Here is a round up of business news from around Indian Country.
M&A
• Grand Rapids, Mich.-based OST, a portfolio company of Alaska Native-owned Koniag Inc., has expanded its cloud service capabilities with the acquisition of Richmond, Texas-based Stratum Technology Management LLC. The deal, which closed at the end of 2021, adds cloud architects, engineers and project managers to OST, a digital and I.T. consulting firm with offices in Grand Rapids, Detroit, Mich. and Minneapolis, Minn. “For 25 years, OST has walked alongside clients to architect, build and manage how and where technology runs,” OST President and CEO Meredith Bronk said in a statement. “The acquisition of Stratum Technology is a reflection of rapid acceleration in this space and ensures that OST continues to drive meaningful and valuable outcomes for our clients.” OST was acquired in 2012 by Koniag, an Alaska Native Regional Corporation created for the benefit of more than 3,400 Alutiiq shareholders from Kodiak Island region. Koniag has a diversified portfolio that includes companies in the government contracting, commercial I.T. and energy and water sectors, as well as real estate holdings throughout the country.
• Bristol Bay Native Corporation has acquired Madison, Ala.-based Total Solutions Inc. a consulting and professional services firm that provides administrative, business and program support, engineering, financial and health services, technology, and training and technical assistance to federal government and commercial clients. Total Solutions Inc. will join Bristol Bay Native Corporation’s Government Services Group, a Small Business Administration 8(a) certified holding company that operates various brands serving the medical and life sciences, technical, professional services, facilities and environmental, and telecommunications markets. Terms of the deal, which closed Dec. 20, were undisclosed. “We are very excited to welcome TSI to our team,” Dennis Hopkins, president and CEO of BBNC’s Government Services Group, said in a statement. “TSI’s outstanding leadership team, experienced workforce, core values, and range of services make TSI a valuable addition to our group.”
Consultation
• The White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA) announced plans for a Jan. 31 engagement session with tribal leaders regarding the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and public safety resources across Indian Country. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who serves as co-chair of the WHCNAA, will lead the virtual session. The session will follow nation-to-nation consultations on the Infrastructure Law to be held earlier that week. “The White House Council on Native American Affairs is an important tool in the Biden-Harris administration’s all-of-government approach to strengthening Indian Country,” Haaland said in a statement. “As we work to tackle public safety and criminal justice issues impacting Indigenous people or the implementation of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I’m proud to bring Tribal leaders and government officials together to further invest in our trust relationship.”
Government
• Corey Brunch has been named chief of staff for Cherokee Nation after serving in that role in an acting capacity since November. Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said Brunch was instrumental in helping the tribe through the COVID-19 pandemic. Bunch formerly served as executive director of Cherokee Nation Education Services. He has 17 years of experience as a teacher and educational administrator for public schools and for the tribe. He also had prior stints in various leadership roles for Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses. “Corey has been working diligently to address the needs of our Cherokee Nation work family and the citizens who rely on the Cherokee Nation for important services, and he has done all of this during a global pandemic,” Hoskin said in a statement. “I am proud to select him as our new Chief of Staff and I know he will continue to work hard for the Cherokee people.”
Economic development
• Bristol Wave Seafoods, a subsidiary of the Bristol Bay Native Corporation-owned Bristol Bay Alaska Seafoods LLC, has named Joel Peterson as president of the company. Peterson fished for 10 years with Clipper Seafoods, which later merged with Blue North Fisheries to form Bristol Wave Seafoods, which Bristol Bay Native Corporation then acquired in 2019. He’s also worked in sales since 2015. Peterson will work alongside David Little, who had served as president of Bristol Wave Seafoods and is now the company’s CEO. Bristol Wave Seafoods manages the sales and operations of Bristol Bay Alaska Seafoods’ nine-vessel fleet. “I appreciate the work that Clipper Seafoods and Blue North leadership have done to merge these two excellent companies into BBAS and its operating company, Bristol Wave Seafoods, over the last several years,” Bristol Bay Native Corporation President and CEO Jason Metrokin said in a statement. “BBNC looks forward to working with Joel in his new role while he navigates this operation into the future.”
Gaming
• The Siletz Tribal Council has named John Wheeler as interim general manager of the Lincoln City, Ore.-based Chinook Winds Casino Resort following the departure of Michael Fisher, who had held the role since 2012, according to a report in the Newport News Times. Wheeler had served as director of finance for the casino since 2015, and has worked in government accounting, distribution, manufacturing and retail. The oceanfront Chinook Winds Casino Resort includes a 243-room casino, 24-hour gaming and a golf course.
• The Tulalip Tribes of Washington inked an agreement with Boston-based DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) to operate retail sportsbooks at the tribe’s Tulalip Resort Casino and Quil Ceda Creek Casino, pending licensing and regulatory approvals. Design plans for the Tulalip location include a 5,000-square-foot space, 50-foot video wall, 24 self-service kiosks and eight ticket windows. Plans for Quil Ceda are still in development. “As we get ready to open our sportsbooks, we are excited to announce our exclusive partnership with the best in the business, DraftKings,” Tulalip Tribes Chairwoman Teri Gobin said in a statement. “We’re ready to take our gaming experience to the next level.”
Philanthropy
• Activist, economist and author Winona LaDuke, a citizen of Ojibwe White Earth Nation, was named to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Solidarity Council on Racial Equity. The members of SCoRE span various roles in advocacy, the arts, business and media and have a strong voice for racial equity. Tribal Business News last interviewed LaDuke in August 2021 about her fight against the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline development and her take on the U.S. political environment.
