to have Curtis McQueen joining ANVCA. His experience, knowledge, and relationships of Alaska Native Corporations, village dynamics, and the public policy process are deep and profound, and we are confident that he will make a tremendous difference to the best interests of our members.” Nathan McCowan, ANVCA Chair of the Board.
From 2005 through August 2019, Curtis held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Eklutna, Incorporated, the village corporation for Eklutna and the largest private land owner in the Municipality of Anchorage and the Matanuska Susitna Borough. During his term, Curtis built multiple successful subsidiaries and grew the parent corporation to be a respected business organization throughout the State of Alaska. Curtis has worked extensively in the Native community, and with Fortune 100 and 400 National and International corporations, including many of Alaska’s corporate, local, State, and Federal leadership.
Curtis is a current Board Member of the Rasmuson Foundation, Alaska’s largest philanthropic foundation. Additionally, he serves as the Chairman of the advisory board overseeing the University of Alaska Anchorage Distinguished Rasmuson Chair of Economics. From 2013-2019 Curtis served as an Honorary Commander for Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, the forward command for the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army located in Anchorage Alaska.
“As a former CEO, a longtime supporter, and a former board member of ANVCA, I’m honored to join this incredible organization and support its mission to promote the success of our village corporations and the protection of our Native lands.”
Curtis is well known and respected for nurturing key relationships and has a proven track record of successful work with local, Federal and State governments, Tribes, and other businesses. Curtis is Tlingit from Southeast Alaska from the Eagle-Killer Whale Clan, is a Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska Tribal Citizen, a Sealaska Corporation shareholder and is an adopted member of the Native Village of Eklutna.