Missing helicopter pilot Andy Teuber held numerous leadership positions across the state, until last week

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - In the midst of recent allegations regarding Andy Teuber’s conduct while at the helm of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium — and his subsequent departure from ANTHC and disappearance — Alaska’s News Source looked into other leadership positions he has held in the state of Alaska.

Teuber served as president of ANTHC starting in 2008. He led the state’s largest Native tribal health group, while serving in the same capacity for the Kodiak Area Native Association. On Wednesday, he was still listed on the leadership section of the their website. KANA representatives did not respond to our requests before the publication of this article.

A longtime acquaintance, Old Harbor Native Corporation CEO Carl Marrs, spoke with Alaska’s News Source about his experiences working with Teuber during the 15-year period they’ve known each other. He said Teuber’s record in creating a Native health care system for Alaska speaks for itself.

“I don’t know anyone, maybe Katherine Gottlieb, that did as much as he did for Alaska Native health, especially in the Anchorage area,” Marrs said. “He was a dynamic guy — of course he would push too hard in areas and get some people upset, but that was his nature.”

Marrs told Alaska’s News Source that he had flown in helicopters with Teuber before and called him a very competent pilot. He was shocked to hear that Teuber and his aircraft were missing.

While speaking about Teuber’s merits as a pilot, Marrs did say, “I can’t say that it was the right time of year to be flying to Kodiak in a helicopter.”

Also on Wednesday, newly-elected chair of the consortium’s board, Bernice Kaigelak, offered limited details but did say that ANTHC plans to get to the bottom of the allegations against Teuber, which were first reported by the Anchorage Daily News.

ANTHC stressed that it will continue to move forward with its COVID-19 response plan, uninterrupted, despite Teuber’s departure and the accusations made against him.

“As soon as allegations were made, I and the board took immediate action hiring an external attorney and an external investigative team to look into the allegation,” she said. “Remember, this is a personnel matter and we just have to let the investigation continue.”

Last week, it was announced that CEO Garvin Federenko will be ANTHC’s acting president while Kaigelak will be board chair for the remainder of the current term, which ends Dec. 31, 2021.

Wednesday evening, a family friend reached out to Alaska’s News Source by email, remembering Andy Teuber as a “talented, energetic and proud Alaskan.”

“We regret at this difficult time that we are also compelled to address the unfair, hateful, untrue, and malicious attacks recently published against Andy. We feel that these attacks do not describe the extraordinary man whose loss we mourn so deeply,” the email read. “There is much more to be said on this, but for now we request the space and time to mourn and remember our Andy as the great man we knew him to be.”

The attorney for Savanah Evans, the woman reported by ADN as accusing Teuber of harassment, told Alaska’s News Source on Thursday that her client had no comment about the family’s statement.

She did, however, forward a statement that was originally issued Wednesday after learning Teuber was missing.

“This is a difficult time for my client. It is also a difficult time for Mr. Teuber’s family. Ms. Evans offers her condolences and prayers for everyone impacted by this tragedy, especially to Mr. Teuber’s children. She does stand ready to participate in the ANTHC internal investigation to ensure the cycle of abusive and enabling behavior truly ends. I ask that you offer her privacy during these coming days as well,” the statement read.

The University of Alaska also confirmed last week that Teuber had resigned from its board of regents.

When questioned via email, the Alaska Federation of Natives and the Alaska Airlines Community Advisory Board gave Alaska’s News Source a similar confirmation that Teuber had stepped away from board positions last week, but no additional details were provided.

He had served on AFN’s board since 2004 and the airline’s advisory board for five years.

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