Calista Corporation (pronounced [dʒɑlɪstɑ]) is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Calista was incorporated in Alaska on June 12, 1972.[1] Although the Calista region is in western Alaska, Calista Corporation is headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. Calista is a for-profit corporation with 17,300 Alaska Native shareholders primarily of Yup'ik descent.
The name Calista is a portmanteau of the Central Alaskan Yup'ik words 'Cali', meaning "work," and 'Ista', meaning someone or something which does. The Yup'ik language does not have a word for "corporation".
As part of ANCSA, Calista received patent for 4,997,263 acres (20,223.21 km2) from the federal government as well as approximately $80 million, making it the second largest corporation established under ANCSA. The Calista region covers Alaska's Bethel and Wade Hampton census areas and includes 56 villages.
Calista's corporate headquarters are located in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city and the business center of the state. Eleven Shareholders serve on the Board of Directors, and provide direction and guidance to the corporate management. The administration team, working in cooperation with Administrative Services, Human Resources, Legal Affairs, Shareholder Services, Finance and Accounting, and the Land and Natural Resources Departments, conducts corporate management. Calista Shareholders comprise more than 50 percent of the corporate staff.
Calista Strategic Plan
In fulfilling its responsibilities as a for-profit Alaska Native Corporation, Calista has implemented the Calista Strategic Plan. This plan articulates a vision, mission and goals for the management of the corporation and establishes a direction for the future.
Calista Corporation Vision Statement:
Increase financial prosperity through diversified, global investments and business ventures - adhering to our Native values and corporate responsibility.
Calista Corporation Mission Statement:
Increase Shareholder benefits and economic opportunities through innovation, growth, leadership, execution and financial discipline.
Calista Corporate Values:
Integrity and highest ethical standards.
Respect of self and others.
Communication - open, consistent and two-way.
Dedication and loyalty to corporate mission/vision, people and customers.
Teamwork and meeting our commitments to one another.
Continuous improvement, development and learning in all we do.
Cultural pride and respect for diversity of people, cultures and ideas.
Performance with professionalism and recognition of results.
Service - Shareholder, customer and public.
As part of the Strategic Plan, the corporation is exploring ways to capitalize on the mineral potential of the Region. This includes precious metals, industrial materials and hydrocarbons. Calista is also exploring means of lowering electrical generation costs in the Region through hydropower generation and other alternative energy sources such as natural gas. In addition, Calista is pursuing the development of clean water and waste water programs in cooperation with the regional non-profit organization, and economical fuel and merchandise distribution through the formation of cooperatives and companies.
Akilista Fund
Included in the Calista Strategic Plan, was the creation of the Akilista Fund.
Purpose: The Calista Corporation Board of Directors established the Akilista Fund in 1994 for the purpose of making distributions as dividends for our shareholders. At its inception, the Board of Directors mandated management to set aside ten percent (10%) of all the future revenues to this fund.
Other sources that contribute to the fund are ten percent of revenues from ANCSA Section 7 (i) (directing revenues received from subsurface resources and timber development on ANCSA lands are to be shared among Alaska regional corporations). And the SWALA (Southwest Alaska Land Acquisition) land exchange package contributed fifty percent (50%) of federal government resources into the Akilista Fund.
Establishment: The Akilista Fund was established in 1994 with less than $500,000. As of today, the Akilista Fund has grown to over $20 million dollars and with this significant growth the possibility of making an actual distribution is close to reality.
Spending Policy: As the Akilista Fund investment was growing, one thing became apparent to the board and management of Calista Corporation: at what point would the board have to make a decision to make a distribution to our shareholders? The Board of Directors of Calista Corporation adopted a spending policy regarding the Akilista Fund. In designing the spending policy the Calista board deliberated and decided it would be structured like the well-known Alaska Permanent Fund that issues annual dividends from its principal.
On April 13, 2005, the Calista board adopted the following language:
The Akilista Fund places the highest emphasis on generating a dividend or distribution income stream for shareholders or other shareholder services in perpetuity. As such, the investment committee regards spending in dollar terms from year to year as flexible based on the following constraints:
No spending will be considered until the fund reaches a market value of at least $20 million annualized over a 3 year average.
Spending annually will be constrained to a range of 0%-4% of the 3 year average of the market value of the fund.
The Calista board of directors may consider additional amounts of excess operating cash to increase any Akilista Fund money used for shareholder dividends or distributions.
Calista Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in construction and engineering, aerospace and technology services, telecommunication construction, hospitality and support services, and marketing and communication businesses. It provides construction services for government projects, including remote-site projects, military bases, and other federal facilities; and civil, mechanical, and electrical construction services. The company also offers professional and technical services to government agencies and businesses, which include rapid prototyping engineering and manufacturing; systems integration, modification, and maintenance services for military aircraft, missile, and land vehicles; metrology services; base operations support; training range operations; and engineering support services. In addition, it engages in the design, building, and integration of complex communications systems in remote locations; and provides VSAT, microwave, wireless, radio systems, and communications site-development construction services. Further, the company offers various support services to remote-site projects, military bases, and other federal facilities, which include facility and base operations support, facilities and camp management and maintenance, fuel systems management, temporary personnel, and purchasing and expediting. Furthermore, it provides branding and brand management services, including strategies, marketing, graphic design, Web development, copywriting, research, social and viral marketing, and public relations; and commercial printing, bindery, and mailing solutions, as well as publishes a magazine and a newspaper in print and online versions. The company, through its joint ventures, also provides drilling services; wholesales and retails fuel, propane, and petroleum products; and engages in investing, acquiring, and managing real estate properties. Calista Corporation was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska.
KEY EXECUTIVES
Mr. Andrew J. Guy
Chief Executive Officer and President
Ms. Margaret Pohjola
Treasurer and Director
Mr. Felix Hess
Secretary and Director
Ms. Kristina Holmes
Director of Communications
301 Calista Court
Suite A
Anchorage, AK 99518-3028
United States
Founded in 1972
The name Calista is a portmanteau of the Central Alaskan Yup'ik words 'Cali', meaning "work," and 'Ista', meaning someone or something which does. The Yup'ik language does not have a word for "corporation".
As part of ANCSA, Calista received patent for 4,997,263 acres (20,223.21 km2) from the federal government as well as approximately $80 million, making it the second largest corporation established under ANCSA. The Calista region covers Alaska's Bethel and Wade Hampton census areas and includes 56 villages.
Calista's corporate headquarters are located in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city and the business center of the state. Eleven Shareholders serve on the Board of Directors, and provide direction and guidance to the corporate management. The administration team, working in cooperation with Administrative Services, Human Resources, Legal Affairs, Shareholder Services, Finance and Accounting, and the Land and Natural Resources Departments, conducts corporate management. Calista Shareholders comprise more than 50 percent of the corporate staff.
Calista Strategic Plan
In fulfilling its responsibilities as a for-profit Alaska Native Corporation, Calista has implemented the Calista Strategic Plan. This plan articulates a vision, mission and goals for the management of the corporation and establishes a direction for the future.
Calista Corporation Vision Statement:
Increase financial prosperity through diversified, global investments and business ventures - adhering to our Native values and corporate responsibility.
Calista Corporation Mission Statement:
Increase Shareholder benefits and economic opportunities through innovation, growth, leadership, execution and financial discipline.
Calista Corporate Values:
Integrity and highest ethical standards.
Respect of self and others.
Communication - open, consistent and two-way.
Dedication and loyalty to corporate mission/vision, people and customers.
Teamwork and meeting our commitments to one another.
Continuous improvement, development and learning in all we do.
Cultural pride and respect for diversity of people, cultures and ideas.
Performance with professionalism and recognition of results.
Service - Shareholder, customer and public.
As part of the Strategic Plan, the corporation is exploring ways to capitalize on the mineral potential of the Region. This includes precious metals, industrial materials and hydrocarbons. Calista is also exploring means of lowering electrical generation costs in the Region through hydropower generation and other alternative energy sources such as natural gas. In addition, Calista is pursuing the development of clean water and waste water programs in cooperation with the regional non-profit organization, and economical fuel and merchandise distribution through the formation of cooperatives and companies.
Akilista Fund
Included in the Calista Strategic Plan, was the creation of the Akilista Fund.
Purpose: The Calista Corporation Board of Directors established the Akilista Fund in 1994 for the purpose of making distributions as dividends for our shareholders. At its inception, the Board of Directors mandated management to set aside ten percent (10%) of all the future revenues to this fund.
Other sources that contribute to the fund are ten percent of revenues from ANCSA Section 7 (i) (directing revenues received from subsurface resources and timber development on ANCSA lands are to be shared among Alaska regional corporations). And the SWALA (Southwest Alaska Land Acquisition) land exchange package contributed fifty percent (50%) of federal government resources into the Akilista Fund.
Establishment: The Akilista Fund was established in 1994 with less than $500,000. As of today, the Akilista Fund has grown to over $20 million dollars and with this significant growth the possibility of making an actual distribution is close to reality.
Spending Policy: As the Akilista Fund investment was growing, one thing became apparent to the board and management of Calista Corporation: at what point would the board have to make a decision to make a distribution to our shareholders? The Board of Directors of Calista Corporation adopted a spending policy regarding the Akilista Fund. In designing the spending policy the Calista board deliberated and decided it would be structured like the well-known Alaska Permanent Fund that issues annual dividends from its principal.
On April 13, 2005, the Calista board adopted the following language:
The Akilista Fund places the highest emphasis on generating a dividend or distribution income stream for shareholders or other shareholder services in perpetuity. As such, the investment committee regards spending in dollar terms from year to year as flexible based on the following constraints:
No spending will be considered until the fund reaches a market value of at least $20 million annualized over a 3 year average.
Spending annually will be constrained to a range of 0%-4% of the 3 year average of the market value of the fund.
The Calista board of directors may consider additional amounts of excess operating cash to increase any Akilista Fund money used for shareholder dividends or distributions.
Calista Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in construction and engineering, aerospace and technology services, telecommunication construction, hospitality and support services, and marketing and communication businesses. It provides construction services for government projects, including remote-site projects, military bases, and other federal facilities; and civil, mechanical, and electrical construction services. The company also offers professional and technical services to government agencies and businesses, which include rapid prototyping engineering and manufacturing; systems integration, modification, and maintenance services for military aircraft, missile, and land vehicles; metrology services; base operations support; training range operations; and engineering support services. In addition, it engages in the design, building, and integration of complex communications systems in remote locations; and provides VSAT, microwave, wireless, radio systems, and communications site-development construction services. Further, the company offers various support services to remote-site projects, military bases, and other federal facilities, which include facility and base operations support, facilities and camp management and maintenance, fuel systems management, temporary personnel, and purchasing and expediting. Furthermore, it provides branding and brand management services, including strategies, marketing, graphic design, Web development, copywriting, research, social and viral marketing, and public relations; and commercial printing, bindery, and mailing solutions, as well as publishes a magazine and a newspaper in print and online versions. The company, through its joint ventures, also provides drilling services; wholesales and retails fuel, propane, and petroleum products; and engages in investing, acquiring, and managing real estate properties. Calista Corporation was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska.
KEY EXECUTIVES
Mr. Andrew J. Guy
Chief Executive Officer and President
Ms. Margaret Pohjola
Treasurer and Director
Mr. Felix Hess
Secretary and Director
Ms. Kristina Holmes
Director of Communications
301 Calista Court
Suite A
Anchorage, AK 99518-3028
United States
Founded in 1972