Kodiak Area Native Association
Loretta Nelson is the daughter of Willis and Martha Nelson from Afognak and Port Lions. Born in Kodiak, Loretta was raised in Afognak until the 1964 tsunami, when she relocated to Port Lions with her family. She developed a strong drive to serve her community at an early age, and worked with the Kodiak Area Native Association (KANA) as a Community Health Aide in Port Lions. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Loretta relocated to Kodiak and began working for Afognak Native Corporation, where she worked for twenty years as the Shareholder Relations Manager.
Loretta is an enrolled member of the Native Village of Port Lions and of the Native Village of Afognak. She has served on the KANA Board of Directors since 2004, and has held office as Chairperson of the Board for more than a decade. In 2021, she became KANA’s representative on the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Board of Directors. Additionally, Loretta has served on the Afognak Native Corporation Board of Directors since 2011, and also on the Native Village of Afognak Tribal Council where she holds the office of Tribal Council Vice Chairperson.