First Alaskans Institute Intern Returns as Communications Director
Photo Credit: First Alaskans Institute
First Alaskans Institute (FAI), a statewide nonprofit advancing Alaska Native voices in decision-making roles, hired Carissa Larson as Communications Director. In this role, Larson guides FAI’s communication strategy and shapes storytelling efforts that uplift Alaska Native voices, leadership, and community-driven solutions.
A member of Afognak Native Corporation’s board of directors, Larson comes to FAI from The Alaska Center, where she served as Communications Manager. Larson first connected with FAI in 2017 as a Communications Intern through a Summer Internship Program. Since then, she has built a career in communications and community engagement.
Current Issue
May 2026
Larson is Alutiiq/Sugpiaq from Kodiak and Chignik Bay, with family roots in Perryville and Dillingham. She values time with family and community and feels strongly about the role storytelling can play in carrying forward knowledge, relationships, and ways of life. She looks forward to contributing to FAI’s work in a new way and supporting the next generation of Alaska Native leaders.
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