by Thom Leonard
Per bylaws, officers elected following annual meeting.
The Calista (cha-LIS-tuh) Corporation Board of Directors elected officers following the successful Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Each officer serves a one-year term.
Robert Beans is elected as Board Chair, Margaret Pohjola (poi-YO-la) elected as Vice Chair, Johnny Evan (ee-VAN) as Secretary, and Marcie Sherer (sh-EER-er) as Treasurer.
Beans was first elected to the Board in 2012. He has previously served as Board Secretary, as well as on various Board committees. He currently serves on the board for Alaska Village Electric Cooperative. His previous experience includes work on the Rural Alaska Sanitation Council, Mountain Village’s Asa’carsarmiut Tribal Council and ANCSA village corporation, Azachorok, Inc, and various other councils. A veteran and former law enforcement officer, he was Honorably Discharged as Captain from the Alaska Army National Guard with nearly 20 years of service.
“The values I learned growing up in Mountain Village continue to guide me today,” said Beans. “Calista must continue to enhance Shareholder services as demographics change. Enrollment is growing in population, and the average age of Shareholders is going down.”
Pohjola has served since 1987 and is a past Chair. She has held various accounting roles with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Cook Inlet Tribal Council and the Alaska State Employee Association. Evan was elected to the Board in 2013, is a former Tribal Services Director for AVCP, and retired as Major from the Alaska Army National Guard.
Sherer previously served on the Board from 2012-2015, has worked for Cook Inlet Housing Authority since 2010, formerly as vice president of finance and currently as vice president of community advancement.
Thom Aparuk Leonard is the Corp. Communications & Public Relations Manager for the Calista Corporation.
