Lee Stephan – Vice President & Corporate Secretary

Born December 28, 1954 in Palmer, Alaska, Lee Stephan attended Chugiak Elementary and Chugiak, West and Galena High Schools while obtaining a general education diploma in 1974. He also attended a vocational school in Kenai to become a certified Marine Deck-hand. Lee tried his hand at corporate board service first time in 1982, lasting one term. After gaining a little more knowledge and experience, he returned to serve the Shareholders of Eklutna, Inc. from 1984-2007, a total of 26 consecutive years of selfless service. Besides being a Board Member, he has held the Board officer posts of Treasurer, Vice-President, and President and held the position of interim Chief Executive Officer from November 2005 to May 2006. He was re-elected to the Board at the 2011 Annual Shareholders Meeting and currently holds the position of Corporate Vice President & Secretary.

From 1986 to 1988, he attempted to secure an Associates degree in business administration from Alaska Pacific University and later University of Alaska, but due to the shear volume of responsibilities, family of four children and a wife, work as the Corporation vice-president, and later tribal administrator for NVE, he surrendered his chance at a degree to service the people. In 1991, he began his career as Tribal Administrator and later titled Chief Executive Officer, to the 1984 reactivated tribal government of the Native Village of Eklutna. In that capacity, Lee served 264 tribal members until May 2006.

Lee was appointed to the Rural Governance Commission in 1998-99, during the Tony Knowles administration. He saw through to the completion of what was named the Millennium Agreement, which was signed between tribes and the State of Alaska. Lee served on the Alaska Federation of Natives Board of Directors; Alaska Inter-Tribal Council; Alaska Native Health Board; Alaska Tribal Health Consortium Board and as an alternate on behalf of AITC on the Rural-Cap board. On behalf of the Native Village of Eklutna, he secured them a seat at the Alaska Tribal Health Compact negotiations with the Indian Health Services in which NVE became one of only two actual tribes, of the thirteen Health Compact co-signer of Alaska, taking over management of the Alaska Native Health Care system.

Mr. Stephan enjoys his time with is grandson Jordon Lee Wilde-Stephan and granddaughter Hailee Marie Adams at his home in Eklutna Village, Alaska, as well as attending to his subsistence lifestyle of hunting and fishing.