My name is Nita Coronell. My dad is Sam Coronell, and he’s from the Philippines. My mother is Dorothy, and she’s from here in Juneau; she’s full Tlingit. My sister is Lillian Petershoare and my five brothers are Chris, Ben, Frank, Ray and Joe Coronell. I went to vocational school for auto mechanics, and was a night manager for the 76 Gas Station here in Juneau. I’ve also been a foreman at the Douglas Cold Storage. For 10 years, I was in the Laborer’s Union; part of that time I worked on the Exxon Valdez oil spill clean-up. For the last twenty-one years, I’ve been with the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA) with the City working for the Water Department.

“I’m half Filipino and half Tlingit. I’ve been on the board for the Filipino Community for a while, and I like to represent my Dad’s side.”