First Take the Next Generation to Work Day a success
A group of forward-thinking young CIRI descendants got a peek at potential future careers when they participated in the first-ever Take the Next Generation to Work Day at the CIRI corporate offices on Jan. 19.
“I’ve been a youth representative for the Shareholder Participation Committee, but I still learned stuff about what CIRI does,” said CIRI descendant Parker Pickett, age 14.
He and five other CIRI descendants spent the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday talking with representatives from CIRI departments to get a first-hand look at the kind of work CIRI employees do. Participants learned how Corporate Communications puts together a newsletter, took a behind-the-scenes building tour led by the Real Estate department, met CIRI President and CEO Sophie Minich and other members of CIRI’s executive team and even discovered how IT would keep the company’s computer hardware safe in the event of a fire. (“They suck all the oxygen out of the server room!” Pickett explained.)
The group also got a sneak peak at CIRI’s shareholder database, learned about the Fire Island Wind project, heard from the CIRI Land Department and representatives from The CIRI Foundation and had an opportunity to play “Never Alone” (Kisima Ingitchuna), the new video game inspired by Iñupiat folklore and developed through a partnership between Cook Inlet Tribal Council and E-Line Media.
Take the Next Generation to Work Day was conceived by CIRI’s Shareholder Relations Department and implemented by its Human Resources Department to help young shareholders and descendants explore potential career paths and learn more about what it would be like to work for their corporation.
“Before, I just thought CIRI was a corporation – I wasn’t exactly sure what it did,” said 12-year-old CIRI descendant Danika Herndon. “I was really surprised at how much CIRI is involved in the community, too.”
“The day was a great success,” reported Darla Graham, manager of CIRI Shareholder Employment Programs. “Participants walked away with a better understanding of what CIRI does and the opportunities that are available to them as CIRI descendants, from scholarships to internships and future career paths.”
“It was great to spend the day with CIRI youth,” added betsy Peratrovich, senior director of CIRI Shareholder Relations. “We can’t wait to do it again next year!”
