President Richard (Chalyee Éesh) Peterson

Richard (Chalyee Éesh) Peterson is Tlingit from the Kaagwaantaan clan. He grew up in Kasaan, Alaska and is a life long Alaska Native resident of Southeast Alaska. Prior to being elected as President of the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) in 2014, Chalyee Éesh served as Chief Executive Officer of Prince of Wales Tribal Enterprise Consortium, LLC (POWTEC), President of the Organized Village of Kasaan (OVK), Mayor/City Council Member for the City of Kasaan, and member of the Southeast Island School District Board of Education.

Chalyee Éesh has developed the skills necessary to effectively represent and communicate the needs of Southeast Alaska Native people. He is adept at negotiating and team building and has worked to continually build lasting relationships that prove to be mutually beneficial to all stakeholders. Chalyee Éesh believes in a proactive approach to achieve win-win scenarios and continues to shape the future of the economic and social well-being of our tribal citizens through collaborative efforts and local economic development initiatives.

Commissioner Ryan Anderson

Ryan Anderson, P.E. currently serves as Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF). In this role, he leads the Department in initiatives that connect people and cultures through sound transportation investments that improve economic vitality. 

Anderson moved to Alaska in 1993 to attend the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Geological Engineering. His career has spanned both mining and transportation, where he earned his Professional Civil Engineering license in 2003 working for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

Throughout his career he has taken lead roles in the development of large capital works projects, operations of multi modal transportation networks, and working with culturally diverse communities throughout Alaska.

Chancellor Aparna Palmer

Dr. Aparna Dileep-Nageswaran Palmer serves as Chancellor at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS), located in Juneau, Alaska’s capital city. UAS is a regional university with campuses in Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka—coastal communities situated in Alaska’s magnificent Tongass National Forest. As Chancellor, Dr. Palmer provides strategic leadership in fulfilling the UAS mission, including budget development, academic planning and program assessments, student and enrollment services, administrative services, and community relations.

Before her appointment as Chancellor Dr. Palmer most recently served as a Vice President at Front Range Community College (FRCC), which is part of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), as the chief executive of the Boulder County Campus and interim chief executive of the Larimer County Campus. She has over 25 years of experience in higher education, having served as an administrator, as a Professor of Biology, as Faculty Senate President, and Faculty Trustee on the CMU/WCCC Board.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to accept Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) and programmatic requests for FY 2026 appropriations bills. Senator Murkowski will once again consider CDS project proposals from eligible recipients. The annual appropriations process is lengthy, with uncertain timing, and there is no guarantee that Congressionally Directed Spending requests will ultimately be included in the FY 2026 spending bills. The portal will be open until February 14, 2025.