Richard (Chalyee Éesh) Peterson is Tlingit from the Kaagwaantaan clan. He grew up in Kasaan, Alaska and is a life long Alaska Native resident of Southeast Alaska. Prior to being elected as President of the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) in 2014, Chalyee Éesh served as Chief Executive Officer of Prince of Wales Tribal Enterprise Consortium, LLC (POWTEC), President of the Organized Village of Kasaan (OVK), Mayor/City Council Member for the City of Kasaan, and member of the Southeast Island School District Board of Education.
Economic Development. Partnership. Tribal Sovereignty. Community Sustainability. Meeting our Citizens Where They’re At. Healthy Tribes Make Healthy Communities. These are all words that describe Chalyee Éesh’s mission as President of the largest regional tribe in Alaska. His ability to bring culture and business values together through collaborative and proactive partnerships with federal, state, tribal, and municipal governments has gained him national recognition.
He has received numerous awards for his leadership and outstanding dedication to preserving culture and community, including the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s Native American 40 Under 40 award.
Chalyee Éesh currently serves as Chair of the Alaska Tribal Unity, and on the Alaska Federation of Natives, Data for Indigenous Justice Advisory, and Tlingit Haida Tribal Business Corporation boards, United States Forest Service Alaska Tribal Leadership and Tongass Advisory committees, and in various other appointed positions to represent tribal interest on Alaska Native issues.