George Sielak, A director, President
George Sielak resides in Nuiqsut, Alaska, and is the son of the late Beverly Sielak. He has been serving as the Land Manager for Kuukpik Corporation for the past five years and currently holds the position of President.
George has been a Board Director at Kuukpik Corporation since 2018, a member of the Finance Committee since 2019, and a Trustee for the Distribution Settlement Trust since 2021. He also served on the ASRC Board of Directors from 1992 to 2019, where he held roles such as Vice Chairman, Executive Committee member, and various other committee positions. Additionally, he was a Board Member and Chair of the Arctic Education Foundation from 1995 to 2019.
Richard Reich, a director, Chairman
Richard Reich, lives in Anchorage, Alaska. He is the son of the late Emily (Ipalook) Wilson. Richard earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in 1988, and an MBA from the University of Alaska, Anchorage in 2001. He is a Registered Civil Engineer in Alaska.
Richard has held various managerial roles over the past five years. He is currently the General Manager at Eskimos Inc. (2019-present) and previously served as General Manager at ASRC Community Economic Development and UIC Lands, LLC. Prior to that, he was Operations Manager at UMIAQ Environmental, LLC.
In addition to his managerial roles, Richard is currently the Chairman of the Board and has been a member of its Board of Directors since 2020. He has also been a Trustee of the Kuukpik Corporation Distribution Settlement Trust since 2021.
Joe Nukapigak, A director
Joseph (Joe) Nukapigak Sr., lives in Anchorage, Alaska. He is the son of the late Ruth and Edward Nukapigak. Joe has served as President of Kuukpik Corporation from 2014 – 2024, following his role as Land Manager.
He has 30 years of experience on the Kuukpik Corporation Board and is a Trustee for the Kuukpik Corporation Distribution Settlement Trust (2021-present). Previously, he served as a Board Member for the Nuiqsut Utility Cooperative from 2018 to 2020 and was the President of Nanuq, Inc.
Isaac Nukapigak, a director
Isaac Nukapigak lives in Anchorage, Alaska, and is the son of the late Ruth and Edward Nukapigak. He has been the President of Nanuq, Inc. since 2016, strengthening the company and its partnership with AFC. Previously, he served as President of Kuukpik Corporation from 2002 to 2016 and helped create the Kuukpik Foundation and Transportation Company, as well as the Nuiqsut Utility Cooperative. Isaac has also been Fire Chief (1984-2001) and Nuiqsut Whaling Captain (2002-2016), and he served as a Commissioner on the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission during that time. He is currently the Treasurer of the Kuukpik Board and a Trustee for the Kuukpik Corporation Distribution Settlement Trust, having been a board member since 1989.
Gordon Brown II, a director
Gordon Brown, Jr., resides in Nuiqsut, Alaska. He is the son of Irene and Johnny Ahnupkana. During the past 5 years, Gordon has been employed by the North Slope Borough. He is the Lead Heavy Equipment Operator for Public Works in Nuiqsut. He has served Kuukpik Corporation as a Director since 1999. In addition to his role on the Board, Gordon serves as a Director for Nanuq Inc. and a Trustee for the Kuukpik Corporation Distribution Settlement Trust. Gordon currently represents Kuukpik Corporation on the Kuukpikmiut Subsistence Oversight Panel Board of Directors.
Eli Nukapigak, a director
Eli Nukapigak, lives in Noatak, Alaska. He is the son of Ruth and Edward Nukapigak and attended Chemawa Indian School from 1968 to 1971. Now retired, Eli worked on ice road projects with Nanuq, Inc. from the 1980s until 2001. He has been a Director of Kuukpik Corporation since 2016 and a Trustee for the Kuukpik Corporation Distribution Settlement Trust since 2021. His other directorships include the Alaska Nanuq Co-Management Council and the North Slope Borough Planning Commission, among others.
Dora Leavitt, a director
Dora Leavitt lives in Nuiqsut, Alaska, and is the wife of a whaling captain. She is the daughter of Ruth and Edward Nukapigak. Dora graduated from Nuiqsut Trapper High School in 1983 and then attended American Indian College in Phoenix for two years. In 1995, she received her Heavy Equipment Operator certificate from Ilisagvik College. Dora has held various roles, including Subsistence Representative and HR Manager at Kuukpik Corporation, and currently serves as a Director on its Board a Trustee of the Kuukpik Corporation Distribution Settlement Trust, and Chair of the Kuukpik Heirship Committee. She has also been a Trustee at Ilisagvik College and a member of the Nuiqsut Trapper School Advisory Council.
Bernice Kaigelak, a director
Bernice Kaigelak resides in Nuiqsut, Alaska, where she is a whaling captain and a member of the Nuiqsut Whaling Captains’ Association. She is the daughter of the late Mark and Nannie Pausanna and has spent the last five years teaching the Inupiat language at Trapper School in the North Slope Borough School District.
Bernice has worked in various roles within Kuukpik Corporation from 2007-2010. Bernice has been a Director of Kuukpik Corporation since 2001 and a Trustee of the Kuukpik Corporation Distribution Settlement Trust since 2022, also serving as Vice President and Chair of the Finance Committee.
Her other leadership roles include Chair of the Arctic Slope Native Association, a board member of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and Chair of the Nuiqsut Utility Cooperative.
Class B Directors
Jerry Brower, B director
Jerry Brower lives in Nuiqsut, Alaska, and is the son of Carl and Wendy Brower. He previously attended Stanford University and has worked as an Accounting Clerk for the City of Nuiqsut and as a bookkeeper for Kuukpik Corporation (2019 – 2022). Other roles include recreation supervisor for the City of Nuiqsut (2020) and maintenance work for the North Slope Borough School District (2019). He was also with the Native Village of Nuiqsut from 2019 to 2020. Since 2021, Jerry has been a Director on the Kuukpik Board and a Trustee for the Kuukpik Corporation Distribution Settlement Trust.
Roxanna Oyagak, B director
Roxanna Oyagak, resides in Utqiagvik, Alaska. She is the daughter of Joy & the late Roxy Oyagak, Jr. Roxanna received her Associate’s degree in Business Management from Ilisagvik College. She has obtained certificates for completion of Business Specialist II Certification, Finance Workshop, and CAD Drafting. She has worked for UIC in multiple roles since 2008, including Project Assistant, Controller, and Accounting Manager (2008 – 2020). She also worked as the Fiscal Manager for the North Slope Borough (2019-2020). Roxanna is a Deacon of the Presbyterian Church. She has served as a B Director on the Kuukpik Board since 2021 and as a Trustee for the Kuukpik Corporation Distribution Settlement Trust since 2021. Roxanna has served on the Nanuq Inc. Board as Secretary since 2023.