Rita Stevens, a Tangirnaq Native Village tribal member, and a Kodiak Alaska Native leader has dedicated her life to supporting her community. Her education credentials include a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, from Oregon State University, postgraduate work at the University of Poitiers and the French Institute, Poitiers, France, and Gonzaga University.

Rita is very involved in her community and dedicates her life to living the Alutiiq culture and bringing wellness and pride to our region. Rita provided eighteen years of service to the Kodiak Area Native Association (KANA) and she served as President and CEO for KANA for eight years before retiring in 2006. During her time at KANA, she focused on bringing health and wellness to the Koniag region while embracing diversity and building bridges to strengthen healthcare delivery. Under Rita’s leadership, KANA supported the revitalization of Alutiiq cultural identity. These efforts resulted in the establishment of the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository in 1995. Currently, Rita is an active board member of KALI, Koniag Inc., and a member of the Kodiak Community Foundation. Her efforts are particularly remarkable in that Rita is also a cancer survivor and has volunteered her time to help fellow cancer survivors.