Introducing Board Director Cindy Towarak Massie
Cindy Towarak Massie was elected to BSNC’s Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders on Oct. 5, 2019 in Nome.
In 1994, Massie and her husband Tom founded The Outdoor Channel, a cable and satellite network with more than 50 million subscribers. After first founding the channel, they struggled to keep the business afloat. They sold off nearly everything they owned and mortgaged their home. During this time, they lived almost exclusively on salmon, but through hard work and perseverance, they eventually turned a corner and listed The Outdoor Channel on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. In 2013, the Massies sold The Outdoor Channel.
In 2004, Massie and Tom created The Tom and Cindy Massie Foundation. Through this foundation, the Massies have generously supported the Bering Straits Foundation and many Alaska nonprofits and organizations, including the Covenant Youth of Alaska, the UAA Music program, the Nome Fine Arts Club and the Unalakleet Elders Assisted Living Facility. In 2018, Massie and her husband Tom were awarded the Alaska Federation of Natives Small Business Award for their generous philanthropic efforts advancing causes in Alaska. Massie, of Unalakleet, is the daughter of the late Clarence and Guerie Towarak. Her Inupiaq name is Agnaqhiq after her great-grandmother. Massie graduated from Covenant High School in Unalakleet and attended Seattle Pacific University.