Katherine Gottlieb, an Alaska Native woman who is the Alaska's first recipient of the MacArthur Fellow award is still deciding how to spend the $500,000 that comes with the prestigious honor.

Gottlieb, 53, the president of Southcentral Foundation, the medical arm of Cook Inlet Region Inc., wants to put the money to good use. She has several ideas, such as helping children and Native village residents.

"I personally feel I want to give back, somehow, some way. And I want to utilize these funds in a way that expands something," Gottlieb told The Anchorage Daily News. "Everything I do, I want it multiplied."

Gottlieb started at Southcentral as a receptionist in 1987. She has turned it into a $118 million organization with about 1, 200 employees.

Get the Story:
Gottlieb mulling options after winning award (The Anchorage Daily News 6/20)
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Relevant Links:
MacArthur Foundation - http://www.macfdn.org/index.htm

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