NACA Board of Directors
Lance Morgan, Chairman
President, Ho-Chunk, Inc.
Lance Morgan is a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and President of Ho-Chunk, Inc., the development corporation for the Winnebago Tribe. Ho-Chunk, Inc. has business interests ranging from home manufacturing, retail, distribution, construction, hotels, apartments, and internet companies, including Indianz.com and AllNative.com.
Prior to working for Ho-Chunk, Inc., Morgan worked as a lawyer in the Indian Law Department of the law firm of Dorsey & Whitney. Morgan served as an instructor for the Arizona State Law School and as economic advisor to the BIA. He is a board member of several corporate entities and does legal and consulting work on tribal economic development; he has spoken at over 30 national and regional conferences on various tribal economic development subjects.
Morgan has a law degree from Harvard University and a business degree in economics from the University of Nebraska, at Lincoln.
Helvi K. Sandvik, Vice-Chair
President, NANA Development Corporation
Helvi Sandvik is the President of NANA Development Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NANA Regional Corporation. NANA has over 50 subsidiaries and partnerships that serve clientele in a variety of sectors, including government contracting, professional and management services, oil development, mining, hospitality, and tourism.
Sandvik came to NANA in 1995 after twelve years with the State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities where her career took her from Transportation Planner to Director of Statewide Aviation and finally to the position of Deputy Commissioner.
Sandvik is a shareholder of NANA and is originally from the village of Kiana. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Kalamazoo College in Michigan and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Janice Hotch, Secretary
Manager, Office of Diversity Solutions, Sealaska Corporation
Janice Hotch came to Sealaska in 1998 and joined the Office of Diversity Solutions at the end of 2003. Her areas of responsibility include marketing, sales and business development for Sealaska Corporation and its subsidiaries with a focus on federal contracting. Hotch is also responsible for federal and minority business enterprise certifications for the Sealaska family of companies. Sealaska Corporation serves over 19,000 shareholders.
In addition to serving on the board of NACA, Hotch serves as an elected member of the board of directors for the ANCSA village corporation, Klukwan, Inc., and is involved in the Juneau Lions Club. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Washington. A Sealaska shareholder, and member of the Tlingit and Tsimshian tribes, Hotch resides in Juneau, Alaska and works at Sealaska’s corporate headquarters.
Dave Kimelberg, Treasurer
Chief Executive Officer, Seneca Holdings, LLC
Dave Kimelberg is the founding Chief Executive Officer of Seneca Holdings LLC, the investment and business operations holding company owned by the Seneca Nation of Indians. Kimelberg leads Seneca Holdings in fulfilling its mission to diversify the Seneca Nation’s economic base beyond its existing successful gaming enterprises through investments and ventures that leverage the advantages inherent in a sovereign nation. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Seneca Broadcasting LLC, the operator of WGWE 105.9FM, a commercial FM radio station located and run on Seneca Nation territory, and Seneca Imports LLC, an importing and exporting company located on Seneca Nation territory; he also serves as Chairman of Seneca Telecommunications LLC, an IT and telecommunications services company. Seneca Holdings’ portfolio of companies includes Seneca Construction, LLC, a construction company that recently received Tribal 8(a) and HUBZone certifications.
Kimelberg is an enrolled citizen of the Seneca Nation of Indians (Bear clan), where his mother served as a founding teacher in the Seneca Nation’s head start program located on its Cattaraugus territory. He lives and works on Seneca Nation territory.
Kimelberg has worked in the private equity and venture capital industries as a leading business and legal executive for over a decade. Before joining Seneca Holdings, he served as Vice President and General Counsel for SoftBank Capital and SoftBank Holdings, multi-billion dollar venture capital and investment companies located in Boston and New York City. In his roles at SoftBank, he was a principal executive in an investment group responsible for billions of dollars of successful U.S. and foreign company investments, M&A activity, public offerings and complex monetization transactions, including one of the largest debt and collar monetization transactions executed worldwide. Dave has served as a director on the boards of multiple successful U.S. and foreign companies.
Prior to SoftBank, Kimelberg was a corporate attorney with Foley Hoag LLP in Boston and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP in New York City, where he specialized in representing venture capital and investment groups. He also previously clerked for a U.S. federal judge. He received a Juris Doctorate from Cornell Law School (magna cum laude) and a BS in Finance from Northeastern University (magna cum laude). Dave was an editor of the Cornell Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif honor society. He retains active licenses to practice law in New York and Massachusetts. Dave is also the founder of nativeinvestment.com, which is a source of information and forum about Indian Country investment and economic development. He is a contributor to Indian Country Today and the Huffington Post on political and economic issues affecting Indian Country, including Native 8(a) issues. Kimelberg is deeply committed to furthering the economic development and success of his own Nation, Alaskan Native communities and other Nations in Indian Country. He is a strong proponent and supporter of the Native 8(a) program.
Ron Allen, Director
Chairman/CEO, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
As Chairman of Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, (serving 1977-present), Allen is responsible for representing the Tribe and addressing political and policy issues. As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (serving 1982-present), he is also responsible for the administration of the Tribes’ programs including education, career development, social services, housing, health, economic development, natural resource management, and cultural/traditional affairs.
As Tribal Chairman/CEO, he is responsible for leading the Tribe from a zero resource base in 1982 to a current annual budget level of approximately $20 million; and from a landless reservation base in 1982 to a land base of over 1,000 acres without federal assistance. Additionally, he has led the Tribe in establishing business enterprises including Seven Cedars Casino, Northwest Native Expressions Art Gallery, JKT Development, and Jamestown Health & Medical Supplies.
Robin Danner, Director
President & Chief Executive Officer, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
Robin Danner is native Hawaiian from the island of Kauai. She is the founding President and CEO of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), a non-profit dedicated to supporting Native Hawaiian communities and the organizations that serve them. Robin was raised on the Navajo, Hopi and Apache reservations of Arizona and lived 25 years among the Inupiat Eskimo of Alaska.
Robin has extensive management experience in the not-for-profit, business and government sectors, including 13 years as Vice President of the National Bank of Alaska; three years as Executive Director of an Indian Housing Authority that served 8 federally recognized tribal governments; and three years as the Director of Housing for one of the largest municipal governments in Alaska. She is the Vice Chairman of the State Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations, a Director on the Board of the Inter-Tribal Economic Alliance, a member of the Waianae Hawaiian Civic Club, serves on the Hawaii Advisory Committee of the Human Rights Commission, and oversees the operation of the Native Hawaiian Economic Alliance. She has received the Alaska Governor's Volunteer of the Year Award and the Small Business Minority Business Advocate of the Year from the state of Hawaii. Her expertise is in public and private administration, business and community development with a specialized focus on rural and Native American populations.
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement employs 34 Native Hawaiians and operates a public policy center on Native Hawaiian issues, conducts resource development and organizational capacity training, a homeownership call center and owns and operates an information technology company in partnership with 11 Indian Tribes and Alaska Native firms. Robin is married with four children and lives on Hawaiian Home Lands in Hawaii.
Dusty Kaser
Business Consultant, Afognak Native Corp./Alutiiq, LLC
Dusty Kaser, working closely with the Afognak Native Corporation Board of Directors, established the Alutiiq family of companies in early 2000 and served as its President and CEO until his semi-retirement in early 2007. Afognak serves 789 shareholders and their families. Today, Kaser continues to work for Afognak Native Corporation and its wholly-owned Alutiiq subsidiaries as a business consultant, focusing on evaluating new business development opportunities, creating and fostering strategic partnerships, and educating policy makers on the importance of the 8(a) program for disadvantaged Native communities. Kaser led the operational merging of Alutiiq with its parent, Afognak Native Corporation, after he assumed the position of Afognak Native Corporation President in early 2006. He provided the leadership for strategic planning, business development and operational management of both Afognak Native Corporation and Alutiiq during this time.
Alutiiq operates in multiple industries providing services to the federal government in the areas of physical and electronic security, construction, logistics, operations & maintenance, and information technology. The Alutiiq companies employ over 6,000 professionals in these competencies, with operations in all 50 states and 4 countries. Prior to establishing Alutiiq, Kaser served as Vice President, and later as President of Chugach Alaska Corporation for nearly eight years. Chugach was in bankruptcy when he took on the challenge of turning it around. He was instrumental in building it into one of the largest and most successful Alaska Native corporations. Kaser holds a degree in nuclear engineering from Oregon State University and is a registered professional engineer in Washington and Alaska. He also attended Portland State University, Civil Engineering.
Renee Porter, Director
President, Advancia
Renee Porter is President of Advancia, an Oklahoma-based Federal contractor, and previously served as its Vice President of Marketing and Director of Corporate Strategy. The 28-year-old company was acquired in 2006 by the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe of Wisconsin. Advancia’s employees work at 33 locations nationwide.
During her more than 20 year career, she worked for the University of Oklahoma, held a political appointment to the U.S. Department of Labor, and worked for U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch. Porter was a manager at USA Today and, during graduate school, she worked in the London office of the Williams Companies, a Tulsa, OK-based global energy company.
Porter holds three degrees – a B.A. degree in Journalism, a Master in Business Administration, and a Master in Management Information Systems – all from the University of Oklahoma. Porter serves on the Board of Directors of the Norman (OK) Public Library, and two non-profit entities, Sooner Robotics and the Pioneer Library System Foundation.
Phil Reedy, Director
Vice President, Diversified Businesses, Cherokee Nation Businesses
Phil Reedy joined Cherokee Nation Businesses in 2010 as Vice President of Diversification and Strategy and is responsible for business acquisitions and diversifying CNB’s business portfolio. Reedy worked for CITGO Petroleum and SEMGroup prior to joining CNB, bringing more than 25 years management experience. Reedy has also served on several boards and committees in various capacities advising local businesses and non-profits. Through those experiences, Reedy has comprehensive experience in business segment analysis, recommendations of capital investment, accounting, tax, budgeting, capital structure, investor relations and risk management.
Reedy earned a BSBA Major of Finance from the University of Tulsa, an MBA Major of Finance from the University of Miami and is a Certified Public Accountant in Oklahoma and Texas.
Gail Schubert, Director
President & CEO, Bering Straits Native Corporation
Gail R. Schubert has served as CEO of Bering Straits Native Corporation since November 2009. Born and raised in Unalakleet, Alaska, Schubert served as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel for BSNC from 2003 to 2009. She has served on the BSNC board of directors since 1992 in various executive board positions.
Schubert serves on the Board of the Alaska Federation of Natives (Treasurer), the ANCSA Regional Association (Vice President), the Alaska Native Heritage Center (Chair), the Alaska Retirement Management Board (Chair), the Alaska Native Justice Center (Vice Chair), and she Chairs the board of Akeela Treatment Services (a substance abuse prevention and treatment program).
Schubert earned a law degree from Cornell Law School, a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Johnson School of Management at Cornell, and an undergraduate degree in political science from Stanford University. She is married and has three stepchildren.
Barney Uhart, Director
President, Chugach Alaska Corporation
Barney Uhart is the President of Chugach Alaska Corporation, a regional corporation that serves 2,300 shareholders and their descendants in Southcentral Alaska. Barney Uhart has more than 25 years experience in Government Service contracting, holding executive and operational level positions with Alaska Native Corporations, Women and Minority Owned 8(a) business and large businesses. He has been with Chugach Alaska Corporation for twelve years and was named President/CEO in May 2000. Uhart is responsible for strategic plan implementation, new business development, diversification, and shareholder programs development.
Uhart has significant expertise in foreign and domestic Multi-function Base Operations Support (BOS) contracts for the Department of Defense and other Federal agencies. His responsibilities have included marketing, proposal development, negotiations, contract administration and operations. He has successfully directed graduated 8(a) firms in the competitive marketplace.
Kristina Woolston, Director
Director of Government Relations, Chenega Corporation
Kristina Woolston was born in Anchorage and raised in Naknek, and is an Alaska Native Shareholder with Bristol Bay Native Regional Corporation and Paug-Vik Village Corporation.
Upon graduating high school from Bristol Bay Borough School, she studied at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, where she degreed in Political Science, with a minor in Native American Studies. Woolston then worked in Washington, D.C. before accepting a position as the Assistant Director for the World Trade Center Alaska where she led trade missions to Europe and Asia to assist Alaskan businesses in entering the global marketplace.
Woolston then went on to join a consulting firm representing Shell Oil Company and ExxonMobil in the Russian Far East oil and gas projects. One of the firms’ other clients, NovaGold Resources, recruited her to join their company full-time as the Communications Director for their world-class gold projects in Alaska and Western Canada. After three years with NovaGold, Kristina accepted a position to lead the International Mentoring Program for Menttium Corporation. Based in Minneapolis, Menttium is the recognized global leader in corporate mentoring for Fortune ranked firms.
Woolston is now the Director of Government Relations for Chenega Corporation, an Alaska Native Village Corporation, ranked number 4 on the Top 49ers list of Alaskan companies, and annually ranked in the Top 100 of the most successful small government contractors. Woolston oversees Government Relations, focusing on government contracting education and advocacy as it relates to Native contractors, as well as social and economic issues facing Native communities. Today, Woolston splits her time between Anchorage, DC, and the 43 other states where Chenega performs government contracts. Overall, this unique role affords her the opportunity to work with diverse topics and people in and outside of Alaska.
Woolston currently serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for Breast Cancer Focus, Inc., and on the Native American Contractors Association Board of Directors. She is a former Board of Director for Junior Achievement of Alaska, and the Alaska Fur Rendezvous.With her free time, Woolston enjoys running, fishing, flying, hunting, cooking, and anything with her family. Woolston and her husband, Tim Woolston, also own an advertising and public relations firm in Anchorage, Alaska, where they reside with their four children.