At the time of her sabbatical, Marie Carroll had been with the Arctic Slope Native Association since 1999 and had served as president and CEO since 2007.

She planned to use her time away to recharge and prepare for ASNA’s next big project: a sustainable solution for elder care in the North Slope region. She intended to spend time with family geese hunting and spring whaling, both traditional Iñupiaq activities for renewal.