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With a career in health care that spans more than two decades, Sean Fisher (Tsimshian) has built his professional life step by step—working his way from the ground up into a director-level role through steady leadership, learning and a commitment to service.
While Sean’s early life didn’t include a strong connection to his Tsimshian roots, he is now actively embracing his Alaska Native heritage as a CIRI Shareholder and passing those values along to his four children. His blend of life experience, professional growth and cultural discovery recently earned him a place in CIRI’s selective Nułyah Program, which supports mid-career professionals in strengthening their leadership skills and long-term impact.
The Raven’s Circle recently sat down with Sean to talk about his journey, his motivation and what continues to drive him forward.
What is your family heritage, where did you grow up and what is your connection to CIRI?
My mother, Cecile Wesley, is an original CIRI enrollee. She is Tsimshian, with family roots in Metlakatla. [Note: Metlakatla Indian Community in Southeast Alaska is the only federal Indian reserve in Alaska and not part of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.]
I grew up in Eagle River and spent several of my childhood years in Utqiaġvik. The running joke was that I was the only Tsimshian on the North Slope. Then for middle and high school, my family lived in rural Tennessee. I was there for my first attempt at college and then came back to Anchorage when I was 18 or 19.
I was in my 20s when I was gifted CIRI shares from my mother. Growing up, I had an awareness of CIRI; my mother would talk about it, but it wasn’t at the forefront of our day-to-day lives. Now that I’m in my 40s, I’m at the stage of my life we’re I’m looking at CIRI as “this is my Corporation,” and wanting to connect more deeply.
You’ve been working in the health care field for almost 25 years. How did you get started?
My first job in health care was at age 18 as a lift team technician. It was an entry-level position—patient lifts and transfers, lifting equipment, providing basic patient care. I really loved working with the patients and with the doctors and nurses, seeing the dynamics of health care.
I was on a contract with multiple Anchorage-area hospitals, and I enjoyed the variety. You’re helping people, many of whom are sick or struggling, and it’s gratifying. You also work with medical providers and staff who are highly skilled and educated. They would challenge me: “What are you going to do after this job?” It forced me to think about my future.
What experiences gradually led you into emergency medical services and health care leadership?
I think it was an accumulation of joining the lift team, and then I had some interactions with people that were paramedics, which started me on the path of EMS (emergency medical services) and getting my EMT (emergency medical technician) certifications, opening the door to a role as an emergency department technician. I was also a medevac dispatcher, so I kept finding myself in these high-stress, trauma-related scenarios. I would describe it as a “slow burn” over time to where I am now.
Based on your experience across different levels of emergency medicine, what qualities stand out as most important in the field?
The most important qualities are the ability to stay calm in a storm and to treat a wide range of patients, from a 2-day-old baby to a 98-year-old Elder. My experience across different cultures—from Southcentral Alaska to Utqiaġvik to rural Tennessee—has also shaped how I approach care and connect with patients.
What influenced your education journey, and how did you ultimately decide which path was right for you?
In December 2025, I finished my master’s degree in science and health care administration. EMS is hard on family life; the schedules are unpredictable, the shifts are long and most of the work is done on a volunteer basis. I kicked the can around on going to nursing school for many years, and what ultimately clarified my direction was, I was completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology and applying to graduate school. I thought I might want to be an LPC (licensed professional counselor) or LCSW (licensed clinical social worker), working more in the clinical care setting than the acute care setting. I sat for several graduate school interviews, and I realized it wasn’t the path I wanted to be on. Within a month, I was enrolled in nursing school. I wanted to stay in something more tactile in my career; nursing was the best choice.
The Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) serves Alaska Native people from across the state. What does working in that environment mean to you, both professionally and personally?
I’ve been at ANMC for 18 years. What I truly enjoy about ANMC is that it serves Alaska Native people and Tribes from across the state. We’re a hub, so I get to experience every culture to some extent, and that’s impactful and powerful.
I’m the director of nursing for the Emergency Services department. The beauty—and the challenge—of my job is that there is no “typical day.” I like the ever-changing nature of it; if I have a “typical day,” I’m not comfortable. I’ve grown within the department—I’ve been an ER tech, a charge nurse, a supervisor, a manager, and now I’m the director. Having experienced those tiers and knowing those roles, my day-to-day really comes down to asking: How do I make the system better for my staff and for the patients?
You’ve spoken about advice you received early on in your career about leadership and scale. How did that shape your decision to step int a leadership role?
In emergency medicine, you feel the immediate impact you can have at the bedside. Early in my career, a leader challenged me to think about scale—how many people you can reach in a day versus through leadership. That stuck with me.
Today, my department sees about 60,000 patients a year, and that responsibility feels personal. Stepping into leadership has been about improving care at that scale while also helping grow the next generation and better serve populations that have traditionally been underserved.
What drew you to apply for the Nułyah Program, and how has it shaped your perspective on leadership and community?
The Nułyah Program is an opportunity for leadership and professional growth and development, but it’s also a way to give back to the community. I’m only a few months in, but the sessions have been remarkable. I’m learning a lot—about culture and about CIRI—that I hadn’t fully appreciated.
The program has given me a broader perspective and aided my leadership development. We’re all working with a coach, and part of that process is asking, “Where can we see you going in your career?” It’s exciting and new for me to have that perspective, and I’m honored that I was selected.
My advice for anyone looking into the program is to just be yourself. When I interviewed, I told them, “I don’t know much about the Corporation, and I’ve mostly been on the periphery when it comes to being involved with CIRI.” But I also think about how I can do better for my children. My mother is on a similar path, wanting to reconnect with culture. She’s planning to go to Southeast Alaska this summer for the first time in probably 30 years, and I’m hoping to tag along.
