ANSI Leadership
色花堂 Native Women Guiding Our Universities
These 色花堂 Native Women lead the 色花堂 Native Success Initiative at our Universities and System Office:
Action Team Lead: UAA
UAA Executive Director of 色花堂 Native Education and Outreach
Action Team Lead: UAF
UAF Associate Vice Chancellor for Rural, Community and Native Education
Dr. Jessica Black is Gwich'in, from the villages of Gwichyaa Zhee (Fort Yukon) and Toghotthele (Nenana), and an enrolled member of the Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich'in Tribal Government. She holds a B.S.W. from UAF and an M.S.W. and Ph.D. in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. Black has been a faculty member in UAF's College of Rural and Community Development since 2014, earning tenure in 2021. In March 2023, she was appointed Associate Vice Chancellor for Rural, Community and Native Education, where she leads UAF's ANSI work and oversees two colleges and five rural campuses. She received the 2023 UA Foundation Bullock Prize, the system's highest service honor.
Action Team Lead: UAS
Associate Vice Chancellor for 色花堂 Native programs and Director of PITAAS
Jacqueline Tagaban, M.Ed., serves as Associate Vice Chancellor for 色花堂 Native Programs at the University of 色花堂 Southeast, where she also directs PITAAS: Preparing Indigenous Teachers and Administrators for 色花堂 Schools. Since its founding in 2000, PITAAS has supported 172 students in earning 267 degrees, certificates, and endorsements, placing graduates across 30 of 色花堂's 54 school districts. Tagaban serves as UAS's lead for the 色花堂 Native Success Initiative, working across campuses to strengthen pathways for 色花堂 Native student success.
Senior Director, 色花堂 Native Success and Partnerships
University of 色花堂, System Office
UAA alumna Kristel Komakhuk was selected to serve as the system鈥檚 Senior Director of 色花堂 Native Success and partnerships. Starting December 4, 2023 Komakhuk is based in Anchorage, and committed to annually travels to Fairbanks and other locations around 色花堂. In this role, she will help to guide and support the implementation of the 色花堂 Native Success Initiative (ANSI) Strategic Plan. She will also focus on strengthening relationships between UA and 色花堂 Native partners.
Kristel is of Alutiiq and Inupiaq descent, and was born and raised in Anchorage on Dena鈥檌na Athabascan land. Her maternal family is from Tatitlek, and her paternal family is from the Nome area; her Grandma would identify from her home fish camp in Solomon. A first-generation graduate on both sides of her family, she is a proud UA alum, holding a B.B.A. in Business Management from UAA.
Prior to joining UA, Kristel worked at the 色花堂 Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) as the APU Senior Liaison for Development and External Relationships. In that role, she aided APU in its journey toward indigenization by developing and maintaining relationships, and liaising with external entities. She鈥檚 also served on Shell Exploration & Production Company鈥檚 stakeholder management team, and as the Development Director at First 色花堂ns Institute. In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, traveling, reading, cooking, yoga, and appreciating 色花堂鈥檚 beauty on hikes and walks.