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President's Report
June 2007
As the days grow longer,
summer provides us with the perfect opportunity to enjoy
the outdoors and affirm once again, the great beauty
and natural resources in Alaska. To me, the shareholders
are The Aleut Corporation’s greatest natural resource.
With that in mind, I am excited that this season provides
me with the opportunity to travel throughout the state
to meet with shareholders and explore our great communities.
Village Visits
The 2007 village visits successfully kicked off on May
9th, with our first stop being St. Paul. I am happy
to report a record turn-out for the shareholder informational
meeting in St. Paul. Originally, the village visits
were scheduled to begin in St. George; however, the
weather provided obstacles that thwarted our five attempts
to travel to St. George. I guess that is why we call
it a “tentative” schedule. The visit to
St. George will be rescheduled. Be sure to watch for
the announcement of that new date.
I am very much looking forward to visiting
the other villages: Unalaska, Nikolski, Atka, Akutan,
Sand Point, Nelson Lagoon, False Pass and King Cove.
Please be flexible. We never know when weather or other
obstacles may cause us to reschedule. If that becomes
the case, TAC will keep you posted on those dates if
things should change. At each village shareholder informational
meeting, there will be a drawing for a free round-trip
ticket to the shareholders meeting in October. Be sure
to attend your village meeting so you can participate
in this drawing.
Annual Meeting
October is right around the corner and our shareholder
department is already preparing for the annual meeting.
Nomination packets for running for the board of directors
are available until July 13th, and election packets
should be out by August. Please remember to keep your
address current with the shareholder department and
keep watch for your election material. Your vote is
very important to TAC. We encourage as many of you as
possible to vote online.
The Sand Point Aleut Dancers were a
big hit at last year’s shareholder meeting. The
annual meeting is enriched so much when we share our
culture and traditions with one another. It is our goal
to include another Aleut dance group at this year’s
shareholder meeting. If you have a dance group in your
community, be sure to contact us. All ages are invited
to participate. Please plan to attend the annual shareholder’s
meeting!
AFN
The Alaska Federation of Natives Convention (AFN) will
immediately follow the annual shareholders meeting in
October . AFN is scheduled to be in Fairbanks this year.
I would like to encourage a strong turn out so the Aleuts
are well represented in 2007. In order to support this
effort, The Aleut Foundation is providing scholarships.
Interested shareholders and descendants should contact
The Aleut Foundation for more information.
Shareholder Picnics
Summer is also the time for annual picnics. The Aleut
Foundation’s 6th annual picnic is scheduled for
Tuesday, July 17th. This year TAF is celebrating its
20th anniversary. Last year we had a record turn-out
for the picnic and I hope we can repeat that success
again. Troy Johnson, TAC’s new CEO, will be in
attendance. This will be an excellent time to meet him
and his family. In August, I will be in Seattle attending
the joint Pacific Northwest Aleut Council and Washington
Aleut Dance Education’s shareholders picnic. The
picnic is scheduled for August 12th in Ferndale. Please
plan to join us if you can.
I would also like to congratulate all
of the 2007 college and high school graduates! This
is a big milestone for each of one you. Best of luck
as you move on to your next adventure.
At the end of February, I celebrated
my 1st year anniversary as the President of The Aleut
Corporation. It has been a great year, both personally
and professionally. Looking back on the year, the biggest
highlights have been meeting face to face with the shareholders.
I am so pleased to be a part of this organization and
I am honored to be working for the TAC shareholders.
I look forward to serving you for many more years.
Thomas Mack
President
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