Alaska McInnis is the Director of the National Grants Program for the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A native of Mississippi, she was inspired to pursue a career in the nonprofit field having observed and volunteered for organizations seeking to increase access and improve the lives of Mississippians along the coast. Over the last 15 years, she has cultivated a career that centers on equitable grantmaking practices. In her current role, she is responsible for managing a comprehensive array of grant programs focused on providing funding and technical assistance to preservation organizations across the country that save and interpret African American historic places and culture.

Alaska earned a B.A. from the University of South Alabama and M.P.A. from Buffalo State.