Shareholder Spotlight: Keith and Eilleen Charlie
Keith and Eilleen Charlie are both born and raised in Minto. They married in August 2011. They are raising their five children (Adrianna, 17; Maddison, 13; Kanye, 13; Thomas, 2; and baby Lucas) in a traditional subsistence lifestyle; hunting every fall time together for moose and springtime for geese. Along with fishing at various places in Alaska.
Keith is the son of Norma Dahl and the late Bobby Charlie. His grandparents were the late Cerosky and Linda Charlie of Minto and Dale Dahl and Bertha Newman of Fairbanks.
Eilleen is the daughter of Lloyd and Joyce Charlie of Minto. Her grandparents were the late Arthur and Ellen Frank of Minto and the late Christopher and Martha Charlie of Minto.
Keith serves as the Minto Tribal Administrator and Eilleen is the Head Start Home Visitor and current Tribal Council Member. Keith has just been elected to the Benhti Economic Development Corporation Board this week. Over the years Keith has been a High School Basketball Coach, Council Member, Seth-De-Ya-Ah Village Corporation board member, and a person that the village can depend on. Keith is a recipient of the Top 40 Under 40 award. Keith once applied for a grant to build three fish wheels in Minto and worked with young men to complete the project to teach the youth in Minto to fish traditionally.
Eilleen has worked in the local school, working with all age groups, prior to working for Tanana Chiefs Early Head Start where she works with children from birth to 5 years old. She loves that she gets to work with both child(ren) and parents.
Keith has been clean and sober for 10 years; Eilleen has been sober for 8 years. Within the first year of his sobriety, he was baptized and he and Eilleen married. It is his calling to bring more people to faith.
God put it on his heart to go into Fairbanks Correctional Center to fellowship with the inmates. Keith has volunteered with one-on-one ministry to fellowship with inmates. Together, they promote living a healthy, spiritual, and traditional lifestyle. When Keith is not working, he is still checking on elders and residents.
Keith and Eilleen keep their door open to anyone in Minto who needs prayer, or just need someone to talk to. Keith or Eilleen does not have a degree in counseling, nor have they received any training on providing counseling, yet he provides it from his heart to those that seek it.
Keith and Eilleen love living in Minto. They will begin construction on their own home, overlooking the Flats, with the help of Last Frontier Ministries in the spring of 2021. They plan to spend the rest of their lives in service to Minto and the people of the Interior.
They are also overjoyed the Kansas City Chiefs finally won the Super Bowl.