Two New Social Services Managers at Tlingit & Haida
Tlingit & Haida
Two new managers are in charge of some of the social services provided by the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida).
Erinn Adkins-Franks is now Employment & Training Manager, transferring from her previous position as the tribes’ American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Manager. In her new role, Adkins-Franks leads a team that supports efforts by tribal citizens to obtain long-term employment.
Adkins-Franks first joined Tlingit & Haida in 2021 as a customer service technician and program coordinator for the Rescue Relief Household program. She was promoted last year to ARPA Manager, where she provided oversight of the budget, project administration, and reporting of federal funding.
Employment & Training is one of eight departments under the Cultural Heritage & Education Division. “I’m very excited that Erinn has joined the Division,” says Cultural Heritage & Education Senior Director Amelia Rivera. “Her team plans to stand up employment opportunities for Elders who may still wish to work and contribute, without jeopardizing their Social Security benefits. I look forward to seeing the Employment & Training Department shift from being a work readiness program to becoming an integral part of the community that provides opportunities for career exploration and development.”
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March 2025
Adkins-Franks was raised in Portland, Oregon and currently resides in Eagle River, Alaska. Her family originates from Ketchikan and Sitka, and she is Eagle Brown Bear. She earned a Bachelor of Administration in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
Tlingit & Haida
“Drawing from my prior experiences in workforce development, I am poised to lead our community toward a future of professional growth and empowerment. Placing the well-being of our tribal citizens at the forefront, I am committed to combining efforts across departments, embodying the essence of ‘working as one Tribe,’” Adkins-Franks says.
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A recent reorganization gave Tlingit & Haida’s Family Services Division responsibility for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Chaix Johnson is being promoted to serve as TANF Manager.
In that role, Johnson oversees daily management of the department which provides financial assistance to Alaska Native and American Indian families in Southeast Alaska while emphasizing work participation, education, family stability, and self-sufficiency. She is also responsible for budget development and monitoring, preparation of financial and narrative reports, and implementation of policies and procedures.
Tlingit & Haida
Johnson first joined Tlingit & Haida’s team in 2015 serving as Head Start’s family engagement specialist. She then transitioned to the TANF Department as a caseworker and has served the last three years as a benefit technician. She has also previously worked for the City of Sitka and Sitka Tribe of Alaska.
Johnson was born in Glennallen and raised in Sitka. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science degree from UAS with concentrations in psychology, social science, and anthropology.
“I’m excited to be working with the TANF team to help hold up our tribal citizens. There are so many opportunities and programs that are happening within Tlingit & Haida and it is such an honor to be a part of it,” says Johnson.
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