Office of the President

Heather Gatti Manager

“Protecting the Tribe’s interests through intergovernmental activities and fostering collaborative relationships."

The Office of the President provides direct support to the President and serves as a liaison to Delegates and the Executive Council to ensure the policies set forth by the Tribe’s governing body are implemented in a timely manner. The directives established by the Tribal Assembly and Executive Council are implemented through the planning, organizing, and coordinating of all governmental and administrative operations by working directly with the Tribe’s administrative officers and department managers. The Office of the President fosters collaborative relationships with statewide and national organizations and coordinates intergovernmental activities through management and coordination of federal, state, municipal and tribal relations to protect and promote the Tribe’s interests.

2020 Highlights

ƒ Coordinated and recorded the minutes of 14 Executive Council meetings. ƒ Conducted polls to coordinate the Executive Council’s review of 84 resolutions. ƒ Co-hosted a conference in partnership with the Denali Commission and State of Alaska to bring Southeast Alaska tribes together to discuss the Federal

Communications Commission’s priority to give mid-band spectrum access to rural communities. ƒ Participated in a rally outside the Alaska

State Capitol building to support the

Alaska Marine Highway System–a critical link for many communities and an integral part of Southeast Alaska’s transportation system. ƒ Facilitated the creation of a Chief

Development Officer, Emergency

Operations Administrator, Grants &

Resources Development Director, and Sr. Director of Organizational

Development positions to support the administrative functions of the Tribe. ƒ Established the Office of Emergency Management and activated the Tribal Emergency

Operations Center to provide timely, integrated, and coordinated response to the

COVID-19 pandemic and protect the wellbeing of Tlingit & Haida’s citizens, clients, employees and communities. ƒ Coordinated outreach to increase tribal citizen response to the 2020 Census and voter turnout through Get Out the Native Vote - Southeast Alaska, a non-partisan effort of Southeast Alaska Native entities and community volunteers to engage

Alaska Natives, shareholders, and tribal citizens in voter participation during the 2020 elections. ƒ Organized the signing of a long-term partnership agreement between Tlingit & Haida and the United States Forest Service to establish an Indigenous Guardians program in

Southeast Alaska. ƒ Provided administrative support to the Emerging Leader to establish a Youth

Commission.

2020 Highlights (Cont.)

ƒ Prepared public comment, written testimony, reports, talking points and presentations for the President to address important issues on the local, state, and national levels through representation, testimony, and advocacy. Examples of key testimony prepared include, but are not limited to: » Testimony on SB 136, “An Act providing for the establishment of public schools through state-tribal compacts” to the Senate Education Committee. » Testimony on HB 287, “An Act requiring background investigations of village public safety officer applicants by the Department of Public Safety; relating to the village public safety officer program; and providing for an effective date” to the House Tribal Affairs Committee. » Testimony on HB 221, “An Act providing for state recognition of federally recognized tribes; and providing for an effective date” to the House Tribal Affairs Committee. ƒ Hosted a virtual rally in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on June 6, 2020. ƒ Intervened in a Washington state child welfare case where the Indian Child Welfare

Act (ICWA) had not been initially applied. » The Washington Supreme Court ruled that courts must apply federal and state Native child welfare standards to custody proceedings if there is indication that a child has tribal heritage. ƒ Opposed the State of Alaska’s lawsuit against the federal government (State of Alaska v. Federal Subsistence Board, et al. 3:20-cv-00195-SLG). ƒ Hosted an Indigenous Peoples’ Day virtual celebration to share stories, songs, and language lessons.

2021 Goals

ƒ Expand services, streamline practices, and increase efficiencies to better meet the needs of our tribal citizens. ƒ Continue to grow reentry and recovery services. ƒ Work with Tlingit & Haida Community Councils to establish offices in high tribal citizen population areas to meet our citizens where they are located.

“Ensuring policies adopted by the legislative branch are carried out in the day-today administrative process of the Tribe.."

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY VIRTUAL CELEBRATION