| CIRI’s 2004 seasonal hire program employed eight people this summer to help in various departments from accounting to public relations. The goal of the program is to provide CIRI shareholders, descendants, and Alaska Natives an opportunity to earn extra money during summer breaks while providing training and knowledge about Alaska’s Native regional corporations. Most of the seasonal positions began in early June and continue through mid-September. The following people participated in this summer’s seasonal hire program. |
| Automme Anderson CIRI descendant Automme Anderson (Athabascan) interned for CIRI’s Real Estate department as a land clerk and focused on a variety of projects including assisting with oil and gas leases, royalty interests and land conveyance. “I’ve learned so many new terms, which I love,” said Anderson, daughter of CIRI shareholder Jeri Anderson and husband Bill Anderson of Anchorage. Anderson has a business degree in marketing from the University of Alaska Anchorage, and is currently working on a second degree in civil engineering. She eventually would like to use both of her degrees to work full-time in the CIRI Real Estate and Lands department. “It is important for me to learn about CIRI and about the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act because Native corporations have a significant impact on the economy,” said Anderson. She is grateful for the employment opportunities she has had at CIRI. She is a former community relations intern with CIRI and group sales coordinator for CIRI Alaska Tourism. In her spare time Anderson likes to snowboard, fish, float the Kenai River and play with her big Alaskan malamute. |
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Anderson |
| Robbin Cooks CIRI shareholder Robbin Cooks (Athabascan) was the summer groundskeeper with property management. Originally from Eklutna, she is the daughter of CIRI shareholders Alberta and Leo Stephan. During her summer employment, she was responsible for landscaping and caring for the various plants and external property. This was a natural fit with her enjoyment of the outdoors. Cooks and her husband, JC, reside in Anchorage with their three dogs King, Queenie, and Booboo, as well as their two cats, Midnight and Tiny. During her spare time she enjoys camping and fishing. |
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Cooks |
| Kristen Drummond Anchorage resident Kristen Drummond served as a transfer coordinator for CIRI Alaska Tourism, which entailed transferring vital information between the tourism’s reservations and hotel management systems. A social person by nature, her favorite part of the job was the people that she worked with. “I really enjoyed getting to know my co-workers,” she explained. This fall Drummond will begin her junior year at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore., where she is majoring in accounting and minoring in French. Next year she will travel to Dijon, France, for a semester abroad at the Center for International French Studies at the University of Burgundy. She looks forward to achieving her aspiration of ‘getting a new world view.’ In her spare time she enjoys hiking, camping, reading, swimming and hanging out with her friends. She also loves riding her motorcycle, a 2000 Harley Davidson Sportster, and takes extensive road trips when she has the opportunity. “I’ve done several road trips from Minneapolis, Minn. to Sturgis, S.D., for their big rally every year in August,” exclaimed Drummond. “Thousands of motorcyclists go and you can ride all over in the Black Hills, see Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, and Custer State Park.” |
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Drummond |
| Heather Karmun NANA shareholder Heather Karmun also served as a transfer coordinator for CIRI Alaska Tourism this summer. Her job duties included the transferring of hotel files and helping out with the accounts receivable department. “I enjoyed my summer at CIRI because the tourism activity peaked and kept me busy,” she said. Originally from Deering, Alaska, Karmun is of Inupiaq descent. She and her two children, Kyle and Shane, recently moved from Fairbanks to be closer to her family in Anchorage. Spending time with her children is one of her top priorities. Together, they enjoy watching movies, swimming and shopping. Although she misses Fairbanks at times, she is happy to be near her family and is pleased that her eldest son is enjoying his new environment. |
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Karmun |
| Arleta Kinney CIRI shareholder Arleta Kinney joined CIRI as a seasonal transfer coordinator for the accounting department. Her job duties included ensuring that the guest information was accurate for the Seward Windsong Lodge. Kinney says she enjoyed her summer working at CIRI and enjoyed meeting new people. Kinney moved back to her hometown of Anchorage in 1999 after spending 16 years in the Oregon and Washington areas. Her mother, CIRI shareholder Eloise Johnson of Noatak, Alaska, is of Inupiaq heritage and her father is Arlen Johnson. Kinney has two children and one granddaughter. She fondly remembers growing up in Anchorage and skiing at Alyeska Resort. “I enjoyed skiing at Alyeska because Cook Inlet Native Association would take Alaska Natives to Alyeska to ski on the weekends.” She enjoys barbeques, fishing and hopes to try out her green thumb in the near future by starting a greenhouse. |
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Kinney |
| Jacinda Mainord CIRI descendant Jacinda Mainord was a community relations intern for the summer. Her duties included clerical and special project support as well as assisting with the planning and implementation of the 20th Annual CIRI Golf Classic, a fundraiser for youth and educational programs in Alaska. “I’ve enjoyed my summer working on the golf tournament and learning about CIRI,” Mainord said. Mainord’s parents, Amelia and David Mainord, are both CIRI shareholders of Inupiaq heritage. Mainord has returned to George Fox University in Newberg, Ore., and is majoring in biology. She is contemplating a career in wildlife biology or the medical field. “My internship at the Alaska Native Medical Center introduced me to careers in the medical field. Now, I would like to work for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to explore a wildlife biology career,” said Mainord. While home in Alaska, she rediscovered her enthusiasm for outdoor activities and enjoyed her occasional rock climbing and hiking adventures. “One of my summer goals was to learn about CIRI,” said Mainord. As the summer progressed, she realized this goal. Her first week on the job, she studied websites, newsletters, annual reports and visited with employees to gain a better understanding of CIRI and its operations. |
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Mainord |
| Edna Mann Edna Mann spent her summer as a human resources clerk, which entailed
processing new employee hires, filing and other tasks. Mann enjoys
keeping the records organized for the volume of employees that are
hired for the summer tourism operations. This year, Mann will earn
a certificate in paralegal studies through an online program at
the University of Phoenix. Her long-term goals are to go on to obtain
a law degree and to become a public defender. “I interned
for the state of Alaska Public Defenders a few years ago, and I
saw what good they can do,” Mann said. |
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Mann |
| Larissa Sommer Doyon shareholder Larissa Sommer joined CIRI as a community relations intern this summer. Her duties included assisting with the CIRI Golf Classic and other special projects and events. Sommer, of Athabascan heritage, grew up in Galena and graduated from Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska. Sommer is not your typical undergrad student. She has taken time from her studies to travel and work. This fall she will return to the University of Alaska Fairbanks to finish her degree in communications and journalism after working for two years on the Senate Appropriations Committee in Washington, DC. Within the Appropriations Committee, she worked for the subcommittee that oversaw public lands, Indian issues, as well as other related agencies. Her hobbies include hiking, reading, and traveling. For 100 days in 2000, she traveled the world on a voyage visiting 10 countries through a program called Semester at Sea. While at sea, the students attended class, and while in port, the students enjoyed their ‘weekend.’ According to Sommer, this has been one of her best experiences. “I think the most unique aspect of the whole program was that it was a small community – 700 people – about the same population as my hometown,” Sommer said. She has appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Alaska Native regional corporations, public relations and communications, and event planning this summer. “I enjoyed my summer at CIRI because of the learning opportunities and meeting the many players and volunteers of the golf tournament,” Sommer added. The majority of this article was researched and written by summer hire Larissa Sommer, with some assistance from Jacinda Mainord. |
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Sommer |
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