The Bering Straits Foundation (BSF) is pleased to announce the appointment of six members to its Board of Directors: Debbie Atuk, Agnes Ivanoff Baptiste, Kelly Eningowuk, Jennifer Litera, Kelsi Ivanoff, and Ella Tonuchuk. Each director brings valuable experience, commitment, and cultural insight to advance BSF’s mission of supporting educational, cultural, and community-driven initiatives that benefit Alaska Native people.
Debbie Atuk
Debbie Atuk is a proud Inupiaq from Nome and Anchorage, Alaska. She is the daughter of Richard Atuk and Mary Andre. She has a strong background in finance, business development, and Native advocacy and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Chicago and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Atuk has worked with Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and global firms including ABN AMRO, BP, and SG Cowen. She currently serves as a Portfolio Specialist with SkyView Investment Advisors, where she supports Alaska Native and Native American communities through prudent investment strategies and advocacy.
A committed community leader, Atuk has mentored Native students and business owners and represented Alaska Native communities at national forums, including the White House Tribal Nations Summit as a representative of the Nome Eskimo Community. She serves on the Center for Indian Country Development’s Leadership Council at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Atuk is also a BSNC Board Director.
Agnes Ivanoff Baptiste
Agnes Ivanoff Baptiste is originally from Unalakleet, Alaska. She is the eldest daughter of Marjorie Agibinik Ivanoff and Richard Ivanoff Sr. With more than 48 years of experience in education, Agnes has excelled in teaching, curriculum development, mentorship, and school administration and supervision. She has taught students ranging from preschool through adult education. During her 29-year tenure at Anchorage’s Elitnauvit within East, the program received numerous local, state, national, and international awards in recognition of its excellence.
Kelly Eningowuk
Kelly Eningowuk is Iñupiaq and was raised in Shishmaref, Alaska, by her grandparents, Delbert and Nellie Eningowuk. She is a graduate of Mount Edgecumbe High School and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Criminal Justice, and a Master’s degree in Rural Development from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Eningowuk is the Executive Director of the Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska, where she has worked since 2008. Previously, she worked for Kawerak, Incorporated, and served in leadership roles with the Native Village of Shishmaref IRA Council, the City of Shishmaref, and the Shishmaref Erosion and Relocation Coalition. She lives in Anchorage with her son, Owen.
Kelsi Ivanoff
Kelsi Ivanoff – Kasaŋnaaluk (Iñupiaq)/Abuzunaq (Yup’ik) – is from Unalakleet, Alaska, where she returned in 2018 to raise her daughter grounded in culture and family. She acknowledges her parents, Steve and the late Zoe Ivanoff, and her grandparents for their guidance and generational knowledge. She earned a degree in community development from Portland State University after beginning her studies in engineering.
Ivanoff brings a diverse professional background spanning fisheries, marketing, engineering, non-profit, and government, with experience advocating at all levels of policy. She is committed to advancing the well-being of our people and believes in the power of education, cultural preservation, and lifelong learning to build a sustainable future for generations to come.
Jennifer Litera
Born in Nome, Alaska, and raised throughout the state, Jennifer Litera is the daughter of Dave and Bernice Allred and the granddaughter of Teddy and Holly Sockpick. She earned a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She holds certifications in School Administration, Elementary Education, Special Education, and English as a Second Language.
With more than 24 years of experience in education, Litera has served as a teacher, principal, and educational leader in Barrow, Alaska. She currently serves as a Special Education teacher at an alternative middle school in Oklahoma. She also worked as Senior Program Manager at Cook Inlet Tribal Council, supporting programs and grants that advance academic success for Alaska Native and American Indian students.
Ella Tonuchuk
Ella Tonuchuk is Yup’ik from Kotlik and St. Michael, Alaska. Her Yup’ik name is Sassuuk. She is the daughter of Hilma Tonuchuk and the late Victor Tonuchuk, Sr. Her grandparents are the late Paul and Theresa Tonuchuk of Kotlik, and the late John and Mary Cheemuk of St. Michael. Tonuchuk holds a Master of Business Administration in Health Services Administration from Alaska Pacific University and plans to begin a PhD program in Fall 2026.
Tonuchuk serves as a Board Member for her Homeowners’ Association and has served Alaska Native communities through various professional roles dedicated to uplifting and supporting Indigenous people and leadership. She has a YouTube channel that showcases her love for food and a TikTok page that highlights her sense of adventure.
Serving on the BSF Board offers a meaningful opportunity to guide the Foundation’s work, strengthen cultural preservation, and support students and communities across the region. Board members provide strategic oversight, uphold BSF’s mission, participate in committee work, and attend quarterly meetings to help shape the Foundation’s priorities and long-term vision. Their diverse perspectives and shared dedication to education, culture, and community will help advance opportunities and positive outcomes for Alaska Native people across the region.