The Alaska Federation of Natives took the first step toward a major leadership change last week. The AFN board of directors hired Ben Mallott as its next president.

The transition will begin in August when Mallott begins his new job. AFN's current president, Julie Kitka, will stay with AFN through October to ensure a smooth transition.

Ben Mallott's rise to the presidency may come as a surprise to some, as he is the type of person who tends to stay in the background and work behind the scenes, much like his future predecessor Julie Kitka.

But let's turn the clock back 40 years, when Kitka first started working for AFN, the same year Ben Mallott was born. Kitka served as president for 33 years, and Mallott worked for Kitka for 11 of those years. His most recent job title: vice president of external relations.

Mallott will soon assume the same role as his father, Byron, who became AFN president in 1976.
But Mallott is very different from his late father, who was known for his charisma and fiery oratory.

Mallott is the youngest of five children and says that as a young child he took part in kitchen table discussions about AFN and its mission to secure the livelihoods and way of life of Indigenous people.

“I really want to protect the values ​​of my parents and my family, especially our closeness to each other,” Mallott said. “At AFN I can advocate for all of these issues.”

Mallott says AFN became a natural extension of his family life, but AFN wasn't his first career choice. In college, he earned a commercial pilot's license and planned to pursue a career as an aerospace engineer. But a part-time job at AFN changed that trajectory. There, he discovered he was a born policy expert and a political strategist at heart.

“Some people might think it's crazy or dirty,” he said. “I actually enjoy it.”

Mallott is aware that his selection marks a transition to a new generation of leadership.

“I just turned 40, so I guess I'm still pretty young. I think one of the things I love about AFN – and that I really appreciated about AFN – was that I got to work in the boardroom as a staff member.”

Mallott said it was a great opportunity to learn from so many different generations of leaders.

Mallott's institutional knowledge and experience in state and federal politics were factors in his selection.

Joe Nelson, co-chair of the AFN board, said in a statement that Mallott was selected after an extensive nationwide search with many strong candidates.

“Ben understands the diversity of AFN and has demonstrated consistent leadership within the organization for many years,” Nelson said in the statement.

He also pointed to Mallott's experience as a parliamentary assistant to Senator Lisa Murkowski.

Historically, AFN's Washington DC connections have been important. Kitka maintained close working relationships with Murkowski, Senator Dan Sullivan and Representative Mary Peltola, as well as the late Senator Ted Stevens and Congressman Don Young. AFN's annual Alaska Day in Washington DC draws generals and politicians from the highest levels of government, including the White House.

Mallott seems ready to follow Kitka's path, as he has many of his own connections, including family ties to Senator Dan Sullivan's wife, Julie, through his mother, Toni, an Athabaskan from Rampart. They are first cousins ​​who, according to Mallott, grew up like sisters. Sullivan's mother was Mary Jane Fate, one of the founders of AFN.

Mallott has Lingít ancestry through his father, Byron. His father was from Yakutat and a prominent tribal leader who also served as lieutenant governor under Governor Bill Walker.

Beyond his family connections, Mallott holds seats on various boards, including Baan O Yeel Kon Corporation, Northern Taiga Ventures, Inc., The Nature Conservancy Alaska, the Alaska Humanities Forum, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center.

Although Mallott is soft-spoken and more comfortable in supporting roles, his extensive network of relationships is likely to remain a mainstay of his work.

Mallott says the AFN's most important tool is its annual fall meeting, the state's largest convention. And as someone who embraces new technology, he hopes to bring delegates closer together throughout the year through social media and other platforms. He says the AFN must be ready to take on the biggest challenges of this generation – climate change and threats to livelihoods.

“With potential changes in Congress and the administration, it will be critical for AFN to continue to voice our opinions,” Mallott said. “This is of the utmost importance.”

But AFN also has its own challenges. There is a new generation of Alaska Natives who are dissatisfied with the status quo. This may be why several regional companies and large tribal organizations have recently withdrawn from AFN.

But Mallott hopes he can overcome these constraints through transparency and collaboration. These are leadership skills he says he learned growing up with his large family and are necessary to keep the peace but also to find support.

“To be honest, I'm super excited but I'm also super scared about the role I'm about to take on,” he said. “But I'm even more excited because I know I have a fantastic support network who I can rely on for feedback and advice.”

Mallott says the first person he will turn to for help will be his current boss, Julie Kitka, who he says has left him a good foundation to build on. Kitka was appointed federal co-chair of the Denali Commission.

Mallott says he is honored and humbled to take the reins. And that time will soon come when Kitka delivers the keynote address at the convention and officially passes the torch to Ben Mallott.