Julie Kitka, Chugach, was a long-serving president of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) and served on Chugach’s Board for more than two decades. In 2021, Kitka received the Walter J. Hickel Award for Distinguished Public Policy Leadership. She also received the 2022 Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Awards (ILA) for her tireless commitment to ensuring and advancing the rights of Alaska Natives.