At RES 2012, Alaskan Congressman Don Young (right) received the NCAIED Congressional Lifetime Achievement Award. NANA Development Corporation President Helvi Sandvik (right) thanked Congressman Young on behalf of Alaska Natives, Native Americans and Native Hawaiians, saying, “Few lawmakers have been as diligent promoting, protecting and preserving economic opportunities for the indigenous peoples ...of these United States.” (Left to right: National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development Interim President and CEO Gary Davis, NDC Board Members Dood Lincoln and Linda Lee, Congressman Young (R-Ak), National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development Board Chairwoman Margo Proctor Gray, and Sandvik.

It’s about economic opportunity, growing businesses and creating jobs for America’s first people.

The Reservation Economic Summit and American Indian Trade Fair (RES 2012) held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nev., from Feb. 27 to March 1, brought more than 5,000 people from Alaska, Florida, Turkey—and hundreds of points in between—looking to network and create partnerships in new business sectors and geographic markets.

The event is sponsored by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED).

Events at RES include a trade show with hundreds of vendors, a procurement pavilion with “speed dating” for contractors to find partners, and educational sessions, including updates on federal procurement regulations.

NANA Development Corporation (NDC) President Helvi Sandvik participated in presenting Alaska Congressman Don Young (R-AK) the NCAIED Congressional Lifetime Achievement Award. Congressman Young was re-elected to serve his 20th as Alaska’s only Representative to the United States House of Representatives.

The conference keynote speaker was professional golfer Notah Begay III, a Native American entrepreneur with an impressive resume of his own. Begay is the only full-blooded Native American on the PGA TOUR. His Native American owned consulting business develops golf properties. A graduate of Stanford, when not on the golf course, he dedicates his time to positively impact the Native American community.

http://res2012.biz/

Funded by the Small Business Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on September 27, 2010, the Small Business Teaming Pilot Program is designed to help small businesses work together to compete for federal contracts, grow, and ultimately create jobs. SBA grants have been awarded to the National 8(a) Association and 10 other organizations for the training, counseling, and mentoring of small businesses that wish to partner and develop relationships in order to compete for larger federal contracts. These teaming partnerships may take shape as joint ventures or as mentor/protégé relationships.

The National 8(a) Association has been awarded $500,000, the greatest amount received by any Small Business Teaming Pilot Program awardee, to help small businesses learn how to work and grow together.

“There are a lot of small businesses that don’t understand how the federal process works,” National 8(a) Association President Perry said. “It’s very different from the commercial world.”

Small businesses must learn how to understand and meet the federal procurement criteria, which can be very specific and vary from agency to agency. With the funds from its SBA grant, the National 8(a) Association will hire new staff and hold four annual conferences for businesses that want to land large government contracts.

“Government contracts are a crucial source of revenue for small businesses,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. “The teaming pilot program will help small businesses grow and create jobs by giving them the tools they need to work together on larger contracts.”

Relationship building and education are critical for small businesses that want to succeed in the world of federal contracting, according to Perry.

“We’re hiring folks to actually help with facilitating relationships that lead to large contracts between the small businesses and the federal government,” Perry said. “Our job will be to take qualified small businesses, get them together with other qualified small businesses, and help them succeed in securing large federal contracts.”

Perry also expressed his gratitude to the SBA for the funding that will help the organization reach out to an unprecedented number of small businesses:

“With the additional funding, we can continue our mission of educating and bringing small businesses together to work with the federal government.”

NDC Vice President of Business Development Clyde Gooden, right, and U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Javier Palomarez, left, talk at the National 8(a) Conference.

The National 8(a) Association welcomed nearly 500 attendees who gathered to build relationships, make connections and learn more about the business of government contracting at its 2012 Winter Conference, Feb. 7-8.

Held at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in Orlando, Fla., the Winter Conference attracted approximately twice as many attendees as the 2011 conference and provided ample opportunities for participants to develop relationships with government agencies and potential business partners, such as the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Association, Balfour Beatty and Boeing.

Attendee Clyde Gooden, Vice President of Business Development for Alaska’s NANA Development Corp., said the Winter Conference is a perfect way to foster relationships with current and potential partners.

“You have the SBA who’s going to show you how to contract, you have the government agencies that are going to give you a contract and you have large private industry who might be the right partner to mentor you into that role,” Gooden says.

This year, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) selected the National 8(a) Association as one of 11 participants in a pilot program to create jobs and encourage collaboration between small businesses to help acquire large federal contracts. One such example of the National 8(a) Association’s collaborative efforts is its work forging an understanding between the Alaska Native and

Hispanic business communities. At one time the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was critical of Alaska Native corporations, but under the leadership of president Ron Perry, the National 8(a) Association worked to open lines of communication.

“They believed we had an unfair bidding advantage in the federal contracting arena. Ron was able to explain what Alaska Native corporations are all about. He was able to bridge that relationship,” Gooden said.

Capitalizing on the success of that effort, Perry expanded the Association’s goodwill efforts by inviting the African-American business community to the 2012 Winter Conference.

Conference offerings were geared toward companies with all levels of involvement in the 8(a) program and included two course tracks. Track I classes were geared toward businesses that are new to the program or still considering participation, while Track II classes were designed for businesses that have “matured” within 8(a). Offerings also included presentations from federal agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services, the State Department, and the Defense Intelligence Agency, as well as opportunities for networking.

Jacksonville Job Corps Center Director Kenderson Hill (right), Wellness Manager Jeanette Dunlap (left) and Duval County Health Department representative Funmi Borisade, RNC (center) sign an agreement to partner on enhanced health services for Job Corps students.

Chugach Alaska Corp. subsidiary Chugach Education Services Inc. (CESI) is partnering with a local government to ensure the young people it serves are on the path to a lifetime of healthy habits.

CESI operates Florida’s Jacksonville Job Corps Center through an 8(a) contract, providing operations, training, management and maintenance services for the center, at which more approximately 525 students are enrolled. Recently, CESI established a partnership with the local Duval County Health Department to provide enhanced health services to more than 350 students, including wellness and nutrition programs that will help establish lifelong patterns of healthy living.

Earlier this year, the national Job Corps program, a service of the U.S. Department of Labor, asked all 125 centers nationwide to participate in its Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyles (HEALS) program, which aims to reduce obesity and incorporate exercise into students’ and staff’s daily lives. CEIS kicked off its HEALS initiative with the help of the Duval County Health Department in September. Now, a grant provided by the Health Department will support a variety of initiatives at the Jacksonville Job Corps Center to help students develop healthy lifestyle habits in addition to the educational and professional skills they’re learning.

“The one-year grant in the amount of $16,500 will greatly enhance our student services,” Center Director Kenderson Hill said. “The Health Department has been a tremendous community partner of Job Corps and continues to focus on the health and well-being of the whole Jackson community.”

Job Corps helps young people earn a high school diploma or GED while learning the skills they need to find meaningful careers as carpenters, electricians, certified nurse assistants, office administrators and pharmacy technicians, as well as in other professions and trades. In addition to the Jacksonville center, Chugach Alaska subsidiaries support Job Corps Centers in New Mexico, Washington, D.C., Oregon, Iowa and Alaska.

Kevin J. Allis is the new Executive Director of the Native American Contractors Association.

Kevin J. Allis, a Forest County Potawatomi Tribal member and an attorney with experience in government contracting, has been named Executive Director of the Native American Contractors Association (NACA).

Allis is chairman of the board of directors of the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation, the tribe’s government contracting arm, and comes to NACA with a strong background in tribal issues as well as procurement.

“We welcome Kevin to NACA with enthusiasm,” NACA Chairman Lance Morgan said. “Kevin has experience working with tribes throughout Indian Country and has led his tribes’ efforts to expand into the government contracting arena.”

Prior to joining NACA, Allis practiced law for nearly a decade, working for PilieroMazza, PLLC, a well-known government contracting law firm that specializes in serving small businesses in the 8(a) program, and Kollman & Saucier P.A., a Maryland employment and civil practice law firm. He previously worked in law enforcement for seven years.

“Kevin is a strong asset for NACA and the Native community. I am thrilled to have him join our team and I look forward to working with him on Native 8(a) issues,” said Sarah Lukin, who served as Interim Executive Director while the Board of Directors conducted a nationwide search for a permanent executive. She has since returned to Alaska and resumed her full-time position as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Afognak Native Corporation, as well as her seat on the NACA Board of Directors.

Allis stepped into his new role on Feb. 27, and he and Lukin worked closely together to ensure a smooth transition.

“I understand the unique economic development challenges tribes face and the hope and opportunity Native 8(a) brings our people,” Allis said. “I am very excited to join the NACA team and look forward to working with NACA members and the Native community to advocate for the Native 8(a) program and provide meaningful training and business opportunities for our members.”

Nuuciq Spirit Camp is one of several summer cultural programs for Alaska Native youth funded in part by profits from Native 8(a) enterprises.

Two cultural camps and an archeological dig – supported, in part, by profits from Native 8(a) enterprises – help Alaska Native youth learn about their Native culture and traditional ways and develop into well-rounded productive adults.

Studies show that Native youth who know about their culture are less likely to engage in gang activity, develop drug and alcohol problems and drop out of school.

Nuuciq Spirit Camp

On the shores of Nuchek Island in Prince William Sound, children and elders of the Chugach people spend time together to relive their heritage. The camp is designed to raise awareness of the origin and history of the people in the Prince William Sound and to heighten awareness of their history and culture. Activities include gathering and preparing subsistence foods, language lessons, woodcarving, beading, traditional singing and dancing. Storytelling with Elders provides important lessons in culture, history and learning the values of the Chugach community.

For the last six years, the Nuuciq Spirit camp has brought together the young and old in celebration of our thousands of years of occupation as the original settlers of this great land.

Funding for the free camp comes from Chugach Alaska Corp. and applications are now being accepted. More information is available at www.chugach-ak.com/whoweare/cultural/pages/nuuciqspiritcamp.aspx.

Camp Sivunnigvik

In Northwest Alaska, Camp Sivunniigvik (Camp Sivu) teaches today’s youth the lessons and values of the Iñupiaq people. Camp Sivu is a weeklong summer recreation camp located on the banks of the Kobuk River east of Kotzebue.

At Camp Sivu, children learn traditional crafts from elders, the oral history of their people and many other essential skills that have enabled the Inupiat to survive in the harsh climate that is now Alaska for more than 10,000 years. More information is available at http://aqqaluktrust.com/camp_sivu/.

Dig Afognak

On Afognak Island in the Gulf of Alaska, Koniag Inc. and Afognak Native Corp. sponsor Dig Afognak, under the auspices of the Native Village of Afognak.

Dig Afognak began in 1993 as part of a community-wide effort to regain, restore and carry forward the light of the region’s Alutiiq’s ancestral culture. As the program developed, traditional cultural activities and youth camps joined the itinerary. Now, Dig Afognak has transformed into a haven for cultural exploration and this season heralds a series of cultural immersion programs to light the past and spark the future.

Three internship opportunities are available. More information is available at www.afognak.org/html/dig-afognak.php.

The National Safety Council is the nation’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to saving lives by preventing injuries and deaths. Less than 2 percent of the Council’s 53,000 members received awards.

Alutiiq’s Hawaii Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) received the National Safety Council Safety Leadership Award. To qualify for this award a company, unit and/or facility must have achieved a minimum of five consecutive “perfect record” years operating without incurring occupational injury or illness to an employee or subcontractor. The Hawaii project was overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District.

To win a Perfect Record Award, a project must have 12 consecutive months without an occupational injury or illness to an employee or subcontractor and a minimum of 10,000 employee hours worked during the time period. Three Alutiiq Construction projects received the Perfect Record Award in 2011:

• Fort Bragg Single Award Task Order Contract (SATOC), which was overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District. Fort Bragg is located near Fayetteville, N.C.
• Fort Bliss-Patriot Battalion Company Operation Facilities (COF), which was overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District. Fort Bliss is located in El Paso, Texas.
• Fort Hood Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC), which was overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District. Fort Hood is located in Killeen, Texas.

“Alutiiq is honored to receive these awards, which are an affirmation of our commitment to safe and exemplary work by our dedicated employees and highly skilled contractors,” said Dick Hobbs, Alutiiq’s President and CEO.