The Hunter Volume 2020, June | Page 5

NANA Employees Work Together to Hunker Down Shareholder Relations Adapts to COVID-19 Beginning in March, hunker down orders in the Northwest Arctic Borough and Anchorage meant many NANA employees began working from home. NANA’s information technology (IT) department had to work quickly to help with the transition to ensure operations and support functions remained on track. To prepare, the IT team matched employees with laptops and launched new technology platforms to keep remote employees connected – all in a matter of days. IT also helped employees forward their work calls to their cell phones and monitored possible electronic fraud schemes by scammers looking to take advantage of the unprecedented situation. A small IT crew remained onsite for tasks that required direct assistance and diligently practiced social distancing, regular sanitation and frequent cleaning, including no-contact equipment pickups for any employees who needed items from the office. Remote IT employees were fully available to staff for assistance and answered questions throughout the transition. Rick Janitscheck, IT manager, and Rick Reese, director of IT operations, thank their cooperative team members and acknowledge the willingness of all employees to make the adjustment, allowing NANA to continue to offer services to shareholders and clients. • Visit nana.com/covid-19 for updates The NANA IT and communications teams launched a webpage on nana.com specifically dedicated to NANA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the situation continues to evolve, the page serves as a gathering place for organizational updates meant to keep shareholders, employees and the public informed. Promoting employment readiness While the job market has slowed during COVID-19, shareholder relations has been busy preparing shareholders for upcoming jobs this summer season, including updating Taleo profiles and resumes and sharing talent information in partnership with the recruiting department and hiring managers. If you’re looking for work, please reach out to shareholder relations for assistance with your job search. College internship program cancelled for summer To better protect the best interests and safety of shareholder students and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic, NANA made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 summer internship program, including internships at NANA and our subsidiaries. “Our main priority is the health and safety of our people,” said Gia Hanna, NANA’s vice president of shareholder relations. “Though this decision was tough, it in no way diminishes the hard work and achievements of our shareholder students. We are all very proud of you and look forward to working with you in the near future. During this time, please continue to find ways to be social while keeping physical distance.” If you have questions about future internship opportunities, please contact Annette Zella at annette. [email protected] or (907) 265-4362 or toll-free at (800) 478-2000. • What Working from Home Looks Like for Me “KUUGAURAQ” ANN HOWARTH Shareholder Employment Outreach Coordinator KRISTINE COUSE Onboarding Administrator NICOLE STOOPS Director of External Affairs HILDA HAAS External Affairs Manager and Language and Culture Project Manager CHACE, ALEX JR. AND PAIGE The grandchildren of Kivalina SRC Janet Mitchell “I’ve been with NANA since October 2019 and have experienced my very first ‘work from home.’ Although we have access to the internet and the capability to have our office phones transferred to our homes, it is definitely a different time. We are unable to greet our coworkers with a, ‘Good morning!’ or, ‘Have a good day!’ I am very thankful to be able to help our shareholders when they call, email or text. During my lunch, I’ve helped my niece Alanna with her homework. We sit at the same table; she is quiet when I teleconference and has learned how I speak to shareholders as I try to help them the best I can. As we continue to practice safety, please be careful and make memories with family and friends.” “Since working from home, I’ve had to make some minor changes in how I do my daily work, which now consists of doing everything online or via text message. I process all camp services new employees and transfers for NMS, which includes new hire paperwork and coordinating drug tests, pre-hire physicals, fit-for-duty tests, training and badging. My ‘home office’ includes some new coworkers – my daughter, Nhyla, and beagle, Tank.” “I started working for NANA on March 13, right before the pandemic office closures. Fortunately, I can stay connected with the external affairs team through technology. While working from home, I also spend time teaching my sons, Casey (5th grade) and Cale (4th grade). I help them with their homework packets during the lunch hour. Here I am helping Cale with his math assignment.” “First of all, I miss everyone at NANA and being engaged with people face-to-face but am very thankful to IT and leadership for the capability to function at home. I am grateful for my team in staying very connected via teleconference, phone calls and texts for updates on our work. My biggest adjustment was not seeing the people who I engage with every day and working alongside my new coworker, Gary (my husband). I took over his office, and he moved his work to a table. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone very soon. Please stay healthy. Aarigaa quyana.” Janet Mitchell is the shareholder relations coordinator for Kivalina. She began working from home along with the rest of the shareholder relations team, assisting shareholders with their needs and helping with various in-region communications including VHF announcements. She also contributed to a NANA social media message highlighting the importance of the hunker down orders and the serious risks of not complying. Her grandchildren are pictured with the sign they created for the social media message. She has taken the Northwest Arctic Borough mandates seriously and has been staying home to protect her community. At time of publication, employees at NANA’s Anchorage office have begun returning to the office, though the building remains closed to the public. HUNTER | 2020 June 5