Perry R. Eaton, Vice Chair

Perry Eaton, a Koniagmuit, is president and chief executive officer of Alaska Village Initiatives, formerly the Community Enterprise Development Corporation.

Born in Kodiak, Mr. Eaton has had a lifetime relationship with rural Alaska through his connections with commercial fishing, Native issues, finance, and business. He has devoted most of his adult life to promoting rural economic development. As the president of Alaska Village Initiatives, he has successfully guided the full range of activities of this nonprofit corporation which is designed to strengthen Alaska’s rural economies.

In addition to Mr. Eaton’s early experience on the Kodiak purse seine fishing fleet, his professional career started with Seattle First National Bank. He later worked for two other banks as well as the Alaska Native Foundation. Mr. Eaton has served on a number of national and state boards.

He and his wife have two children. He said a major role as co-chair was to help ensure that the Alaska Natives Commission produced a timely, quality report on budget. And he said it will be a “quality report” if it fairly represents a variety of views on creating changes that support Native peoples’ expectations.

“The fundamental problem is expectations are not being met at any level,” Mr. Eaton says. “I see the task of the Commission as bridging the gap to meet those expectations. It means efficiency in government; it means realistic expectations on the part of recipients. And it means safeguarding the integrity of culture.