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From serving as the founding president and CEO of the Alaska Native Heritage Center showcasing Alaska’s diverse Native cultures, as board member and director of Koniag, Inc, working with the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) supporting the Kodiak Alutiiq/Sugpiaq communities, as CEO of the Community Enterprise Development Corporation of Alaska (now known as Alaska Village Initiatives), to serving as Corporate Relations Specialist at Alyeska Pipeline Service working with Alaska Native Corporations bordering the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) corridor, Perry has always striven to enhance and improve Alaskan Native communities.

Perry also served on the board of many Alaskan organizations, such as the Aleut Institute, the Ahtna Heritage Foundation, the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Alaska Native Art Foundation, and the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak.

Mr. Eaton was appointed by three Governors to a variety of directorships, including Alaska Renewable Resources, a venture capital fund set up by the State of Alaska to add value to the fishing industry and transportation, and the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation, an endowed foundation dedicated to vertically integrating technology into the Alaskan economy. Perry was also appointed by President H.W. Bush to co-chair the Joint Federal-State Commission on Policies and Programs Affecting Alaska Natives.

Perry Eaton is an internationally renowned Alutiiq artist, photographer, and mask-maker. As an artist, he focuses on Koniag-tradition mask carving, black and white street photography, and portraits of marine life. His work has been shown internationally at institutions such as the Boulogne-sur-Mer Museum in France, as well as the International House of Photography and the Kremlin in Moscow.​​​​​​

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The 2026 Gala will benefit the David and Ruth Green Alaska Jewish Campus, which also houses the Alaska Jewish Museum and Cultural Center, and the Gan Yeladim Early Learning Center, which enjoys a reputation as one of the best education centers in Anchorage for toddlers and preschoolers, serving all of Alaska’s children regardless of their ethnicity or affiliation.

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​This year's Gala will also benefit Phase Two of our new initiative: the Alaska Friendship Circle, the first all-inclusive early childhood play center in Anchorage, an indoor and outdoor discovery and exploration play center for children with disabilities and special needs, creating a legacy of inclusion and joy in our Alaskan community.

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Phase One of the Alaska Friendship Circle, the Outdoor Play Center, was sponsored in part by:

the Community Innovation Grant from THREAD Alaska and the State of Alaska Child Care Program Office; the Municipality of Anchorage ACCEE (Anchorage Child Care & Early Education Fund) Capital Project Grant; and the Barney and Rachel Gottstein Charitable Foundation.

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Future Phase Two of the Alaska Friendship Circle, the Indoor Play Center, has received support from the following foundations and donors: the Rasmuson Foundation; the Alaska Mental Health Trust; the Ellsworth Foundation; the Demain Family Foundation; the Barney and Rachel Gottstein Charitable Foundation; Terri Hall and Bernie's Pharmacy; the ME Weber Foundation; Marc and Ellen Brown Family Philanthropic Fund; and the Richard L. & Diane M. Block Foundation. 

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The Jewish Cultural Gala Committee Cordially Invites You to Join Our Underwriters: GCI, ConocoPhillips, Alaska Airlines, Odom Corporation, Hotel Captain Cook, The Manning Family Foundation, & David Green Master Furriers in supporting the upcoming 'Event of the Season' in Alaska, the Jewish Cultural Gala 2026!
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