Nikki Graham—Community Voice
Originally from Homer, Nikki Graham “Aga’Askaa” is a lifelong Alaska of Yup’ik, Blackfoot Indian and Dutch descent. She is a Cook Inlet Region Incorporated (CIRI) shareholder and an enrolled member of the Ninilchik Village Tribe. Nikki earned an associate degree in Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles, California and is completing her Master of Business Administration from Alaska Pacific University (APU). Nikki has also completed the Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program (ANELP) at APU and is a Society of Human Resources Certified Professional. Mission driven, Nikki has a passion for promoting the wellbeing and self-determination of Alaska Native People and connecting people to their potential.
Nikki currently serves as the Alaska Native Heritage Center’s (ANHC) Chief Operations Officer, where she works to advance the mission and vision of ANHC by overseeing the overall operations and program delivery of ANHC including Human Resources, Facilities, Cultural Tourism and Social Enterprise. In her role she is responsible for strategic oversight and implementation of processes that support the deployment and management of resources that support strategic ANHC organizational goals As a member of the ANHC leadership team, she operationalizes Alaska Native values to ensure community impact. She also leads business development strategies for short and long-term business goals to ensure organizational sustainability and growth. She currently serves as a Director for the American Indian and Alaska Native Tourism Association Board.
Nikki is a champion of transformational change and an advocate for Alaska Native and Indigenous peoples. She enjoys fostering the creation and implementation of innovative approaches to values-based operations management and development needed to advance organizational mission.