Sealaska is looking for a young shareholder to take a seat on its board of directors.
The person selected will be the sixth chosen for a one-year term as youth adviser.
Nicole Hallingstad, the regional Native corporation’s board secretary, says it’s an opportunity to develop leadership skills.
“While they don’t carry a vote in matters the board discusses, they absolutely have a venue to provide their opinion, their insight and even their generational perceptions about the topics that are being discussed,” she says.
The current youth adviser is Alysha Guthrie, who will leave the board in June. She’s studying marketing at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.
Applicants must be tribal-member shareholders with leadership potential. Hallingstad says they also must be college students or graduates.
“The youth adviser position is one way young shareholders can get an inside look into how their company, Sealaska, makes its decisions and the kinds of discussion that happens around the boardroom table. And it really provides that vital experience, discussion and collaboration at a level that they might not have had a chance to experience in their career yet,” she says.
The youth adviser is paid $200 per board meeting. They also get a $2,500 scholarship.
Hallingstad says the youth adviser also participates in community outreach events held in shareholder communities before Sealaska’s June annual meeting.
“They talk about some of the resources that are available to our younger shareholders: scholarships, the internship program (and) any employment opportunities. And they can talk about their experience and encourage people to stay involved with Sealaska,” she says.
The application deadline is March 31st. Paperwork is available on the Sealaska website or here.
