Wayne Westlake is no longer president and CEO of NANA Regional Corporation. NANA officials announced the leadership change a board of directors meeting.
Westlake, originally from Kiana, held the position for five years. In a statement, officials wrote Westlake “provided valuable leadership and exhibited consistent dedication to ensuring the continued growth and success of the corporation.”
The Board of Directors appointed Bill Monet to fill in as interim president and CEO. Since 2012, Monet has been head of Akima LLC, the largest division of the Native Corporation.
Officials did not indicate whether Westlake resigned or was removed by the board. NANA officials declined an interview request on the matter.
During the Thursday meeting, board members also announced this year’s dividend amount for shareholders would be $10.25 a share, totalling roughly $17.4 million. That’s a slight decrease from $11 a share from last year, though in April, NANA issued shareholder dividends of $2.50 a share in advance to help shareholders financially impacted by the pandemic.
NANA Regional Corporation has about 14,500 shareholders, primarily of Inupiaq descent.