Beverly Patkotak Grinage facts for kids

Beverly Patkotak Grinage is an amazing leader from America. She is known for her work as an academic administrator and a community organizer. An academic administrator helps run schools or colleges. A community organizer brings people together to work on important local issues.

Beverly Grinage was the president of Iḷisaġvik College from 2005 to 2010. This college is in Alaska and focuses on the culture and education of the Iñupiat people. She also used to be in charge of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. This group helps manage whaling, which is a very important tradition for Alaska Native communities. She also worked for the North Slope Borough School District as a public information officer. This means she helped share important news and information with the public.

Beverly Grinage's Journey

Beverly Grinage has had many interesting jobs. She was the managing editor of the Tundra Times. This was an important newspaper for Alaska Native people. In 1988, she worked for the North Slope Borough School District. She helped share information with families and the community.

In 1989, Beverly Grinage owned her own publishing business. This business was in Utqiagvik, Alaska. Utqiagvik is the largest city in the North Slope Borough. That same year, the Governor of Alaska, Steve Cowper, asked her to join the Alaska State Council on the Arts. She helped support art and culture in Alaska until 1991.

In 1990, she helped Edward Itta run his campaign to become mayor of North Slope Borough. A campaign manager helps a candidate plan and organize their election efforts. By 1991, she was the executive director of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. This role meant she was a top leader for the commission.

In 2004, Beverly Grinage was a community organizer in Barrow. She is also a shareholder of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC). This corporation helps manage resources and businesses for Alaska Native people in the Arctic. She wanted to help the corporation and its leaders. She believed this would benefit everyone involved.

Beverly Grinage became the president of Iḷisaġvik College in 2005. She took over from Edna Ahgeak MacLean. She led the college for five years. In 2010, Brooke Gondara became the new president. Beverly Grinage also continued her own education. She earned a master's degree (M.A.) from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2008. Her master's paper was about how higher education helps Iñupiat people achieve self-determination.

About Beverly's Life

Beverly Grinage is married to Kent Grinage. They have one daughter. She cares deeply about the Inupiaq language. She encourages young people to learn and use it. This helps keep the language and culture strong for future generations.

More to Explore

• List of women presidents or chancellors of co-ed colleges and universities