Executive Director, Sarah L. Lukin
About Mrs. 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. She most recently served as 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 representatives from various Native communities, advocating on behalf 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, Lael Echo-Hawk
About Ms. Echo-Hawk
Lael Echo-Hawk is responsible for legislative and regulatory issues, ensuring NACA is at the forefront of Native 8(a) advocacy.
Lael Echo-Hawk, an enrolled member of the Kitkehahki Band of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma was born and raised in the interior of Alaska. She began her college career at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, transferring to the University of Washington where she graduated in 1999 with a Bachelors of Arts degree in History with a minor in American Indian Studies. In 2000, Lael entered the University of Washington School of Law. Following receipt of a Juris Doctor in 2003, Lael began working as in-house counsel at the Tulalip Tribes. As in-house counsel for the Tulalip Tribes, Lael provided a variety of legal advice and representation in both business development, civil litigation and policy and ordinance development. Lael also taught a Tribal Governance class at the Everett Community College as part of a Tribal Enterprise Certificate program.
As a volunteer, Lael has Co-Chaired the Washington State Bar Association’s Committee for Diversity and Chaired the Indian Law Section. She has served six terms on the Governing Council of the Northwest Indian Bar Association Governing Council and served three of those terms as President. In August 2009, Lael became the President of the National Native American Bar Association. A proud Husky, Lael also sits on the University of Washington’s Friends of Educational Opportunity Program.
Lael is dedicated to serving her community and attempts to serve as a role model to young people of color. She regularly speaks to youth at events such as the “Color of Justice” in Anchorage, Alaska and teaches a Street Law class at American Indian Heritage High School in Seattle, Washington. She is co-founder of Native Speaks, a progressive company owned by Native professionals that provides consultation and instruction for companies, and motivational speaking for young adults. In 2007, Lael was recognized as a “Rising Star: Young Women who Make a Difference” by Women of Color Empowered and in 2009 was named one of “40 to Watch” by the University of Washington’s Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity.
External Affairs Coordinator, 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 from Anchorage, Alaska and is a Bering Straits Native Corporation descendant, a CIRI shareholder, and a shareholder of the Unalakleet Native Corporation.
Executive Assistant, Ashley Hultman
About Ms. Hultman
Ashley Hultman is the Executive Assistant for the NACA office, managing day-to-day operations, logistics, event planning, and the executive director’s schedule.
Prior to joining NACA, Ashley served as Staff Assistant in the personal office of Congressman Bart Gordon, Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, on Capitol Hill and was promoted to Legislative Correspondent. Originally from Nashville, Ashley previously worked as Field Director for the Bart Gordon Committee after interning in the Congressman’s Murfreesboro, TN district office and spending hours volunteering for local, state, and federal political candidates. Ashley is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History with a minor in Political Science. In her spare time, she enjoys taking in the wealth of museums that DC has to offer, researching Native American art and culture, and volunteering for campaigns.
NACA employees at the National Museum of the American Indian