Standing Together COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND 2025 ANNUAL REPORT
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 1
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
Table of Contents BERING SEA EARNINGS FUEL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Our Mission............................................................................. 3 A Message from the Chairman................................................. 4 By The Numbers: People, Employment & Fishing............... 5
DIRECT EMPLOYMENT
PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS
COMMUNITY ESSENTIALS
Fueling the Future: A Year of Resilience, Innovation and Community...............6
Creating Sustainable Jobs
Supporting Youth for Career Success
Providing Essentials
Community Essentials: People Propel® Supporting Subsistence Across Communities.....................7
126 STAFF & BOARD in 20 COMMUNITIES and ANCHORAGE
Community Essentials: Geographic Information System Program Mapping What Matters..............................................................8 The Way Forward: Addressing the Gap....................................................................10
611 YOUTH TO WORK (PARTICIPANTS & INSTRUCTORS) and 3 INTERNS
$4.5 MILLION in
$517,000 in EARNED WAGES
EARNED WAGES
and BONUSES of $40,000
$548,000 in EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
36 STUDENTS RECEIVED $146,400 in SCHOLARSHIPS
$931,356 in People Propel® SUPPORT 138 HOUSEHOLDS received 4,090 lbs. of SALMON 2,466 PREPARED TAX RETURNS and $3.6 MILLION in REFUNDS
Pathways: Youth to Work The Start of Something Bigger................................................12 Pathways: Youth to Work Maritime A Course Worth Following........................................................12
$11.6 MILLION INVESTED IN CVRF COMMUNITIES IN 2025
Pathways: Scholarship Program Going the Distance....................................................................13 Pathways: Internship Program Learning, Then Leading.............................................................14 Community Essentials: Mechanic/Welder Another Year, Another Million-Dollar Milestone.................15 The Way Forward: A Bigger Footprint, A Better Future........................................16 The Way Forward: Together Through the Storm...................................................18 Responsible Stewardship: Stewardship That Evolves..........................................................20 Financial Disclosures ............................................................... 21 Board of Directors..................................................................... 26 A Message from the CEO ............................................................. 27
Pollock Harvested
114.35 MILLION POUNDS
Cod 13.40 Harvested MILLION POUNDS
Crab Harvested
2.70 MILLION POUNDS
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND
Our Mission OUR VISION
OUR CORE COMPETENCIES
OUR CORE VALUES
To develop thriving local economies in Western Alaska that create opportunities for current and future generations.
OUR MISSION To be responsible stewards of all our resources; to proactively identify and pursue investments that develop those resources; and to deliver value to our communities and people.
•
Effective Strategic Leadership
•
Trust, Integrity and Teamwork
•
Respect for and Understanding of All People
•
Active Community Participation
•
Respect for and Understanding of the Land, Sea and Resources
•
Growth and Sustainability Through Maximum Return on Capital
•
Industrious People + Job Opportunities = Self-Determination
•
Balance the needs, wants and expectations of all — now and seven generations from now.
•
Understand risks/rewards, develop a plan of action, support it and execute on it.
•
Deliver efficient and equitable economic benefits to our communities.
•
Develop and deploy successful business models and adapt as needed for future use.
•
Support bold thinking and continuous innovation.
•
Deliver disciplined, purposeful and sensible initiatives to sustain and stimulate new economic growth in our region.
Scammon Bay Hooper Bay
Chevak
Newtok/Mertarvik
OUR MEMBER COMMUNITIES Tununak Toksook Bay Mekoryuk
Nightmute Chefornak Kipnuk
ALASKA
Napakiak
Oscarville Napaskiak
Tuntutuliak Eek Kongiganak
Kwigillingok Quinhagak
• • • • • •
Scammon Bay Hooper Bay Chevak Newtok/ Mertarvik Tununak Mekoryuk
• • • • • • •
Toksook Bay Nightmute Chefornak Kipnuk Kwigillingok Kongiganak Tuntutuliak
• • • • • • •
Napakiak Napaskiak Oscarville Eek Quinhagak Goodnews Bay Platinum
Goodnews Bay Platinum
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 3
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
A Message from the Chairman We face many challenges in our part of the world. Aside
imagined water surging 6 to 8 feet above the normal high tide
from being from a region that is constrained with limited
levels. This is the reality many of our residents faced with the
employment and housing, the cost of living is challenging.
coming of Typhoon Halong in 2025. Planning for the future
Rising fuel prices affect transportation costs, electricity
is necessary, and CVRF has a dedicated team focused on
costs and grocery costs. It’s an ongoing challenge each
planning. The Programs Team has done phenomenal work
household faces every year.
with the Geographic Information System (GIS) software.
LARSON HUNTER, CHAIRMAN COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND
They’ve helped to create physical addresses for several The concept of the CDQ program was designed to help
communities that are nationally recognized, and work is
address these challenges. CVRF has strived to alleviate the high
progressing on getting all the communities completed. This
cost of living by offering various programs. Our residents are
removes the challenges of placing online orders that need a
aware of our programs and the benefits they provide. Over the
physical address to ship, and also meets the requirements for
years, CVRF has looked for opportunities to grow the company,
Real ID.
to invest in opportunities that would yield revenues that could then be used to do more for the people. Now it’s time we bring
The work also extends to drone mapping communities to
our attention back to the region. Local engagement is the plan
identify elevation. This is ideal when planning for development
for this new year. Meeting with local leaders and in-region staff
and identifying potential flood zones and erosion over the
to improve on the programs we provide, and plan for potential
years. Work that is essential for developing emergency
new concepts in the future.
response plans. The Programs Team has also helped identify native allotments around our communities and have compiled
Now it’s time we bring our attention back to the region. Local engagement is the plan for this new year.
Our programs were designed to help save money for our
a database that will soon be readily available for our region’s
residents. The less you spend on a large purchase like a
residents. These are examples of some of the work this
snowmachine or on heating fuel, or getting your machines
dedicated team is doing. Work that would otherwise have not
fixed locally, the more money you have for your family. A
existed. These unique opportunities that provide jobs for
testament to this concept is one of our local carpenters. He has
LARSON HUNTER,
our locals and offer otherwise unimaginable services such
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
taken advantage of the People Propel® program to build a home
as these are made possible by the Community Development
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND
for his daughter. This is one of the options for locals, to do it on
Quota (CDQ) program.
your own. The alternative is to apply for low-income housing that has income limits that many working families exceed,
I would like to close with the recognition of new leadership
disqualifying them. Even if you did qualify, you’re put on a list that
at CVRF. Although the role of CEO is a new title for Nicholas
can be years long to get a house, if you’re chosen at all. The other
Souza, his experience with the company is measured in
option is to have it financed, an option that is out of the reach
decades. In his 20 years with the company, Nick has played
of most in our region, with final costs being in the hundreds of
many roles within CVRF, from purchasing manager to CVS
thousands of dollars. With the People Propel program, the reality
general manager to vice president of sales. He knows the
of a house is done at a fraction of the cost, to have a place you
region well and has a passion for the company. His dedication
call your home. These are the kinds of success stories we are
to the company is without question and we look forward to his
proud to be here for, and we’re eager to do more in the future.
leadership moving forward. If you’re ever in Anchorage, stop by, or call and say hello. Share your thoughts and ideas for the
Each new year brings something new. Although storms within
company or for your community. His door is open and he’s
our region are not new, the severity is. No one could have
looking forward to hearing from you. Good luck, Nick!
4 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
BY THE NUMBERS
People, Employment and Fishing 2006-2020 POPULATION
2025 JOBS, WAGES + BENEFITS
2025 POPULATION 10000
8,797
9,016
9,328
8000
8,813 ADULTS 18+
YOUTH TO WORK (YTW) + INTERN EMPLOYEES
IN-REGION EMPLOYEES + BOARD MEMBERS
TOTAL EARNED WAGES
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
614
126
$5.1M
$600K
5,614
6000
YTW-AGED YOUTH 4000
1,134
2000
HOUSEHOLDS
2,321
0 YEAR
2006
2010
2020
In 2025, CVRF employed 740 in-region residents who earned $4.5 million combined. We are grateful to be able to continue investing in our staff and communities by offering training and professional development opportunities.
SOURCE: State of Alaska Permanent Fund Division (2006, 2010, 2020, 2022). Revenue Permanent Fund Information System dataset for 2006, 2010, 2020, 2022 Dividend years (PFD).
2025 vs 2024 BERING SEA CATCH RATES
2025
CVRF is devoted to serving our communities and meeting their unique needs — today and in the future. 2024
POLLOCK HARVESTED
114.35
MILLION POUNDS
POLLOCK HARVESTED
105.84
MILLION POUNDS
COD HARVESTED
CRAB HARVESTED
13.40
2.70
MILLION POUNDS
COD HARVESTED
9.41
MILLION POUNDS
MILLION POUNDS
CRAB HARVESTED
419,171
POUNDS
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 5
FUELING THE FUTURE
A Year of Resilience, Innovation and Community At Coastal Villages Region Fund (CVRF), our Bering Sea fleet is directly connected to the benefits we bring to our 20 communities. Our fleet harvested over 130 million pounds of pollock, cod, and crab in 2025, generating over $112 million in gross revenue through sustainable seafood sales worldwide. The federal Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program, established to give coastal Alaska communities the “opportunity to invest in fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands” (16 U.S.C. 1855), mandates that CVRF and the five other CDQ groups use the earnings from their Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands investments to foster economic development, alleviate poverty, provide economic and social benefits, and create sustainable and diversified local economies. In 2025, the conditions shaping Alaska’s coastal communities stayed complex. Markets continued to fluctuate, costs remained elevated and communities across the region navigated the ongoing pressures of economic uncertainty, environmental change and shifting global demand. But for CVRF, the year was not defined by those challenges alone. It was defined by how the organization responded: quickly when needed,
thoughtfully over time and always with a focus on the longterm strength and stability of our 20 member communities. When Typhoon Halong struck Western Alaska in October, we mobilized immediately—working alongside communities to deliver relief and support recovery efforts. The response was rapid, coordinated and comprehensive, reflecting a deep commitment to the people and places CVRF serves. At the same time, we continued to invest in the systems that support communities long after immediate challenges have passed. Our Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program reached a major milestone with the addition of Toksook Bay to the National Addressing Database, providing structure and new capability for the community. That work is now expanding into additional CVRF communities, helping establish the infrastructure needed for emergency response, service delivery and long-term planning across the region. Across our fisheries, we delivered strong earnings that were reinvested for the residents of Western Alaska, reinforcing the economic foundation that supports local families. At
LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST FIVE YEARS INVESTMENTS IN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FROM 2021-2025, BY THE NUMBERS
$6.15M
$3.98M
$1.55M
$18M
IN PEOPLE PROPEL® FUNDS
IN HEATING OIL
6 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
IN YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
IN MECHANIC/WELDER ASSISTANCE
the same time, our commitment to workforce development, training and education continued to expand opportunities for the next generation, ensuring that pathways into both postsecondary schooling and profitable careers remain accessible and sustainable. Together, these efforts reflect an approach that extends beyond individual programs. From food security initiatives to infrastructure planning and workforce pathways, CVRF is strengthening the systems that allow communities to respond to change, support one another and build toward the future with greater confidence. As CVRF looks ahead, the path forward will continue to be shaped by change. But it is also increasingly defined by the strength of the systems, partnerships and leadership in place to meet that change. In that sense, 2025 represents more than a year of steady progress. It reflects a continued investment in the resilience of Western Alaska communities: one built not only for today, but for generations to come.
COMMUNITY ESSENTIALS
Supporting Subsistence Across Communities People Propel program remains a trusted connection between CVRF and village residents ®
In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, a single equipment purchase can carry enormous weight. ATVs, snowmachines and outboard motors make it possible to fish, hunt, gather— activities that are critical to maintaining a subsistence way of life. Meanwhile, Toyo stove heaters keep families warm during cold winters. But when freight costs drive up the price of nearly everything in rural Alaska, replacing or upgrading that equipment is often easier said than done. That’s why People Propel® continues to matter. CVRF’s equipment support program helps residents across the region purchase the tools they need for subsistence and everyday life. What began in 2013 as a loan program focused on boats, outboards and nets has grown into a 30% cost-share program that supports a wider range of equipment used throughout the year. For NEVA MATHIAS of CHEVAK, that means having her own Honda four-wheeler to get to the store, haul trash, carry supplies to the boat, gather driftwood or head onto the tundra during berry season. During the winter basketball season, Neva also uses it to help transport local high school students traveling between communities for games.
Programs Coordinator JASON AKERELREA of SCAMMON BAY approach with a deep sense of ownership and care. “Some people don’t have access to a computer, or their internet might be slow,” said Jason. “So we’ll sit down with them, walk them through the application, even log in for them if we need to. We help them every step of the way.” That trust is what makes the program accessible. “A lot of people just call or message us directly—sometimes even on Facebook,” said Katie. “They know who we are. We speak the same language. It’s not like calling a random office. It’s more personal than that.” People Propel® sustained strong demand in 2025, infusing roughly $931,000 into CVRF’s 20 member communities before the program’s remaining budget was redirected to support recovery and relief efforts following Typhoon Halong in the fall. Even through unexpected challenges, the foundation of People Propel® remained the same: a trusted connection between CVRF and the communities it serves, providing essential tools that support everyday life.
“It makes my daily life easier,” said Neva, who retired in 2025 after more than 30 years working in local schools. “We can get things done in one day using our Honda.”
Neva encourages residents who haven’t participated in People Propel® to stop by their local CVRF office, ask for help with the process and learn how much they could save. After seeing the difference the program has made in her own life, she said she is grateful for People Propel® and the other services CVRF provides to families throughout the region.
Because of how much it means to residents across the region, People Propel® is a program that CVRF Regional Affairs Coordinator KATIE KASHATOK of KIPNUK and CVE
“I’m very thankful for the services from CVRF, even here in the village,” Neva said. “I’m very thankful for the services for the youth and families.”
Before purchasing it through People Propel , she often had to borrow her son’s four-wheeler to get chores done. ®
NEVA MATHIAS CHEVAK
PEOPLE PROPEL® EQUIPMENT CATEGORY BREAKDOWN 2013-2025 ATVS
1,760
OUTBOARDS
1,296
SNOWMACHINES
1075
APPLIANCES
750
MISC. EQUIPMENT
733
BOATS
462
HEATING SYSTEMS
258
FISHING GEAR
178
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 7
COMMUNITY ESSENTIALS
Mapping What Matters Local expertise is helping member villages make smarter decisions about their future Communities across Western Alaska have always known their land. Now, CVRF’s Geographic Information System (GIS) team is helping them build new ways to map it, measure it, and use it—on their own terms. In 2025, the program expanded in a meaningful way, doubling in size from two to four full-time team members. What began as a small, specialized effort is becoming more distributed, more collaborative, and increasingly rooted in the communities themselves. “Just one line on a map represents a lot of data, a lot of information,” said MARSHA NANOK of CHEVAK, who joined the GIS team in February. “That information can be used to help our communities. That’s why what we do is important. We are collecting data that’s going to help everyone live better lives here in the long run.” EXPERTISE WITH LOCAL ROOTS Marsha and fellow new addition JEREMIAH KERN of NAPASKIAK have jumped right in, supporting incumbent team members RODERICK ATTI of TOKSOOK BAY and JANELLE CARL of KIPNUK with everything from data management and parcel mapping to aerial photogrammetry. CVRF Director of Community Programs NATHANIEL BETZ, who manages the GIS program, noted that the pair has quickly become key contributors to the team’s expanding workload.
JEREMIAH KERN NAPASKIAK
“They’ve been training for a while, but they really emerged as full-time GIS staff at the end of 2025,” Nathaniel said. “Both of them are incredibly talented, and I’m just super excited to see them continue to grow and see how that impacts our ability to do great GIS work.” For Jeremiah, that impact has come into focus since he joined the team. “Before [starting with GIS], I dabbled with maps of the area here and there,” he said. “Anybody can go on Google Earth trying to see where stuff is, where the best hunting spots are. But the maps we make, communities can use them to prove they need aid after storms, or find good places to move houses away from erosion spots. “And not just maps—we monitor the permafrost melting to know where the ground is actually sinking. We record the water levels. It’s all going to help people, and I like that.” (Continued on page 9)
8 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
Having people who are from here and know [the area] really helps us get the right kind of data that will be useful. MARSHA NANOK CHEVAK
COMMUNITY ESSENTIALS
Mapping What Matters (Continued)
Marsha noted that the addition of new voices and perspectives from throughout CVRF’s 20-village footprint strengthens the accuracy and relevance of the information the GIS team collects. “If you’re from the outside, it’s easy to hear ‘CDQ communities’ grouped up like that and picture that they’re all the same. But each community is different. I mean, you see where Goodnews Bay is on the map compared to where Scammon Bay is on the map. Chevak is on a hill, as opposed to the ones that are coastal. Sometimes our river is frozen while everybody else’s is thawed out. It’s always different. “The water level of the communities, how high or low they are, what kind of wind speeds they get—all that is something that, if you’re not from here, you don’t think
about a lot. But just between our communities, there can be different subsistence lifestyles and different challenges we face. Having people who are from here and know really helps us get the right kind of data that will be useful.” SEEING THE WHOLE PICTURE As the team has grown, so has the scope—and precision— of the work. In 2025, CVRF’s GIS program expanded its ability to capture environmental and cartographic information throughout the region. With an increased fleet of four drones and more team members trained and certified, aerial photogrammetry operations have scaled into a welloiled operation, producing detailed, up-to-date maps that reflect current conditions on the ground. Team members
also installed a station in Nightmute to support ongoing water level monitoring and, partnering with JOA Surveys, LLC, deployed a Sofar Spotter buoy in Kangirrluar Bay to record tide levels throughout the summer. Together, these efforts contribute to a clearer picture of how land and water interact around CVRF’s 20 member communities: where erosion is accelerating, where flooding risk is highest, and where infrastructure may be most vulnerable over time. At the same time, the program is making that information easier to access and use. In 2025, the GIS team launched ArcGIS Hub sites for 11 CVRF communities, creating a centralized platform where maps, data layers, and project information can be explored and shared.
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 9
THE WAY FORWARD
Addressing the Gap Standardized addresses helping communities plan and grow with greater confidence For the first time, a community in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta is officially on the map in a way that reaches far beyond the region. In February 2025, Toksook Bay was added to the National Address Database, the federal system that houses addressing data used across the United States. It marked a milestone not just for the community, but for Western Alaska as a whole. For decades, many rural Alaskan communities have operated without standardized addresses, relying instead on local knowledge and informal directions. While that system works within the community, it creates barriers when interacting with the outside world, from applying for government assistance and navigating emergency response to accessing financial services and ordering goods via e-commerce. “It’s about giving rural Alaskans the same access to essential services that the rest of the country has never had to live without,” said CEO NICK SOUZA. “These addresses are a step in the right direction of empowering local government with tools to manage their communities effectively,” said SAM CHANAR, mayor of TOKSOOK BAY. “We are proud to join state and local governments across the country in having our addresses recognized.” For CVRF’s Geographic Information System (GIS) team, the work behind that milestone has been years in the making— and it’s far from over. FROM ONE COMMUNITY TO MANY While Toksook Bay represents a breakthrough, it’s also a starting point.
10 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
THE YOUTH TO WORK PROGRAM in Chevak made house number signs for the village’s newly addressed homes. Clockwise from top left: Chase Tulim, Addie Agimuk, Canon Nayagak, Desmond Paniyak, Zechariah Tuluk, Natasha Imgalrea, Lawson Pingayak and Rose Rivers.
Four more communities started the process of reviewing the ordinance and map in 2024: Mekoryuk, Kwigillingok, Nightmute and Quinhagak. All passed the ordinance in 2025, and four additional communities followed suit: Chefornak, Hooper Bay, Chevak and Napaskiak.
That brings the total to nine communities with completed address ordinances, with five additional communities— Kongiganak, Kipnuk, Oscarville, Scammon Bay and Tununak—working through the process. (Continued on page 11)
THE WAY FORWARD
Addressing the Gap (Continued) For Director of Community Programs NATHANIEL BETZ, who manages the GIS program, that steady progress reflects both demand and momentum.
SETTING THE STANDARD
“We’ve shown that we can do this,” Nathaniel said. “And now we can do it repeatably.”
Nathaniel noted that the project is gaining attention outside local circles in ways that will only help accelerate the process for other CVRF communities moving forward.
What’s happening in CVRF communities is drawing attention beyond the region.
A SYSTEM THAT LASTS “One of the cool things that’s happened is that the Federal Geospatial Data Committee connected to the U.S. Department of Transportation, where the National Address Database lives, invited us to speak to one of their working groups, and some of our collaborators also have gotten plugged into some of their conferences and discussions as well,” Nathaniel said.
At its core, the addressing effort, like many of the GIS team’s initiatives, is about building something that communities can own and maintain over time. Working alongside local leadership, the GIS team helps communities establish formal address systems through a combination of mapping, ordinance development and data management. Once adopted, those systems become part of local code, creating a consistent framework that can be updated as communities grow and change. Lead GIS technician RODERICK ATTI of TOKSOOK BAY sees that long-term structure as essential. “These addresses will be an important tool for the community governments to assess risks and manage change proactively,” he said. “We’re seeing that community governments are using these addresses,” Nathaniel added. “They are helpful for a variety of reasons, but especially for aligning around a common language of just what plot of land is where. In small communities, of course, everybody does know where everybody lives. But when you’re talking about large-scale development projects like relocating all or part of a community or implementing water and sewer systems, this is data that you need. “If you’re a community that is seeking to grow or access
KIDS IN CHEVAK’S Youth to Work program make a “Welcome” sign as part of a project supporting the village’s new addresses.
large-scale resources in collaboration with state entities or regional entities or national entities, then you do need a unified language to describe your properties and your land.” As a Toksook Bay resident, Roderick was excited to see his hometown as the first of CVRF’s communities to be added to the database, but now that the addressing project is gaining steam, he’s eager to keep things moving forward. “One more thing that I want to see now is how and when residents will be able to use them more fully,” he said. “We are looking into the next steps on making these useful for making online purchases. That’s one thing we want to help with.”
“So we’ve now kind of gotten into the jet stream of information about addressing in a way that was unrealistic for us to ever be before we established that expertise and got the credibility to be a part of the conversation. We’re learning so much and adding to our knowledge base just from that.” Efforts like the Toksook Bay addressing project are helping establish a model for how addressing can be implemented in rural Alaska using standard tools, local input, and a focus on long-term sustainability. In a state where many communities still lack both parcel data and formal addresses, that model has the potential to extend well beyond CVRF’s 20 villages. As the work continues, the impact is already becoming clear. What began as a single community’s effort to establish addresses is evolving into something larger: a regional system, a sustainable model, and a foundation for stronger, more connected communities across Western Alaska.
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 11
PATHWAYS
The Start of Something Bigger Through Youth to Work, young residents take next step in village life You’ll find them all over the communities every summer. Out on the tundra. In shared spaces. Helping where they’re needed. The work may be familiar, but it’s always visible—and it’s always meaningful.
program. Collectively, they earned $512,233.01 in wages and bonuses, but as Program Lead BRENDA ERIK of CHEFORNAK noted, they also come out of the experience with much more than that.
Through CVRF’s Youth to Work program, young community residents step into visible, tangible responsibilities that support daily life in their villages and connect them to their cultural traditions. Participants take on a variety of tasks, from cleaning public areas and painting to gathering tundra greens and delivering them to elders. They also engage in traditional crafts like making harpoons, blackfish traps, and qaspeqs.
“When they first start or participate in the program, most of them come in quiet,” she said. “The environment in the working area is different from school. They’re associating or socializing with other students in school, but they’re separated by age or class levels. In Youth to Work, it’s a whole mix of different ages. “I’m always so happy to see the youth in our region participating in the program,” Brenda added. “I think it’s very beneficial for them.”
In 2025, 585 youths took part—538 as team members, 16 as team leads, and 31 through the Youth to Work Maritime
A Course Worth Following Maritime Pathway Program building pipeline to careers at sea For ANTHONY BROWN, CVRF’s Maritime Pathway Program opened a door he didn’t know existed. The EEK resident enrolled after learning of it through Youth to Work, curious to see where it might lead. Now, three years later, Anthony has completed the program’s training, finished an internship aboard the Northern Hawk and accepted an offer to join its crew after discovering a career path he never expected.
ANTHONY BROWN EEK
“It was really worth it,” said Anthony, 20. “I just wanted to see what was new, see where it would take me. But now I have the chance to go somewhere with it.” For MADELINE TULIK, who oversees the program for CVRF, that’s exactly the point. “Maritime is a big part of our life in our villages,” she said. “We all
12 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
grow up using our waterways to subsist and travel, but I feel like the opportunities in the maritime industry aren’t a common career path that is taught in our communities. I think our members deserve to know that they can build a career in something they’ve been doing their entire lives.” Through classroom instruction, virtual reality, safety training and hands-on experience, the program connects the knowledge area youth already possess with the certifications, confidence and professional skills needed to build careers on the water. Anthony said learning chart navigation, knot tying and other foundational maritime skills prepared him for his time aboard the Northern Hawk. Anthony joins LEBRON WALTER as another Youth to Work Maritime success story, reinforcing a growing pipeline of young people discovering that the skills they’ve carried all their lives can lead to rewarding careers close to home.
PATHWAYS
Going the Distance Scholarships empower the region’s next generation to pursue their ambitions For LEISHA LOZANO of KONGIGANAK, earning a Master of Social Work from the University of Alaska Anchorage was never just about the degree. It was about staying local, building skills to help her state, and coming back ready to help. The Louis Bunyan Memorial Scholarship from CVRF helped her get there.
LEISHA LOZANO KONGIGANAK
“The cost of higher education can be a major barrier, especially during graduate school,” said Leisha. “This scholarship helped relieve some of that financial stress and allowed me to focus more on completing my master’s degree and growing professionally instead of worrying about educational expenses. It also motivated me to keep pushing forward and finish my education.” Leisha is one of 36 students who received the Louis Bunyan Memorial Scholarship in 2025, sharing in $146,400 awarded through the program. Established in 1993, it awards students up to $4,000 each for two- and four-year colleges, vocational schools, and certificate programs.
Having support from a program that invests in students and believes in their success gave me extra motivation to keep going. LEISHA LOZANO KONGIGANAK
For Leisha, that financial support came during a demanding stretch of her education. Graduate school meant balancing classes and practicum hours with work and personal responsibilities, all competing for her time and energy. “It was a challenge balancing everything, but I overcame those challenges by staying organized, leaning on support systems and reminding myself why I started this journey,” she said. Her involvement with CVRF programs didn’t start with graduate school. She also participated in CVRF’s Youth to Work and internship programs, experiences she credits with building the professional foundation she carried into her master’s degree.
“Those experiences helped me build professional skills, gain work experience and better understand the importance of giving back to the community,” Leisha said. “Programs like these create opportunities for youth and students to gain confidence and prepare for their future careers.” Now, with her degree in hand, she’s working toward her clinical social work license. She’s drawn to corrections social work and work with children and families, but wherever her career leads, she’s committed to staying in Alaska to make a difference in her home state. “My education has helped prepare me to better understand the unique challenges that many individuals, families and communities in Alaska face,” she said. “I hope to use those skills to make a positive impact. Having support from a program that invests in students and believes in their success gave me extra motivation to keep going.” She also wants her own experience to show younger people in the region what is possible. “I hope to encourage younger people in the community to pursue higher education and believe that their goals are achievable,” she said. To students in CVRF’s member villages considering applying, Leisha has a clear message. “Do not underestimate yourself or your potential,” she said. “Opportunities like CVRF scholarships are there to support students and help them succeed. Applying is worth it because it can be the first step toward reaching your future goals.”
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 13
PATHWAYS
Learning, Then Leading Internships help local students discover confidence and purpose For many young adults in CVRF communities, the path into adult working life begins with a first step in the CVRF Internship program.
“I feel like if I just went straight into an office job without an internship, I wouldn’t be too good at it,” she said. “This internship has prepared me a lot for something similar.”
More than a summer job, the program gives participants the chance to build real-world experience while staying rooted in their communities. Interns support day-today operations, work alongside staff and contribute to programs that directly serve their villages, all while developing the skills they’ll carry into future careers.
One of Audrey’s favorite parts of the internship was helping Community Service Representatives with CVRF’s Youth to Work program, assisting younger participants with applications and answering questions about college. Having once been in their shoes, she enjoyed encouraging them to think about opportunities beyond high school.
In 2025, interns from Kipnuk, Eek and Quinhagak took part in the program, each stepping into new responsibilities and new expectations while earning a collective $18,329 in wages. Through hands-on experience—supporting office operations, assisting with programs like Youth to Work and participating in regular check-ins—they gained not just onthe-job training, but also an education in how to show up in a professional environment.
“There wasn’t really anyone talking about it,” she said of her own experience in Youth to Work. “I enjoyed mentioning college and the whole process to the younger kids. I feel like there needs to be a bit more of that conversation to help them have ambitions and goals.”
For AUDREY CLEVELAND of QUINHAGAK, the internship marked an important transition. Preparing for her second year at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, she was looking forward to her first office job, but wasn’t quite sure what to expect. “I was really excited,” Audrey recalled. “I was pretty much ready, but I was still kind of nervous.” That uncertainty didn’t last long. As the summer progressed, Audrey found herself growing more comfortable asking questions, taking initiative and handling responsibilities on her own. The experience gave Audrey a chance to develop workplace skills that she’ll carry into her future career as a radiology tech. More importantly, she said, it gave her confidence before stepping into future professional roles.
14 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
Audrey’s experience is one that DELORAS LOZANO of KONGIGANAK, CVRF’s internship program coordinator, sees every summer.
AUDREY CLEVELAND QUINHAGAK
“The new interns start off kind of shy,” said Deloras. “But that’s where they begin building their communication skills, their leadership skills and getting comfortable with the work.” As interns return for additional summers, she said, the transformation becomes even more noticeable. They arrive more confident, take on greater responsibility and often help guide new participants through the same experience they once navigated themselves. By investing in young adults as they enter the workforce, CVRF’s internship program helps prepare the next generation of professionals, leaders and mentors, strengthening not only individual career paths but the communities they return home to serve.
I enjoyed mentioning college and the whole process to the younger kids. I feel like there needs to be a bit more of that conversation to help them have ambitions and goals. AUDREY CLEVELAND QUINHAGAK
COMMUNITY ESSENTIALS
Another Year, Another Million-Dollar Milestone Mechanics/Welder program’s continued growth reflects a new standard For the second straight year, CVRF’s mechanics and welders crossed a threshold that once felt just out of reach.
So the program moved the entire building. Working in-house, with no outside construction company, the team slid it onto metal runners salvaged from a separate, years-old building relocation project, and pulled it back 40 feet from the water. They also turned it sideways, parallel to the river’s edge, gaining roughly 50 feet of total clearance from the eroding bank.
The program delivered $1,020,854 in work across CVRF’s 20 member communities in 2025, surpassing the milliondollar mark again after doing so for the first time in 2024. Last year, hitting $1 million felt like a milestone. The second time around, it’s something different: a sign that what looked like a breakthrough is now the program’s new normal. “Four or five years ago, we were averaging around $800,000 to $900,000,” recalled GEORGE SMITH of SCAMMON BAY, director of the Mechanic/Welder program for CVRF. “Just making it to $900,000 would have been our goal. But now, it’s sort of an expectation, knowing that we can do it. Now, we know what we’re capable of.” TURNING EFFICIENCY INTO IMPACT According to George, the shift didn’t come from adding more personnel or expanding operations. The difference came down to something simpler, but more difficult to sustain. “It all came down to making better use of our time,” George said. “A lot of focus has been on being more efficient with what we do and getting the guys to buy into being more efficient.” That meant getting more disciplined about improving inventory management, tightening workflows to sharpen turnaround times and accounting more carefully for the hours spent on facility upkeep and other non-revenue work. “There’s always something that needs to be fixed,” said
The preparation took about a month and a half, recalled George. The move itself took a full morning. “By noon,” he said with a laugh, “we were done.”
MATTHEW CHOLOK CHEVAK
RAYMOND EGOAK, a service writer from KIPNUK. “So the more efficiently we can work, the more people we can help.” SHIFTING THE SHOP A colder, longer winter than recent years kept the shops busy with what George called their “bread-and-butter repairs,” like snowmachines, ATVs and Toyo stove heaters. An unexpected uptick in boat repair work and re-hulls helped pick up the slack during the typically slower summer months. The year’s signature project, though, was something much bigger. In Chefornak, the mechanics/welders shop had been losing ground—literally—to a riverbank that was wearing away. By 2025, the corner of the ramp leading into the shop was sticking out into the river itself.
The relocation was budgeted at $250,000. The program was able to get the job done for $107,000. Just as significant as the cost savings, however, was the proof of concept. The program now knows it can relocate an entire shop using in-region expertise—no outside bid required. That knowledge matters, because Chefornak isn’t the only location with buildings earmarked for a move. Buildings in Nightmute and Kongiganak are already facing erosion pressures and could need relocation in the coming years. THE LONG VIEW For the team on the ground, a million dollars in work and a shop moved 50 feet aren’t one-time achievements. They’re reflections of a program that has matured into something its communities can count on for even more, year after year, in conditions where margins are thin and the nearest dealership is hundreds of miles away. “People here depend on this equipment every day,” said Raymond. “When something breaks, being able to fix it for your community means a lot.”
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 15
THE WAY FORWARD
A Bigger Footprint, A Better Future All Seasons Honda expansion creates room for growth For years, the marine shop at All Seasons Honda in Homer had been running out of room. As demand grew, so did the boats. Technicians squeezed larger vessels into a roughly 300-square-foot workspace whenever they could. When they couldn’t, they worked outside, even through Homer winters, bundled in insulated gloves and heavy jackets while repairing outboard motors in the snow. The shop had done everything it could. If All Seasons Honda was going to continue growing, something had to change. “It was either build it or get out of the marine business,” said BRET STEVENSON, general manager of All Seasons Honda. “That wasn’t really an option.” In 2025, that long-awaited solution began to crystallize. Construction continued throughout the year on a new expansion that will transform how the dealership serves customers across Southcentral Alaska while strengthening its ability to support CVRF’s member communities. Once complete, the project will expand the marine service department’s shop from roughly 300 square feet to 4,500 square feet, with dedicated work bays large enough to accommodate today’s larger boats, along with an expanded showroom and parts department. For a business that had spent years stretching every available inch of workspace, the new building represents far more than additional square footage. It’s an investment in the people who keep Alaska moving. YEARS IN THE MAKING The need for a larger facility didn’t appear overnight.
16 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
JOHN RUMMERY, who owned All Seasons Honda before selling the dealership to CVRF in 2023, remembers outgrowing one building after another as demand steadily increased. With boats getting larger and marine service demand climbing, eventually, technicians found themselves servicing boats year-round, regardless of weather. “Being outside working in the snow on an outboard motor is not fun,” John said. “We had a need for a long time to grow the shop.” The expansion became increasingly unavoidable. “The only way for us to grow as a company was to expand onto the next piece of property,” he said. When CVRF acquired All Seasons Honda, it inherited not only a successful dealership, but also a business that had already outgrown its physical footprint. The expansion offered an opportunity to remove one of the dealership’s biggest barriers to continued growth. BUILDING THROUGH CHALLENGES Like many construction projects in Alaska, the new facility presented its share of obstacles. Permitting delays compressed construction timelines, while one of the state’s coldest recent winters complicated work even further. After crews poured the building’s massive concrete foundation, they spent weeks heating it beneath a giant plastic enclosure to allow it to cure in freezing temperatures. Despite the challenges, construction advanced steadily throughout 2025. By year’s end, the structure had largely taken shape, with interior work nearing completion and the dealership preparing for its eventual move.
THE NEW FACILITY at All Seasons Honda will help the company and CVRF as a whole better serve member communities in times of need, said General Manager Bret Stevenson—like when the All Seasons Honda crew helped load up ATVs to assist the recovery effort after Typhoon Halong.
For Bret, who assumed leadership of the dealership in 2025, the project has become about much more than adding a new building. “It’s absolutely 100% taking care of our team,” he said. Each marine technician will have a dedicated service bay large enough to bring boats indoors, close the doors behind them and work comfortably regardless of the weather. The investment also reflects another challenge facing businesses across Alaska: retaining skilled employees. “When you have good employees,” Bret said, “you have to do what you have to do to keep them.” (Continued on page 17)
THE WAY FORWARD
A Bigger Footprint, A Better Future (Continued) MORE CAPACITY, GREATER IMPACT While the expansion changes daily life for employees in Homer, its impact reaches far beyond the dealership itself. All Seasons Honda has become an increasingly important link in CVRF’s broader efforts to support transportation and subsistence across its member communities. The dealership supplies equipment through People Propel®, supports the Mechanic/Welder program, maintains close relationships with Honda and Suzuki, and helps keep the ATVs, snowmachines and outboard motors that residents depend upon operating reliably. For many Alaskans, those machines are far more than recreational vehicles. “Up here, it’s a tool, not a toy,” Bret said. In CVRF’s member villages, ATVs haul boats to the river. Snowmachines connect neighboring communities during winter. Outboard motors carry families to fishing grounds that help sustain their way of life. Without reliable equipment, everyday life becomes much more difficult.
ALL SEASONS HONDA’S new facility adds more room not only for current employees to do their jobs, but for education. CEO Nick Souza said that the new building will serve as a place to train village residents in the Mechanic/Welder program.
“You don’t hunt, you don’t fish, you don’t eat, you can’t gather firewood,” Bret said. “It’s a really big deal to be part of that process.” The new facility gives All Seasons Honda more room to continue fulfilling that role, serving customers across Alaska while strengthening the dealership’s ability to support the communities at the heart of CVRF’s mission. Looking over the nearly completed expansion, Bret believes the investment positions the dealership for its next chapter. “It’s going to enable them to do a lot of things that they haven’t been able to do,” he said. “When you’re comfortable and you’re warm and you have your tools all surrounding you when you’re working on a project, that’s a real time-saver. It’s a good boost for morale as well.”
It’s going to enable [our technicians] to do a lot of things they haven’t been able to do. When you’re comfortable and you’re warm and you have your tools surrounding you when you’re working on a project, that’s a real time-saver. BRET STEVENSON GENERAL MANAGER, ALL SEASONS HONDA
After years of working around the limitations of the old shop, All Seasons Honda is finally building the space it needs, not just for the business it has today, but for the one it’s continuing to become.
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 17
THE WAY FORWARD
Together Through The Storm From immediate response to long-term recovery, CVRF helping villages rebuild after Halong On the Friday before Typhoon Halong reached Western Alaska, JANELLE CARL, community benefits coordinator and member of CVRF’s Geographic Information System (GIS) team, was supposed to fly home to KIPNUK.
“I knew it was going to be a bad one when I started seeing water going up my staircase inside my house,” Eric recalled. “All night, I was at the top of my staircase, watching the water level rise.”
She had spent the week in Toksook Bay collecting drone imagery and was ready to be back with her family. Flight delays kept her in Bethel through Friday. She tried again Saturday. Still no luck.
It eventually reached four and a half feet inside his two-story home. Eric watched and waited, unsure whether the water would stop before the house itself was swept away. When daylight came, the scale of the disaster became clear.
At first, she didn’t mind. She knew how fierce fall storms could become and figured spending one more night in a hotel was safer than flying into worsening weather. Then she woke up. She opened social media and saw post after post asking for help. She checked on her family, who were unharmed— although they were trapped in their homes overnight as the rising waters pulled their homes from their foundations and floated them away. In the days leading up to the storm, forecasts suggested the Halong system would track farther north. But just before landfall on Oct. 12, it shifted unexpectedly toward the YukonKuskokwim Delta, catching communities off guard.
“It felt like ‘Waterworld,’” Eric said. “There was no land in sight. There was just water everywhere, like we were in the middle of the ocean. Just a bunch of houses floating around.” ERIC DOCK KIPNUK
“The first thing was make sure everyone was safe,” Eric said. “Get everyone accounted for, get an evacuation plan going.” Napakiak—reported severe storm and flooding impacts, including damage to homes, transportation equipment and local infrastructure. Two (Kipnuk and Kwigillingok) were completely evacuated due to extreme damage, and another (Nightmute) saw a partial evacuation. AFTER THE WATER
What followed was unlike anything residents had experienced, even after Typhoon Merbok’s devastating impact in 2022. Boardwalks disappeared. Entire homes were carried for miles by the floodwaters. Boats, snowmachines and ATVs were swept away and broken. Of the 20 communities, seven—Kwigillingok, Kipnuk, Chefornak, Kongiganak, Nightmute, Toksook Bay and
The first priority wasn’t buildings, or equipment, or CVRF facilities. It was people.
“We never imagined two communities would be wiped out in a single blow in a single night,” said OSCAR EVON, CVRF’s director of community advocacy. “People’s livelihood was there one day, and it’s gone the next.” In Kipnuk, CVRF mechanic/welder ERIC DOCK had stayed through the storm. He expected something like Merbok: Water would rise, then eventually recede. But it kept coming.
For Eric and others who remained in Kipnuk, that meant finding boats that still ran and moving from house to house, bringing residents to the school. They cleared routes toward the airport and built makeshift boardwalks so residents with disabilities could reach evacuation flights. Some residents whose homes had drifted four or five miles outside the community had to be rescued by helicopter. CVRF leadership, meanwhile, worked to ensure employees and their families were safe before turning attention to the growing picture of destruction across the region. Through daily Emergency Operations Center briefings, conversations with regional partners and constant communication with CVRF staff in the villages, the organization quickly built an understanding of what communities needed most. (Continued on page 19)
18 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
THE WAY FORWARD
Together Through The Storm (Continued) The list grew by the hour. Without electricity, freezers filled with subsistence foods were lost. Drinking water became an immediate concern. Damaged boardwalks made travel difficult. And with winter approaching, replacing transportation was just as urgent.
needs in Halong’s wake. Homes that could still be occupied needed functioning heaters before winter arrived. Then came generators to restore power, chainsaws to clear debris and equipment that would allow people to move around their communities again.
CVRF mobilized more than 70 employees across the region, while coordinating closely with state and federal agencies, tribal organizations, health providers, industry partners and local businesses. The organization shipped food, water, generators, repair supplies and essential equipment to impacted communities. Staff established a hotline to connect residents with resources, coordinated free repairs for ATVs, heaters, outboards and snowmachines, and assembled hundreds of care packages filled with food and other household essentials for affected families.
Every repaired ATV, every restored outboard and every working snowmachine represented more than a machine. It represented a family beginning to regain a measure of their independence.
RESTORING RESILIENCE For GEORGE SMITH, director of CVRF’s Mechanic/Welder program, the work was intensely practical. His program served as a crucial assembly line for many residents’ critical
“It was about just getting people back on their feet,” George said. “Our biggest question was, ‘What can we do?’ And then we start to do what makes sense to do. “The guys did a great job of just cranking them out,” said George of the influx of repairs. “They’d take a look—is it repairable? If it was, they did the repairs, got it going, then they moved to the next one. A busy moment for our shop. We were able to help a lot of people.” MAPPING THE WAY FORWARD Behind the scenes, another CVRF team was helping shape recovery in a different way. Almost immediately after the storm, the GIS team mobilized to capture high-resolution imagery of damaged communities. For Janelle, the assignment was unlike any she had ever undertaken. She wasn’t documenting someone else’s hometown; she was documenting her own. “It was really personal,” said Janelle, who is still displaced by the storm and working from Anchorage. “I still haven’t been able to go back to Kipnuk. I haven’t been back since I went to Toksook.
AARON DULL NAPAKIAK
“We flew the drones in some other communities, and everything was everywhere. But we’re just trying to help however we can.”
The imagery captured by Janelle and the GIS team helped state agencies, FEMA and community leaders understand the scale of the destruction while giving villages current maps to plan recovery. In places like Kipnuk, those maps would help determine where homes could safely return and eventually support conversations about future community relocation. HELPING COMMUNITIES HEAL Recovery, however, has never been measured only in maps and repaired buildings. For many families, the storm disrupted traditions that define everyday life. Subsistence camps were lost. Smokehouses and fish racks disappeared. The places where generations gathered, harvested food and supported one another were suddenly gone. “You’ve lost everything. You have no home to go home to,” Oscar said. That reality continues to shape CVRF’s work. Whether delivering emergency supplies, helping restore transportation, providing mapping tools for long-term planning or standing alongside communities as they rebuild, the organization’s role remains the same as it was in those first uncertain hours after the storm: Start with people. “You never want to see your community like that,” said Janelle. “With all the people that were affected, that need help. “But then you also see how many people step up to help,” she added. “That’s one of the things I’ll remember, and that’s what makes me hopeful.” Recovery doesn’t happen all at once. It happens family by family, village by village. And for CVRF, helping those communities find their footing again remains the work that matters most.
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 19
8.3% Western Alaska (9,271)
RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP
Stewardship That Evolves
SOURCE: NOAA Report to the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council, April 2024* *Values derived from applying mean proportion for each stock group to the total pollock B season chum catch of 111,698.
New year brings smarter tools, sharper decisions Industry-wide Bering Sea Chinook Salmon Bycatch NUMBER OF CHINOOK SALMON (2006-2025)
In the Bering Sea pollock fishery, responsible fishing is a practice built over years of discipline, research, and attention to detail. For CVRF, that means showing up every year with the same approach: studying the data, reading the grounds, investing in better tools and collaborating across the fleet to fish as cleanly as possible. In 2025, that commitment continued, as it has year after year.
150,000
120,000
In 2025, the Northern Hawk recorded 811 Chinook and 3,763 chum salmon across the year’s fishing seasons—an increase from 2024’s historically low totals, but still within the historical range and well below the levels seen across the fleet in earlier periods. CVRF remains committed to investing in the tools, partnerships and research that are reshaping how salmon bycatch is managed in the Bering Sea pollock fishery. The Northern Hawk’s crew continued to rely on shared fleet data, real-time ocean conditions and historical trends to make informed decisions about where and how to fish, adjusting course whenever salmon presence warranted it. Tools like live underwater cameras, escapement technologies and LED lighting stayed core to the vessel’s standard operation, giving the crew earlier and better information to act on.
60,000
30,000
0
AND
THAT’S
1
811 CHINOOK SALMON. FOR EVERY
INDIVIDUAL CHINOOK
POUNDS 140,999 OF POLLOCK
25
MILLION POUNDS OF POLLOCK
24
114.35
20
23
IN ALL OF 2025, THE CVRF FLEET HARVESTED
20
22
20
21
20
20
20
20
18
19
20
17
20
16
20
15
20
14
20
13
20
12
20
11
20
10
20
09
20
20 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
08
SOURCE: NOAA Fisheries https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/akro/chinook_salmon_mortality2025.html
That kind of work—methodical, science-driven, and future-oriented—is what responsible stewardship looks like in practice. CVRF’s communities depend on healthy salmon returns. The pressures those communities face from declining runs are real and acute. And while ocean temperatures, migration patterns and broader environmental forces remain outside any fleet’s control, CVRF’s dedication to continuous improvement, industry collaboration and proactive engagement in fishery science does not. For CVRF, reducing salmon bycatch isn’t simply an operational objective. The same communities that benefit from Bering Sea fishing also depend on healthy salmon returns for subsistence lifestyles, food security and cultural traditions that stretch back generations. That reality shapes how the organization approaches the fishery, driving continued investments in research, technology and collaboration that help ensure every season builds on the lessons of the last.
20
07
20
06
20
20
Increasingly, reducing salmon bycatch begins long before the net enters the water. Last year marked a significant step forward in a longer-term effort to better understand salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea’s inshore pollock fishery. A genetic sampling program that began as a feasibility study in 2023 and expanded through a broader pilot in 2024 reached full implementation in 2025. The program collects and rapidly turns around genetic samples from chum salmon caught in the B-season shoreside fishery, giving fleet managers a clearer, near-real-time picture of which salmon populations are present in which areas. The results from 2025 are already shaping decisions about where the fleet fishes in 2026.
90,000
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
Financial Disclosures COMMITTEES AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS The CVRF Bylaws create a CVRF Executive Board consisting of seven members: the CVRF Board President, Board Vice President, Board Secretary, Board Treasurer, and three at-large CVRF Board members. The CVRF Executive Board may generally exercise all authority of the full CVRF Board in managing CVRF, with specific exceptions connected to removal of directors, officers, or the CEO, which require full board approval.
•
The CVRF Executive Board met four times – February, May, August, and November.
leadership and is pleased with the results that the personnel in the company have helped deliver to our communities.
•
The Election Committee met three times – March, November, and December.
CVRF maintains its commitment to hiring and retaining the best personnel available to benefit our stakeholders and our residents.
•
The Subsidiary Boards were scheduled to meet in December 2025; however, these meetings were postponed to January 2026, following significant weather-related travel disruptions.
In 2024, the bylaws were amended and restated with several changes adopted effective 12/31/24. These changes, coupled with associated board policy manual revisions, removed a number of standing committees in favor of “ad hoc” committees to address various needs of the organization, as they arise. Aside from the executive board, the only remaining standing committee is the elections committee, whose purpose is to advise the company on policies and procedures related to community board member elections. Because of the cyclical nature of board terms, the election committee is most active during odd years, which coincides with normal board term expirations.
•
In 2025 CVRF contracted for independent audit and tax services for various segments of the company. In addition, CVRF contracts for audit services related to its 401k plan, as required by ERISA. In 2025, CVRF paid $246,406 to Baker Tilly (formerly Moss Adams), CBIZ, and HKP & Associates, collectively, for these professional services. There have been no disagreements with any of the audit firms in any year.
•
Owen Kvinge, Crab Vessel Captain, $506,034
•
Eric Deakin, CEO, $436,800
•
Damien Catala, Crab Vessel Captain, $374,878
•
Michelle Drew, CFO, $335,442
Each of CVRF’s subsidiaries also have established boards. These boards are comprised of a mixture of existing full board members and key staff, and typically meet only once per year.
COMPENSATION TO KEY CVRF PERSONNEL AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
•
James Egaas, Pollock Vessel Captain, $319,096
•
Jorge Cifuentes, Crab Vessel Crew, $311,442
•
John Reines, Pollock Vessel Chief Engineer, $301,327
•
Christopher Harrell, General Counsel, $300,395
•
Edward Bishop, Cod Vessel Chief Engineer, 281,533
Board and committee meetings are held in person, or via electronic conferencing, as appropriate. In 2025 meetings were held as follows: •
The Full Board met four times – March, July, September, and December.
There were numerous informal meetings and teleconferences with the President/Vice President and the Administration.
The Board follows IRS Rebuttable Presumption of Reasonableness guidelines in calculating the salaries for its top executives, a process completed by an independent contractor, which includes comparisons with salary levels at other similar companies.
AUDITOR AND AUDITOR RELATIONSHIP
The federal CDQ statute encourages each CDQ group to disclose the “compensation levels of the top 5 highest paid personnel” (16 U.S.C. § 1855(i)(1)(F)(ii)). CVRF has always reported the total amount paid to the company’s top five personnel, whether they are office staff or crew members. Starting with the 2012 annual report, CVRF expanded its
For 2025, the top 10 highest paid positions earned the following base salaries (note that there were no bonuses paid to these employees in 2025):
report to include the company’s top 10 personnel. The CVRF Board of Directors works closely with Company
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 21
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
Financial Disclosures (Continued)
Board of Directors
•
The Board of Directors plays an important role at CVRF. It serves as the governing body that steers the vision, mission, values, and policies of the organization. Most importantly, members of the Board provide a critical link between community members and CVRF.
Victor Richarte, Crab Vessel Crew, 274,223
BOARD COMPENSATION POLICY AND FEES CVRF Board members receive a daily stipend during meetings and an additional monthly stipend for the CVRFrelated work that occurs between CVRF meetings. CVRF’s Board compensation policy was adopted in June 2004 after consultation with an independent advisory board (IAB). The policy stipulates that any changes must be approved by an independent body. The policy was last updated in January 2011 and approved by the independent authorized body comprised of an independent member of each community. An IAB took place in April 2024, and a new compensation scale was adopted with an effective date of 1/1/25. The CVRF Board compensation policy is in full compliance with IRS Rebuttable Presumption of Reasonableness guidelines. During 2025, CVRF paid its Board members $632,755 including salaries, stipends, per diems and benefits.
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS None of CVRF’s employees or Board members have a financial relationship with any partners who lease or harvest CVRF’s quotas. Related party transactions with Board members include employee payroll: •
Father-in-law: M/W Manager ($141,702)
•
Daughter: CSR ($39,993)
•
Spouse: Winter Watchman ($12,000)
•
Sister-in-Law: CSR ($22,986)
•
Daughter: Accounting Associate II ($67,350)
•
Daughter: Accounting Associate I ($46,682)
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS INVOLVING DIRECTORS CVRF was not engaged in any litigation with any of its directors during 2025. PROFESSIONAL FEES In 2025, CVRF paid the following fees for professional services: (1) $16,583 in legal fees; (2) $1,068,550 in consulting fees; (3) $257,106 in accounting fees; and (4) $218,421 in lobbying fees.
22 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
SHAPING THE FUTURE CVRF would also like to acknowledge the contributions that sitting Board members made in 2025. Board members provided valuable guidance and oversight that helped move CVRF closer to achieving some of its long-term goals.
ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD COMMUNITY ELECTIONS CVRF’s Board of Directors is responsible for governing CVRF’s affairs. The Board makes broad policy decisions and sets organizational goals that the staff carry out. The primary functions of the Board are to act in the best interests of the company and the Coastal Villages region. These functions enable the organization to achieve its purpose of providing the means for development by creating sensible, tangible, long-term solutions for the residents of CVRF’s 20 member communities. The Board makes decisions that balance growth in commercial fishing and sustainable development in CVRF communities. The Board accomplishes this by staying up to date about CVRF’s activities and relaying the appropriate information to residents. ARCHITECTS OF THE DREAM CVRF would like to thank all community leaders who have served on the company’s Board of Directors past and present. CVRF is grateful for their many contributions while serving on the Board.
CVRF’s Board of Directors is made up of democratically elected representatives from each of our 20 member communities. Board members serve six-year terms, and elections for one-third of the board take place every two years. All Board members must be permanently domiciled residents of the communities they represent, meaning that the Board member must have permanent residency and plan to remain a resident. Elections are run under a standardized democratic process designed to give every adult, 18 years or older, the opportunity to vote in the election for the CVRF board member from their community. Thank you to the Tribes throughout our communities for running our elections. Four regular elections were held in 2025 for board terms spanning 2026 through 2031, representing Napaskiak, Newtok, Quinhagak and Tununak. Three special elections were also held in 2025: Chevak in January and February, Hooper Bay in October and November, and Mekoryuk in November. Elections for Tuntutuliak and Kwigillingok were postponed to 2026 following disruptions from Typhoon Halong.
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
Financial Disclosures (Continued) 2025 GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES Advertising
CUMULATIVE REVENUES JANUARY 1999 - DECEMBER 2025 $9,768
Bad debt (recovery)
(485,261)
Bank and finance
44,0743
Communications
83,977
Computer and software
533,073
Depreciation
74,380
Drug screening & preemployment
25,649
Dues, permits, taxes & licenses
8,628
Employee education assistance
9,498
$2,000,000
$1,800,000
$1,600,000
9,234
Insurance
574,486
Interest
11,044
Lease & rent
5,844
Meals and entertainment
65,864
Other fees and charges (discounts)
(14,744)
Payroll
THOUSANDS
Freight
THOUSANDS
$1,400,000
Coastal Villages Region Fund has earned $2.10 billion in cumulative revenue over the last 28 years.
$1,200,000
$1,000,000
$800,000
$600,000
4,986,798
Payroll taxes and benefits
242,824
Per diem
79,435
Printing
29,807
$400,000
$200,000
Transportation and parking
29,424
Travel and lodging
274,973
GRAND TOTAL
2025
2023
2024
2021
2022
2020
2019
2017
2018
2015
2016
2014
2013
2011
2012
2010
2009
2008
2007
2005
7,334
2006
Training
2003
38,524
2004
Supplies
0 2001
1,648
2002
Repairs and maintenance
1999
1,412,871
2000
Professional services
$8,059,151
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 23
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES
Consolidated Statements of Financial Position (Balance Sheet) POLLOCK DRIVES CVRF FISH SALES 2025 SALES BY SPECIES ($)
Coastal Villages Region Fund & Subsidiaries 2025
DECEMBER 31, 2025 AND 2024
2024
Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for current expected credit losses in 2025 of $324,419 and in 2024 of $316,050 Seafood inventory, net Powersports inventory Other inventory Prepaid expenses
POLLOCK 14,913,644
20,941,801
23,306,119 3,404,140 2,966,944 1,420,341 4,182,922
13,663,574 2,449,952 3,728,043 1,446,266 3,586,369
Total current assets
50,194,110
45,816,005
Restricted certificates of deposit Deposits Notes receivable — CQSs Property, plant, vessels, and equipment net Assets held for sale Operating lease right-of-use assets Investments in fishing rights and permits, net Cost basis investments, net of impairment Equity method investments Other investment
410,000 119,632 8,311,625 76,967,550 — 491,317 168,162,813 2,963,665 39,111,465 625,864
410,000 26,805 8,094,800 74,431,915 998,560 583,186 168,646,813 1,573,725 37,052,252 546,718
$ 347,358,041
338,180,779
Total assets
$
54%
COD
28%
Liabilities and Net Assets Current liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued expenses Accrued payroll liabilities Current obligations under operating leases Current obligations under finance leases Current portion of NOAA CDQ Loan Payable Current portion of guaranty liability Current portion of pier replacement obligation Notes payable - short term Deferred revenue Security deposits Total current liabilities Obligations under finance leases, net of current portion Obligations under operating leases, net of current portion NOAA CDQ loan payable, net of current portion and issuance costs Construction loan payable Guaranty liability, net of current portion Long term obligation - pier replacement, net of current portion Total liabilities Net assets, without donor restrictions Total liabilities and net assets
24 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
$
11,571,448 1,794,087 17,353 1,774 493,557 485,262 1,085,000 1,896,857 361,712 220,026
6,985,465 1,804,601 105,592 1,707 463,837 485,262 1,085,000 2,652,228 143,225 743,683
17,927,076
14,470,600
2,862 436,313 33,769,980 421,375 4,609,988 164,327
5,215 453,666 34,244,349 — 5,095,247 913,075
57,331,921
55,182,152
290,026,123
282,998,627
$ 347,358,041
$
338,180,779
CRAB
18%
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES
Consolidated Statements of Activities (Income Statement) Coastal Villages Region Fund & Subsidiaries YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025 AND 2024 FISHING OPERATIONS
2025
2024
PROGRAMS & PROJECTS, GENERAL & ADMINISTRATIVE
PROGRAMS & PROJECTS, GENERAL & ADMINISTRATIVE
TOTAL
FISHING OPERATIONS
TOTAL
Revenue and Gains (losses): Seafood sales, net Quota and profit share income Interest income Rental income Community service centers Powersports sales Residential construction Tendering income Vessel management income Crab disaster funds Other
Expenses and Losses:
$
112,228,241 1,152,442 — 1,562,346 — — — 674,500 328,121 6,065,942 770
— 3,786,051 593,105 42,491 882,024 8,320,291 — — — 2,708,437 1,107,530
112,228,241 4,938,493 593,105 1,604,837 882,024 8,320,291 — 674,500 328,121 8,774,379 1,108,300
122,012,362
17,439,929
51,113,448 — 50,112,524 695,652 — 1,700,332 1,418,762
Total Expenses and Losses Change in net assets before equity in income from equity method investments
Total Revenue and Gains
Cost of seafood sales Programs and projects Fishing operating expenses General and administrative Powersports operations Property management Loss on asset disposals and impairment
Income from equity method investments Change in net assets without donor restrictions
$
85,199,540 1,344,119 — 1,438,507 — — — 758,155 832,763 456,863 67,756
— 1,595,855 759,592 64,742 984,995 9,523,537 271,500 — — 304,259 1,482,220
85,199,540 2,939,974 759,592 1,503,249 984,995 9,523,537 271,500 758,155 832,763 761,122 1,549,976
139,452,291
90,097,703
14,986,700
105,084,403
— 11,614,572 — 7,363,498 9,300,983 1,009,672 154,568
51,113,448 11,614,572 50,112,524 8,059,150 9,300,983 2,710,004 1,573,330
38,586,115 — 37,555,520 979,776 — 1,645,004 1,049,327
— 12,085,271 — 7,556,221 10,919,933 1,020,076 —
38,586,115 12,085,271 37,555,520 8,535,997 10,919,933 2,665,080 1,049,327
105,040,718
29,443,293
134,484,011
79,815,742
31,581,501
111,397,243
16,971,644 2,059,216
(12,003,364) —
4,968,280 2,059,216
10,281,961 1,312,015
(16,594,801) —
(6,312,840) 1,312,015
19,030,860
(12,003,364)
7,027,496
11,593,976
(16,594,801)
(5,000,825)
Net assets at beginning of the year, without donor restrictions
Net assets at end of the year, without donor restrictions
$
$
282,998,627
$
290,026,123
287,999,452
$
282,998,627
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 25
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
2026 Board of Directors LARSON HUNTER
RICHARD JUNG
JOHN SAMUEL
GABRIEL OLICK
CHAIRMAN
VICE CHAIRMAN
SECRETARY
TREASURER
SCAMMON BAY
NAPAKIAK
PLATINUM
TUNTUTULIAK
CHAIR TERM: 2022-2027 BOARD TERM: 2022-2027
VICE CHAIR TERM: 2024-2029 BOARD TERM: 2022-2027
SECRETARY TERM: 2020-2025 BOARD TERM: 2019-2025
TREASURER TERM: 2020-2025 BOARD TERM: 2019-2025
GEORGE CHUCKWUK
EVAN S. EVAN
CARLIE BEEBE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
ROBERT PANRUK CHEFORNAK
KIPNUK
GOODNEWS BAY
EEK
EXEC COMM TERM: 2022-2027 BOARD TERM: 2024-2029
EXEC COMM TERM: 2024-2029 BOARD TERM: 2022-2027
EXEC COMM TERM: 2025 BOARD TERM: 2026-2031
2022 - 2027
JOHN PINGAYAK CHEVAK
EDGAR HOELSCHER HOOPER BAY
JERRY IVON KONGIGANAK
ANDREW KIUNYA KWIGILLINGOK
2022 - 2027
2024 - 2029
2024 - 2029
2020 - 2025
ABRAHAM DAVID MEKORYUK
JACKIE B. LARSON NAPASKIAK
LISA CHARLES NEWTOK
ISADORE ANTHONY NIGHTMUTE
2025 - 2027
2026 - 2031
2026 - 2031
2022 - 2027
NICHOLAI STEVEN OSCARVILLE
WARREN JONES QUINHAGAK
SAM A. CHANAR TOKSOOK BAY
ALMA KANRILAK TUNUNAK
2024 - 2029
2026 - 2031
2024 - 2029
2026 - 2031
26 | COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025
FROM THE CEO
A Message from the CEO As I write my first annual report letter as CEO of Coastal Villages Region Fund, I do so with a deep sense of gratitude and responsibility. It is an honor to serve this organization, our Board of Directors and, most importantly, the people of our 20 member communities.
NICHOLAS SOUZA, CEO COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND
CVRF has always been built on a simple purpose: to create opportunities that strengthen our communities today while protecting them for generations to come. That purpose has guided the organization through changing fisheries, shifting markets and countless other challenges over the years. It continues to guide us today. This past year reminded us that one of the most important things an organization can provide is stability. Across Western Alaska, families continue to face rising costs, changing environmental conditions and the uncertainty that comes with living in some of the most remote communities in the country. When Typhoon Halong affected our region, it served as another reminder that challenges can arrive without warning. Moments like these reinforce why CVRF exists. Our responsibility is not simply to invest when times are good. It is to be present when our communities need us most and to build the resilience that helps them navigate whatever comes next. Throughout this report, there are stories that reflect that commitment in different ways. Mechanics helping neighbors keep the equipment that supports everyday life running. Students gaining work experience, scholarships opening new doors, and young people discovering opportunities close to home. Investments in mapping technology, community infrastructure and business that strengthen our ability to serve the region for years to come. On the surface, these stories may seem different. To me, they all represent the same idea: Strong communities are built through consistent investment in people. Whatever form that investment takes, our goal remains the same: to help our communities become stronger, more resilient and better prepared for the future.
This past year reminded us that one of the most important things an organization can provide is stability. NICK SOUZA, CEO COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND
Looking ahead, I am optimistic. We’re seeing encouraging signs across our business operations, and we’re continuing to make thoughtful investments that position CVRF for long-term success. Just as importantly, we’re strengthening the relationships that have always been at the heart of this organization. Listening to our communities, understanding their priorities and working alongside them will continue to shape every decision we make. Our connection to the Bering Sea makes this work possible, but our success is measured by something much closer to home: the opportunities we create, the support we provide and the trust we earn within our communities. Thank you to our employees, our partners, our Board of Directors and the residents of our member communities for the trust you place in CVRF. I look forward to building on that trust in the years ahead.
COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND | ANNUAL REPORT 2025 | 27
ANCHORAGE OFFICE 711 H St., Suite 200 Anchorage, AK 99501 907-278-5151 1-888-795-5151
Residency Verification Hotline: 1-844-357-6565 People Propel® Hotline: 1-888-983-7155
Website:
www.coastalvillages.org
Facebook:
facebook.com/CoastalVillagesRegionFund
Twitter:
twitter.com/CoastalVillages
Instagram:
instagram.com/CoastalVillages
YouTube:
youtube.com/coastalvillages1
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/coastal-villages-region-fund