Interim Executive Director, Sarah Lukin
About Ms. Lukin
Sarah Lukin is Alutiiq from the Native Village of Port Lions, a rural community of 250 people on Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Sarah is a shareholder of Afognak Native Corporation and Koniag, Incorporated and is a Tribal member of the Native Village of Afognak and Native Village of Port Lions. Sarah is the Sr. Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Afognak Native Corporation/Alutiiq, LLC. She most recently served as the Executive Director of the Native American Contractors Association (NACA). Prior to NACA, she was the Vice President of External Relations for Afognak and their wholly owned government contracting subsidiary, Alutiiq, LLC. Through her position, Sarah was responsible for legislative/government, media, and community relations on behalf of the Afognak family of companies. Sarah worked closely with a number of legislative affairs of Alaska Native Corporations, Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations and indigenous communities’ rights to economic development.
Prior to joining Afognak, Sarah worked as the Community Development Director for Chugach Regional Resources Commission, a regional Tribal non-profit, advocating for Tribal/community involvement in the restoration efforts from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and providing Tribes technical assistance with various natural resource management and economic development projects. Sarah served six years on the Afognak Tribal Council and has been actively involved in the National Congress of American Indians. She holds a Bachelors and Masters degree from the University of Alaska.
Legislative Director, Dennis Worden
About Mr. Worden
Dennis Worden is a member of the Coeur d’ Alene Tribe, and grew up in Pendleton, Oregon. He attended the University of Oregon and earned a B.A. in Geography. After college, Dennis received the Mark O. Hatfield fellowship, which allows tribal members from Oregon to work in a congressional office. While serving, Dennis also participated in the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship Program and his portfolio included science and technology, agriculture, and tribal issues. Upon completing his fellowship, Dennis remained working in Congress as a legislative assistant.
Dennis most recently worked for the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) as a legislative assistant, advocating for improved health status on behalf of American Indians and Alaska Natives. During his work with NIHB he assisted with efforts to pass the Indian Health Care Improvement Reauthorization Act. Worden also worked with Tribes on implementation of the health care reform law.
Director of External Affairs, Jennine J. Elias
About Ms. Elias
Jennine J. Elias is responsible for member services and outreach, external communications, media relations, minority and small business outreach, and general educational outreach. Her position is critical to ensuring NACA’s voice is heard by the media and that NACA continues to develop exceptional services to our membership.
Prior to joining NACA, Jennine worked at the National Congress of American Indians Policy Research Center as a Program Associate. She has interned at the Tribal Law and Policy Institute, Rural CAP through the Denali Commission, the Native Nations Institute, and Cook Inlet Region Inc., as a First Alaskans Institute intern while attending college. Jennine has a background in dispute resolution and bringing diverse groups together and recently worked with the Tribe, City Government, and Village Corporation of Toksook Bay to develop a comprehensive Community Plan. Jennine graduated with a Masters in Public Policy and a Masters in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University and holds a Bachelors from the University of Arizona. She is Inupiaq, Eskimo from Anchorage, Alaska and is a Bering Straits Native Corporation shareholder, a CIRI shareholder, and a shareholder of the Unalakleet Native Corporation.
Business Operations Coordinator
About Ms. Guy
Erica I. Guy is responsible for providing administrative support services to the Executive Director and NACA staff. Her position is essential in performing bookkeeping duties, implementing and maintaining sound office practices and procedures; and performing other related duties as assigned. Erica recently graduated from The University of Arizona with a degree in Agriculture Business Management and Economics. Her experience ranges from retail to gaming and financial administration at Saks Off 5th, International Rescue Committee and interning with Wurts and Associates in Los Angeles. Erica is self motivated and eager to learn any and all information pertaining to Native American affairs and advancement of Native people. She also has a strong interest in helping Natives who live on the reservation, especially within the agricultural sectors. She is a member of the Navajo Nation and grew up on the reservation in Arizona.