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Sweeney is first female Native Alaskan nominated for top Indian Affairs post
WASHINGTON – Tara Mac Lean
Sweeney, a prominent Alaska Native
leader and acclaimed businesswoman
with the Arctic Slope Regional Corpora-
tion, was nominated as the next assistant
secretary for Indian affairs on Oct. 17.
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate,
Sweeney, a member of the Native Village
of Barrow and the Iñupiat Community of
the Arctic Slope, would be the first Native
Alaskan and only the second woman to
hold the position.
The assistant secretary for Indian
affairs oversees the Department of Inte-
rior’s manifold responsibilities to enhance
the quality of life, promote economic
opportunity and provide quality educa-
tional opportunities for American Indians,
Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives, while
protecting and improving their trust assets.
“Tara is a results-driven team leader
and coalition builder who has an impres-
sive combination of business acumen and
service to her community,” said Interior
Secretary Ryan Zinke. “Her lifelong active
engagement in Native American policy
development and her outreach, advocacy
and organization skills are the combina-
tion we need to carry out the president’s
reform initiative for Indian Country. I look
forward to welcoming her to our leader-
ship team.”
“I am honored to be nominated to
serve Indian Country in this capacity,”
Sweeney said. “My goal is to develop
strong relationships with Tribes, Alaska
Native corporations and Native Hawaiian
organizations to work on innovative solu-
tions for lifting up our communities. I am
motivated to work with Indian Country
to find efficiencies inside the Bureau of
Indian Affairs, improve service delivery
and culturally relevant curriculum in the
Bureau of Indian Education and create a
more effective voice for Tribes throughout
the federal government. I am humbled
by the confidence President Trump and
Secretary Zinke have shown in me and
ready to serve.”
“Secretary Zinke’s nomination of
Tara Sweeny for assistant secretary of
Indian affairs taps a strong advocate for
Native American self-determination and
Tribal self-government for this key leader-
ship position,” said John Tahsuda, acting
assistant secretary of Indian affairs. “Her
extensive organizational knowledge and
collaborative management experience will
well serve Indian Country by reforming
federal policies, empowering Tribal com-
munities and removing barriers to their
economic advancement.”
Sweeney grew up in rural Alaska and
has spent a lifetime actively engaged in
state and national policy arenas focused
on advocating for responsible Indian
energy policy, rural broadband connectiv-
ity, Arctic growth and American Indian
self-determination.
She has served her Arctic Slope
Regional Corporation and its subsidiaries
in a variety of capacities for nearly two
decades. The $2.6 billion corporation is
the largest locally owned and operated
business in Alaska, with about 13,000
Iñupiat Eskimo members and 12,000
employees worldwide. It is diversified
in six major business sectors, including
energy support services, industrial ser-
vices, construction, petroleum refining
and marketing, government services and
resource development.
In her current role as the executive
vice president of external affairs, she is
responsible for all facets of government
affairs and corporate communications.
Her primary responsibilities include
strategic policy and position development,
implementation and execution; engage-
ment with federal and state executive
and legislative branches on improving
policies affecting Indian energy, taxa-
tion, resource development, government
contracting, broadband development and
access to capital; as well as all facets of
corporate communication as official com-
pany spokesperson, including stakeholder
engagement and coalition building.
Sweeney also has served in leader-
ship positions on numerous business and
nonprofit boards at both the state and
national level, including chair of the Arctic
Economic Council in 2015-2017; co-
chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives
(2013); Coast Guard Foundation Board of
Trustees; University of Alaska Foundation
Board of Trustees; FCC Advisory Com-
mittee on Diversity for Communications
in a Digital Age; Analytical Services Inc.;
Kohanic Broadcast Corporation (parent to
the first American Indian-owned, publicly
supported FM radio station); Cherokee
Nation New Market Tax Credit Advisory
Board (CNB Economic Development
Company LLC, beneficiary); Breast Can-
cer Focus Inc.; and Arctic Power.
“In these critical times, Ms. Tara
Sweeney will serve as a strong assistant
secretary for Indian affairs,” said Julie
Kitka, president of the Alaska Federation
of Natives. “Her experience with empow-
ering Native Americans is unparalleled
and she will help all Tribes achieve great
self-determination. There is not a Tribe or
Alaska Native corporation that she would
not help. I have had the opportunity to
work alongside Ms. Sweeney for over a
decade, I’ve seen her in action and she is
driven by results.”
“Tara is a dedicated, hard-working
and fearless leader focused on provid-
ing value and real results across local,
tnational and international boundaries,”
said Gabriel Kompkoff, president of
the ANCSA Regional Association, the
membership association of Alaska Native
Regional Corporation CEOs. “Her pas-
sion shows through in every challenge
she faces.”
Among her honors, Sweeney -- a life-
time member of the National Congress of
American Indians -- was crowned Miss
NCAI in 1993 and traveled the country
as an ambassador for the organization.
In 2003, Gov. Frank Murkowski recog-
nized Sweeney’s passion for rural Alaska,
appointing her to his cabinet as special
assistant for rural affairs and education.
In 2008 she was honored as a “Top
Forty Under 40” business leader by the
Alaska Journal of Commerce. In 2014
her team was honored by the Northwest
Regional Emmy ® Awards for its IAM IÑU-
PIAQ commercial campaign 2014 and also
served as co-chair for Sen. Dan Sullivan’s
(R-AK) successful senate campaign.
In 2017 she was inducted into the
Anchorage ATHENA Society, a program
of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce
that encourages the potential of women as
valued members and leaders of the busi-
ness community.
Born to Dr. Bryan Mac Lean and
the late Rep. Eileen Panigeo Mac Lean,
Sweeney is the granddaughter of the late
May Ahmaogak Panigeo and the late
Henry Panigeo of Barrow. She is the great-
granddaughter of the late Bert and Nellie
Panigeo and Isabel and Dr. Roy Ahmaogak.
She was raised, attended schools and
lived most of her life in rural Alaska in
villages from Noorvik to Wainwright, Bar-
row, Bethel and Unalakleet. She graduated
from Barrow High School in 1991.
A 1998 graduate of Cornell Univer-
sity School of Industrial and Labor Rela-
tions with a Bachelor of Science degree,
Sweeney currently lives in Anchorage with
her husband, Kevin, and their two children,
Caitlin and Ahmaogak.
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“I extend my congratulations and
full support to Tara on her nomination to
serve as assistant secretary,” said Sen. Lisa
Murkowski. “Tara has a very strong record
of professionalism and accomplishment
in Alaska, across the country and inter-
nationally, especially with the indigenous
people of the circumpolar north. She has
significant experience on Arctic issues
and chaired the Arctic Economic Council.
She is an expert on energy, infrastruc-
ture, broadband, economic development,
Native self-determination and a wide
range of policy issues that will come
before her. Secretary Zinke could not have
chosen a better leader to help him fulfill
the federal government’s trust responsibil-
ity and I know Tara has the heart and drive
to excel in this position.”
“I commend the secretary for his
choice of Tara Sweeney for the position
of assistant secretary,” said Jacqueline
Pata (Tlingit), executive director of the
National Congress of American Indians.
“Tara’s diverse experience in the areas
of energy, natural resources and Tribal
governance will be a welcome addition
to the Department of Interior and NCAI
looks forward to working with Tara in her
new capacity.”
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Siletz News
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November 2017