Sealaska Names Russell Dick President and CEO of Haa Aaní, LLC

The Sealaska Corporation board of directors has named Russell Dick the president and CEO of Haa Aaní, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sealaska. Haa Aaní was formed in 2009 to develop, initiate and stimulate investment to strengthen economic sustainability for communities in Southeast Alaska.

“Sealaska has been developing new markets regionally in the areas of oyster cultivation, renewable energy – specifically biomass to energy, construction grade aggregate development and mineral development,” said Chris E. McNeil Jr., Sealaska president & CEO. “Russell will oversee these developments and is also responsible for developing new and innovative approaches to economic development in the region.”

Sealaska has been one of the largest private, for-profit employers in the region but wants to do more according to Albert Kookesh, Sealaska Corporation board chair. “Our communities are desperate for new sustainable jobs and the Sealaska board has been committed to augmenting our existing presence,” he said. “Haa Aaní, under Russell’s leadership will concentrate these efforts.”

Too often communities hear why new investment can’t happen and great ideas lose momentum or are disregarded altogether according to Mr. Dick. “Sealaska knows the region and its challenges and we have built successful business models here that can apply to multiple industries,” he said. “I am eager to identify barriers to building new business and tackle solutions to remove those barriers.”

“I will begin reaching out to communities to start discussing what type of infrastructure they have, what hurdles they have to economic development whether it’s around transportation, logistics, energy or its around technical capabilities.”

“Sealaska can’t do it by itself. It’s going to take engagement with the state, with the federal government, the communities and with Sealaska to pull together a cohesive strategy that can benefit the region as a whole.”

Mr. Dick is a Sealaska tribal member shareholder and was raised in the village of Hoonah. “I have seen the benefits of having jobs in those communities. I’ve experienced, I’ve grown up around it and I can see the difference in attitude of how people live and lifestyles when you have those particular opportunities,” he said. “With the vision of the Sealaska board and the resources behind Haa Aaní we will create new entrepreneurial activity that will strengthen the region.”

He has served Sealaska in multiple capacities since 1996, most recently as the corporation’s vice president of corporate development. He has served in the corporation’s natural resources group as an engineer, the diversity solutions group as director and as group operations director of Sealaska’s subsidiary group.

Mr. Dick is Eagle of the Wolf House, Kaagwaantaan. He holds a Masters of Science Degree in Management from Stanford University Sloan School of Business, a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in business/accounting from the University of Phoenix.

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