At a Glance
What book is on your nightstand?
Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions by John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber. It is the best (and shortest) read on implementing sustainable change in an organization.
What movie do you recommend to everyone?
Any movie with a woman as the super hero! Women do remarkable things every day; it’s nice to see we are playing roles that reflect that.
What’s the first thing you do after work?
Pet my dogs. They hear me coming and meet me at the door every evening.
If you couldn’t live in Alaska, where would you live?
Kauai, Hawaii.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
An eagle, but only if it doesn’t bite me [she laughs].
At a Glance
What book is on your nightstand?
Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions by John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber. It is the best (and shortest) read on implementing sustainable change in an organization.
What movie do you recommend to everyone?
Any movie with a woman as the super hero! Women do remarkable things every day; it’s nice to see we are playing roles that reflect that.
What’s the first thing you do after work?
Pet my dogs. They hear me coming and meet me at the door every evening.
If you couldn’t live in Alaska, where would you live?
Kauai, Hawaii.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
An eagle, but only if it doesn’t bite me [she laughs].
Off the Cuff
hauna Hegna has been the president of Koniag, the Alaska Native regional corporation for the Kodiak Island area, since 2017. “Koniag realized a record year this year,” explains Hegna. “It’s amazing what can happen when humble, hardworking, and driven people are inspired by a shared vision.”
Alaska Business: What do you do in your free time?
Shauna Hegna: My family loves the outdoors. In the fall you can find us hunting near my village on Kodiak Island, in the winter we ski, and in the summer we fish and raft rivers all over Alaska.
AB: Is there a skill or talent you’ve always wanted to learn or are learning?
Hegna: I have always wanted to make my own snowfalling parka, a traditional Alutiiq ceremonial dress. One of these days I will sit down and get it done!
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Hegna: Going to college was the most daring thing I’ve ever done. Transitioning from a high school where there were five students in my graduating class to a university where there were more students in my first semester history class than my entire village was terrifying. Oh, and perhaps ziplining in Costa Rica [she laughs].
AB: What’s your go-to comfort food?
Hegna: My stepmother’s homemade bread. It’s fattening, but so good!
AB: Other than your current career, if you were a kid today, what would your dream job be?
Hegna: Either a high school teacher or a college professor. I love mentoring and coaching the next generation.
AB: What is your favorite way to get exercise?
Hegna: Hiking up a mountain on my way to get a deer.
AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to most see perform live in concert.
Hegna: Adele. Her vocals are unparalleled.
AB: What are you most superstitious about?
Hegna: Hearing an owl hoot. When I was growing up we believed that if you hear an owl hoot it was a signal that someone would die. We would race home whenever we heard an owl. While I no longer race home, it still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end!
AB: What’s your best and worst attribute?
Hegna: Others have said that my best attribute is that I get things done. No excuses, just results. This actually feeds my worst attribute—my lack of patience. I constantly remind myself that patience is a virtue [she laughs]. 
Images © Kerry Tasker