The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska is going through major leadership changes. CEO Chris Price and Tribal Council President Nick Tutiakoff both stepped down late last month.
Board member Katherine McGlashan is leading the tribal government through the transition — she took the helm as council president Oct. 30. McGlashan is a KUCB board member as well.
McGlashan is also serving as interim tribal administrator for a month while the tribe searches for a permanent replacement. She filled that role Oct. 24.
Tutiakoff stepped down the same day McGlashan became council president. He did not respond to a call for comment, but a statement from the tribe noted the decision was “for personal reasons.” He will remain on as a council member.
McGlashan sat down with KUCB’s Andy Lusk after returning from an off-island trip. She said she is feeling out the possibility of applying for the position of tribal administrator.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
TRANSCRIPTION:
Andy Lusk: You’re now the interim tribal administrator and the official tribal council president. Is that correct?
Katherine McGlashan: That’s correct.
Lusk: How does that feel?
McGlashan: It was a surprise to me, but I tell you what, it’s such a good feeling that the Qawalangin Tribal Council selected me and trusts me to do the interim [administrator role] for a month, and trusts me as their council president.
Lusk: Tell me a little bit about what the different duties of these roles look like. Where's the divide between them?
McGlashan: As council president you run the monthly, executive session or special meetings. You’re in contact with all of the board members, and you work collaboratively with each other for our tribal members. We set policies and procedures and make sure everything is running smoothly.
As for the tribal administrator, the council is my boss. They direct me on what needs to be done, the priorities and issues at hand that need to be taken care of, and make sure that the staff is supported and in a great place.
Lusk: You’re in the top spot as interim. Are you planning to apply for the permanent position?
McGlashan: I think so. I honestly want to give it another week or two, because I’ve only been there on the board for maybe a month, and then the interim two weeks — maybe less than two weeks. I want to give it a couple weeks to see how I feel. Do I fit in? The priorities that they set for me to accomplish — have I done that? Are they happy with me? There’s more than just, are you going to submit your resume? It’s like, is it a good fit? And how do I feel about it? And how do they feel about it?
Lusk: Are there any specific projects in either of these roles that you’re excited to work on?
McGlashan: The Qawalangin Tribal Council is new to me, and the interim [administrator role] is new to me. I’ve attended multiple meetings and I’m just really excited to be on the board, see what direction they want us to go in and make some positive changes.
A lot of the projects we are working on are to get our grants up to speed and make sure that they have all of the required documentation, and that the communication is open — whether it’s here in the community or out beyond our community, and making sure everything’s in check.
Lusk: What would you like the community to know about the tribe right now? What are the big things that you’re focused on, and what can we hear more about?
McGlashan: It’s a new transition for the Qawalangin Tribal Council and the administration … I just want to make sure everybody knows that my communication lines are open. You can call me, email me, stop in the office — just make sure to call in advance, because I’m usually at a meeting or stepped out for something to get taken care of.
But I just want to [assure] everybody that we’re moving in the right direction, in a positive arena for our tribal members. So we hope to make some really great changes in the future. That really is [working] with the Qawalangin Tribal Council and making sure my job as the interim gets those priorities completed. It’s really house cleaning, you know — making sure everything’s still on task and things are getting completed.
I think the [administrator] job position is open till filled. I have to re-look at that posting, but we’ll see who applies. I’m excited to see, too.
Lusk: Are you staying on as leader of the Visitors Bureau?
McGlashan: Yes, I am for now. I’m just taking my vacation right now and then stepping into this role for a month. At the end of the month, I will have to decide if [there’s] a possibility of me stepping in.
