TCC 2020 Election Results

Fairbanks, Alaska — This afternoon, October 13^th, 2020, the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) Full Board of Director’s voted to elect new leadership for TCC. TCC by-laws call for the election of positions by delegates during the Annual Tanana Chiefs Conference Full Board Meeting, however the original meeting that was scheduled for March 16^th through March 19^th was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The election results are as follows:

• TCC President/Chairman (previously held by Victor Joseph) – “PJ” Pollack B. Simon, Jr.
• TCC Executive Board of Directors
  • Upper Tanana Subregion; Herbie Demit– 3 year term (2020-23)
  • Yukon Koyukuk Subregion; Carl Burgett – 3 year term (2020-23)
• TCC Regional Health Board
  • Yukon Flats Subregion; Patricia Salmon – 3 year term (2020-23)
  • Upper Kuskokwim Subregion: Agnes Tony – 3 year term (2020-23)
• TCC Education Council
  • Lower Yukon Subregion, Vacant – 3 year term (2020-23)
  • Yukon Tanana Subregion, Phyllis Erhart – 3 year term (2020-23)
• Interior Athabascan Tribal College Board Trustees
  • Upper Kuskokwim Subregion – Martha Runkle – 3 year term (2020-23)
  • Upper Tanana Subregion – Gerald Albert – 3 year term (2020-23)
• AFN Interior Village Representative –
  • Julie Roberts-Hyslop – 1 year term (2020-21)
• IRHA Board of Commissioners –
  • Fred Bifelt – 3 year term (2020-23)

Tribal members representing 42 communities from across Interior Alaska gathered today virtually and in person for the Annual Convention. In person attendees of the convention were only limited to the tribal delegates, candidates and their spouses, and key TCC staff.

TCC Executive Board of Directors

OFFICER POSITIONS

TCC Chief/Chairman – 3 year term (2020 – 2023)Currently Victor Joseph, Tanana

Official Candidates:

• Edward Alexander, Ft Yukon
• William C. “Spud” Williams, Nenana
• Pollack B. Simon, Jr., Allakaket
• Ethan Schutt, Tanana
• Jerry Isaac, Tanacross

SUBREGIONAL POSITIONS

Upper Tanana Subregion – 3 year term (2020 – 2023) Currently William ‘Chaaiy’ Albert, Northway

Official Candidates:

• William C. Albert, Northway
• Herbert Demit, Tanacross

Yukon Koyukuk Subregion – 3 year term (2020 – 2023) Currently Norman ‘Carl’ Burgett, Huslia

Official Candidates:

• Norman ‘Carl’ Burgett, Huslia
• Katie Kangas, Ruby
  • Charlie Green, Louden (Galena) *Respectfully withdrawn on 9/2/20

TCC ADVISORY BOARDS

TCC REGIONAL HEALTH BOARD

Yukon Flats  Subregion – 3 year term (2020 – 2023)  Currently Patricia Salmon, Chalkyitsik

Official Candidates:

• Patricia Salmon, Chalkyitsik

Upper Kuskowkim Subregion – 3 year term (2020 – 2023)  Currently Vacant

• Agnes Tony, Nikolai

TCC EDUCATION COUNCIL

Lower Yukon Subregion -3 year term (2020 – 2023) – Currently Nathan Elswick, Anvik

Official Candidates:

• None

Yukon Tanana Subregion – 3 year term (2020 – 2023) Currently Phyllis Erhart, Tanana

Official Candidates:

• Phyllis Erhart, Tanana

Interior Athabascan Tribal College Board of Trustees

Upper Kuskokwim Subregion — 3 year term (2020 – 2023) –currently Vacant

Official Candidates:

• Martha Runkle, Nikolai

Upper Tanana Subregion — 3 year term (2020 – 2023) – currently Gerald Albert, Northway

Official Candidates:

• Gerald Albert, Northway

IRHA Board of Commissioners

Seat E – 3 year term (2020 – 2023)~ Currently Marvin Deacon, Grayling

Official Candidates:

• Pat McCarty, Ruby
• Marvin Deacon, Grayling
• Wilmina “Daisy” Stevens, Ft Yukon
• Fred Bifelt, Huslia
• Josh Cadzow, Ft Yukon

AFN Village Representative

The AFN
Village Representative will no longer be elected at the TCC Convention;
it will be elected annually at the AFN convention by the AFN member
Interior tribes and village corporations.

Declaration of Candidacy

Individuals who want to declare themselves a candidate for any of the above seats must submit a written, signed and dated letter of intent between 8:00 AM-January 31, 2019 and 5:00 PM-March 6th, 2020. We recommend that you confirm receipt of your letter of intent with the TCC Executive Secretary prior to March 6th. We may not know of the submission of your letter of intent; but we can confirm the receipt of your letter of intent.

Written, signed and dated letter of intent between 8:00 AM February 6, 2020 and 5:00 PM March 6^th, 2020 must be delivered to:

Tanana Chiefs Conference
ATTN:  Norma Dahl, Executive Secretary
122 First Avenue, Suite 600
Fairbanks, AK  99701
FAX # (907) 459-3884

 A copy of the elections rules can be requested by contacting Natasha Singh, General Counsel, at ext. 3008

Eligibility Criteria

OFFICER POSITIONS

• Officers must be members of a member village of the corporation and eligible to be selected as a Director of a member village. (Article 5, Section 1)
• Must successfully pass an ICP A and (DHSS) Alaska Barrier Crimes Act Background check. (See also Executive Board Policy 50-5003).
• Compliance with the TCC Board of Directors’ Drug and Alcohol Free Policy #50- 5001 applies to all TCC Executive and Health Advisory Board of Directors, with the exception of the Chief/Chair of the Board who is an employee who follows the employee policy. All candidates must take and pass a drug test prior to March 6, 2020, according to this policy in order to serve their term if elected.

SUBREGIONAL POSITIONS

• Must be a current village director, as authorized by tribal/village resolution. (Article 7, Section 4)
• Must be residents of the State of Alaska and Alaska Native members of member villages of the corporation. (Article 4, Section 1)
• Except for the President, full-time employees of the corporation shall not be eligible to serve as directors or officers of the Corporation. (Article 4, Section 2)
• Must successfully pass (DHSS) Alaska Barrier Crimes Act Background check. (See also Executive Board Policy 50-5003).
• Compliance with the TCC Board of Directors’ Drug and Alcohol Free Policy #50- 5001 applies to all TCC Executive Board and Health Advisory Board of Directors, with the exception of the Chief/Chair of the Board who is an employee who follows the employee policy. All candidates must take and pass a drug test prior to March 6, 2020, according to this policy in order to serve their term if elected.

TCC ADVISORY BOARDS

•  Must successfully pass the (DHSS) Alaska Barrier Crimes Act Background check.(See also Executive Board Policy 50-5003).
• Compliance with the TCC Board of Directors’ Drug and Alcohol Free Policy #50- 5001 applies to all TCC Executive and Health Advisory Board of Directors, with the exception of the Chief/Chair of the Board who is an employee who follows the employee policy. All candidates must take and pass a drug test prior to March 6, 2020, according to this policy in order to serve their term if elected. 

IRHA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

• Must be eligible to serve on TCC Board of Directors
• Employees of TCC or IRHA are not eligible to serve as IRHA Commissioners (Article 7, Section 7)

Election Rules

ICPA BACKGROUND CHECK INFORMATION:

The TCC Executive Board has made the commitment to comply with current laws, Board policies and advocate for reasonable changes in background check requirements. As part of compliance, TCC Executive Board and Health Advisory Board candidates must submit their complete background check application which includes fingerprints by February 14, 2020 submitted to Heather Rogers, Human Resources Director, at the TCC main office, ext. 3155. This allows enough time for the background check to be complete. Only those candidates that pass the background check will be eligible to continue as official candidates for the March 19, 2020 election. This process was mandated in the 2014 Presidential Election as well.

Compliance with the TCC Board of Directors’ Drug and Alcohol Free Policy #50-5001 applies to all TCC Executive and Health Advisory Board of Directors, with the exception of the Chief/Chair of the Board who is an employee who follows the employee policy.  The policy is also subject to the provisions of all tribal, state, and federal laws. All candidates must take and pass a drug test prior to March 6, 2020, according to this policy in order to serve their term if elected.  Please contact Heather Rogers, Human Resources Director, at the TCC main office, ext. 3155 to arrange a drug test.