Dgheyey Kaq’, Dena’inaq ełnen’aq’ qilan (Anchorage, Alaska, lands of the Dena’ina)

First Alaskans Institute Welcomes Three New Trustees to the Board of Trustees

First Alaskans Institute (FAI) is honored to announce the addition of three new Trustees: Valli L. Peterson, Advisor, Stakeholder Engagement at ConocoPhillips; Antoinette Mallott, longtime Alaska educator and village corporation leader; and Aaron Leggett, President/Chief of the Native Village of Eklutna.

These distinguished leaders join FAI at a time of tremendous opportunity to strengthen leadership, advocacy, and policy work for Alaska and for our peoples. Their depth of experience will help guide FAI in service to its vision: progress for the next 10,000+ years.

First Alaskans Institute is a statewide Alaska Native nonprofit advancing Alaska Native voices in decision‑making roles at all levels and cultivating leadership from birth to Ancestor. FAI is driven by its mission: True to identity, heritage, and values, Alaska Natives are informed and engaged in leading the decisions that shape the future. The organization is guided by the core values of Integrity, Respect, Native Knowledge, and Responsibility.

About the New Trustees

Antoinette Mallott – Educator, Advocate, and Village Corporation Leader offers more than 40 years of leadership in Alaska education, community advocacy, and organizational governance. A lifelong Alaskan, Mallott has served as a teacher, librarian, ESL educator, parent liaison, and site council facilitator in the Juneau and Yakutat school districts. She has a deep commitment to strengthening student self‑esteem, supporting parents as partners in education, and ensuring equity for students with learning, physical, and emotional disabilities.

Her statewide service includes chairing the Commissioner’s Task Force on Native Achievement, participating in the ESSA Task Force, and providing decades of leadership to Baan o yeel kon Corporation—the village corporation of Rampart, Alaska—where she currently chairs the Scholarship Committee.

Mallott holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Elementary Education from the University of Alaska and is recognized for her strong communication skills, community‑centered approach, and ability to build thoughtful, culturally grounded solutions that support Alaska Native children and families.

Valli Lenee Peterson – Advisor, Stakeholder Engagement, ConocoPhillips Alaska is a respected Alaska professional whose 20 plus years of experience span workforce development, tribal and community engagement, strategic planning, and organizational governance and Alaska Fisheries. She currently serves as Advisor for Stakeholder Engagement at ConocoPhillips Alaska, where she leads statewide workforce initiatives, career pathway partnerships, and culturally informed community engagement efforts.

Peterson has extensive experience collaborating with tribal governments, Alaska Native corporations, nonprofits, state and federal agencies, and academic institutions. Her earlier roles as Village Outreach Liaison at ConocoPhillips, Stakeholder Engagement Advisor at HDR, and Staff Scientist at ASRC Energy Services reflect her long-standing commitment to elevating local voices and strengthening rural Alaska partnerships.

Beyond her professional work, she serves as Vice Chair of the Alaska Excel Board, previously served as Secretary and Chair of the Skiku Board, and is an active participant in several community-based leadership roles. Peterson holds a B.S. in Fisheries from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and is a graduate of the BBNC Leadership Development Program.                              

Aaron Leggett – President/Chief, Native Village of Eklutna brings more than two decades of expertise in Alaska Native history, cultural stewardship, and community leadership. Leggett serves as Senior Curator of Alaska History and Indigenous Cultures at the Anchorage Museum, where he has advanced major exhibits, published extensive scholarship on Dena’ina culture, and contributed to national and international understanding of Alaska Native peoples.

His leadership roles include serving as President/Chief of the Native Village of Eklutna (2018–present), longtime member of the Cook Inlet Historical Society, advisor to the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center at the Anchorage Museum, and contributor to multiple statewide cultural and historical committees.

A published author of books and academic works, Leggett has received numerous awards including the Alaska Historical Society’s Esther Billman Award for Excellence, the AFN President’s Culture Bearer Award, the CIRI Shareholder of the Year Award, and the Alaska Governor’s Award for the Humanities. Leggett holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

For more information, please contact:

First Alaskans Institute
[email protected]
www.firstalaskans.org