Ounalashka Corp - The Eider Pointer Newsletter_September2019 | Page 6

Rick Miller STEPS DOWN AS CFO
Rick Miller first worked with OC in 2001 as a
Controller on contract. Serving in the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) role in 2012, followed by serving as
Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He has seen much
progress in his years with OC, and he is honored to
have had the chance to work with the corporation.
Rick will not be parting ways with OC completely
though – he will assist management and the board on
special projects and help the new Controller,
Allie Smith, settle into her new role successfully. He
will continue to be a resource and is excited to be a
part of future successes.
In addition to his years at OC, Rick is a life-long
Alaskan. He was born in Nome and grew up in Sitka
and Anchorage. After college, he worked as an auditor
and controller and eventually became an independent
financial advisor, working with Alaska Native, non-
profit and other organizations around the state.
After starting at OC, he was a key player on
important initiatives, his most memorable of which
was working with the CEO and board to establish
the Ounalashka Settlement Trust. “OC is an excellent
place to work,” says Rick. “I enjoy the people and the
opportunity to put my skills and experience to work.
Make no mistake though, Rick will be enjoying more
free time! He plans to focus on his family and personal
well-being and spend time with his and his wife’s first
grandchild. You might also see him at the Alaska State
Fair. “My family has operated a food booth at the
Palmer Fair for over 30 years; I’ll be working to turn
that operation over to my son and his family.”
Rick says that he sees many opportunities on
the horizon for OC and its shareholders, such as
continued benefits from the Ounalashka Settlement
Trust and growth of the corporation’s robust
portfolio. And, while he is proud to have played a
role in those milestones, he is excited to help the new
Controller understand OC and its financial landscape.
Thank you, Rick for all you have done, and all you will
continue to do for the Ounalashka Corporation!
NATALIE CALE Joins OC as Legal Counsel
If you have attended an annual or shareholder
meeting during the past 20 years, you have likely
met one of OC’s newest employees: Natalie Cale.
She recently joined the corporation team as General
Counsel and will assist management and the board
with business insights, set-up and structure for new
opportunities, real estate leases, and other day-to-
day legal necessities for our growing company.
Although her start date was July 31st, Natalie
has been working closely with the corporation’s
leadership for almost 20 years. Prior to joining
OC, Natalie worked at a law firm that provided
legal services to the company. She has helped the
company through many major milestones, and with
no end in sight to OC’s growth, the decision was
made to bring her onto the team full time, and she
couldn’t be happier.
“My job is to protect OC’s interests,” said Natalie.
“The company has consistently shown positive growth,
and now I am able to focus 100% on our corporate
needs.” Natalie says that being a lawyer means more
than filing law suits; she will be providing advice on
6 OC’S SEPTEMBER 2019 NEWSLETTER
new business opportunities, assisting with structure,
working with tenants, and many other tasks needed to
make sure OC’s future is secure.
Natalie is licensed to practice law in Alaska and has
lived in the state since she relocated here after law
school. She graduated from the University of Illinois
Champaign and attended John Marshall Law School
in Chicago. During the summers, she worked in
Denali National Park, where she fell in love with the
state and met her future husband. Natalie is looking
forward to spending more time in Unalaska and
will travel back and forth between OC’s corporate
headquarters and the Anchorage office.
When not at work, she and her family (she is mom to
16-year old twin girls!) like to spend as much time in
nature as possible, and enjoy hiking, skiing, camping –
anything that gets them into the great outdoors.
“ I love Alaska, and I am dedicated to OC’s success,”
she says. “I am truly looking forward to spending more
time focusing on the company, its goals and getting to
know Unalaska and our shareholders more.”