2:45
Debbie Atuk was hired in January and officially took over as President and CEO of Kootznoowoo Incorporated on Feb. 1. (Photo provided by Kootznoowoo Inc.)
Even back when Debbie Atuk was an undergraduate student studying economics at the University of Chicago, she was thinking about Alaska Native corporations.
“I wrote a lot of essays, a lot of scholarship application essays, and I talked about the Native corporations and how I wanted to come back and apply my experience earning a degree in economics,” she said.
Atuk is Iñupiaq and grew up in Nome and Anchorage. She went on to earn an MBA from Dartmouth, and most recently worked for SkyView Investment Advisors in New York City. She also serves as board treasurer for Bering Straits Native Corporation.