Goldbelt Heritage Foundation Names New Executive Director
Photo Credit: Bethany Sonsini Goodrich | Goldbelt Heritage
Goldbelt Heritage Foundation (GHF) selected Neilg̱áa Koogéi Taija Revels as its new Executive Director. Neilg̱áa Koogéi brings to GHF more than twenty years of professional experience working with tribal organizations.
Preceding her appointment to GHF, she worked at the Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska as a special projects manager to the COO, responsible for cross-departmental project management. She also held positions with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the US Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Neilg̱áa Koogéi hold a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies from Portland State University and a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Currently, she is working toward completion of a certificate in Lingít language from UAS.
“I am so honored to join the Goldbelt Heritage Foundation’s team of talented and dedicated employees and continue their incredible work of culturally responsive education and preservation of the Tlingit heritage and language,” Neilg̱áa Koogéi says. “I look forward to contributing to the continued success and growth of Goldbelt Heritage.”
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September 2026
Neilg̱áa Koogéi previously served on the GHF board of directors. She has served on the boards of the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center, Alaska Public Health Association, and NMAC Youth Council. She currently serves on the boards for the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council and the Kiks.ádi Point House Revitalization.
“We are thrilled that Neilg̱áa Koogéi has been appointed to the position of Executive Director,” says GHF Board Chair Jacqueline Pata. “Neilg̱áa Koogéi brings to Goldbelt Heritage a deep connection to the Lingít community as well as a dedication to language learning and a strong commitment to living her culture, all of which we are confident will make a positive impact on the organization and community.”
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