Tlingit & Haida Hire Smiley-Rivera as Employment & Training Manager

The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) announced the hire of Amelia Smiley-Rivera (Jiyál’axch) as the Employment & Training (E&T) Manager.

As the E&T Manager, Smiley-Rivera leads the Employment & Training team while working with families to support their efforts to reach self-sufficiency by obtaining long-term employment. E&T is one of five departments under the umbrella of the Tribe’s 477 Division and administers the following essential programs and services: Burial Assistance, Employment Assistance, General Assistance, Job Placement, Training Services, and Youth Employment Services.

Smiley-Rivera has a bachelor’s in humanities from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and a master’s in secondary teaching from UAS – Juneau. She has several years of experience in the fields of behavioral health, education, and social services. Smiley-Rivera was formerly a Social Studies teacher with the Juneau School District and comes to Tlingit & Haida from the State of Alaska, Office of Children’s Services where she partnered with Tribal Title IV-E tribes and tribal organizations to maximize federal funding reimbursement.