Shareholder Recognized for Helping Other Women Reach Full Leadership Potential

Michael Fredericks, Leader from the Region

Storyknife, March/April 2022 edition

Michael Fredericks, a Calista Shareholder, is the majority owner and President of SALT, a Native-owned, woman-owned small business. Through strategic engagement and design, SALT aims to create environments for generations to thrive.

“All the answers to the world are already in indigenous peoples’ minds,” she says. “Everything I do every single day—when it comes to strategic engagement—comes right from my ancestors and the thousands of years of knowledge that my dad and family passed on. All the answers are here.”

Fredericks was recognized for her work this year in the Anchorage ATHENA Society Class of 2022. The ATHENA Society recognizes women with outstanding leadership, excellence in their profession, community service, and for helping women reach their full leadership potential.

“My mom was a part of the ATHENA Society, and I love what they stand for, but the best part of these types of events is they provide a platform,” she says. “I can talk about our Region, our people, and how amazing they are. I’m proud of that.”

In addition, she was recognized for the YWCA Women of Achievement Award last year.

“All the answers to the world are already in indigenous peoples’ minds.”

-Michael Fredericks, Calista Shareholder and majority owner/President of SALT

Born and raised in Anchorage, her late father, Glenn Fredericks, was from Georgetown in the upper Kuskokwim Region, and her late mother, Jan Fredericks, came to Alaska in the early ‘60s, after being raised all over the world in a military family.

“When I think of our Region, I think of my time growing up and spending time with my aunties and learning from them,” she says.

Fredericks says she would like to subsist more, but her work travel gives her opportunities to take time away periodically for subsistence activities across Alaska.

“I was on Prince of Wales Island and took time aside to harvest sea kelp. In Yakutat, with another client, I went berry-picking for salmonberries,” Fredericks says. “When I do get the chance, I lean into it.”

Fredericks is a model student for our Shareholders. Throughout her college career, she received the Calista Education and Culture, Inc. scholarship from Calista’s nonprofit arm, and she received the Kuskokwim Education Foundation scholarship, which is from the nonprofit arm of The Kuskokwim Corporation. She also received the Howard Rock Foundation scholarship administered through CIRI Foundation.

She received her Bachelor of Architectural Studies from the University of Washington and her Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Fredericks is trained as an architect, but has focused her work in strategic engagement for all types of projects. She is responsible for the overall management and success of her business and is tasked with business development for the firm.

Frederick’s business development focus is on new client acquisition and long-term client management. She is skilled at strategic visioning and has 20 years of experience running a successful business before joining SALT.

“We are always looking to hire people from our Region,” she says. “We have all kinds of opportunity at SALT, and we’re looking for people who can tap into those 10,000 years of indigenous knowledge—and put it to work here.”

The mission of Calista Education & Culture, Inc. is to celebrate and promote Yuuyaraq, the traditional/cultural way of being in the Calista Region which inspires and encourages our people to achieve their dreams through education.

The scholarship program awards scholarships two times each year. The application deadline for the Fall Term scholarship is due June 30, and the Spring Term scholarship application is due December 1. Apply today!