TOURISM & TRANSPORTATION
SINCE 1975
TOTE Maritime congratulates Dale Westerlin for his achievements in the transportation industry and his support of the Alaska community. Dale has been with TOTE Maritime for more than 16 years and we are proud and honored to have him as part of the TOTE family.
DALE WESTERLIN ALASKA SALES MANAGER
Northbound 800.426.0074 Southbound 800.234.8683
TOTEMARITIME.COM #TOTEAK
Margaret Adsit A farmer’s daughter, Margaret grew up on a 2,000-acre grain farm in Wisconsin before finding her way north. For three years, she directed the Alaska Farmland Trust and had the privilege of working with farmers and ranchers across the state in the promotion and protection of one of Alaska’s most hidden treasures - it’s agricultural land. Alaska Farm Tours - the brainchild of 100 conversations Margaret had with Alaska’s farmers, ranchers and agriculturalists - seeks to educate visitors about the history and practices of farms in the state, as well as help visitors experience Alaska’s rich food culture.
Cyrus Aldeman Cyrus and his father Caleb founded Anchorage Trolley, and Cyrus learned at an early age what work ethic meant. Cyrus has been working for Anchorage Trolley for the past 15 years and has followed in his father’s footsteps, taking over the company. His love for Anchorage’s history and passion to be the best city tour in Anchorage has him working every day, helping visitors to have the best experience they can in Anchorage.
Gordon Baily Gordon has been driving and operating tow trucks in Anchorage for his entire working life. His personal aphorism is “get the job done right the first time,” and Gordon brings this motto to the family business, Alaska Towing and Wrecking. His professionalism, helpfulness and knowledge about what he does has created a sense of confidence with his customers; They know that he is reliable and that their property will always be treated with respect. Gordon performs his duties with dignity, working hard to assist APD, AFD and many others across the state of Alaska.
Anchorage Daily News | Sunday, September 8, 2019
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Chrystel Bankhead Chrystel and her team at Matson run the charitable giving program. Maston is a strong supporter of various charities in Alaska, providing sponsorships for fundraising events, donating the use of their shipping/freight services to charities and also funding projects at non-profits across the state. As an integral member of the charitable giving program, Chrystel demonstrates how much she cares about Alaskans who experience disabilities and through her role on the board, is an advocate for the disability community.
Chris Block Chris is a Service Connected Disabled Veteran (Air Force) and a hospitality professional with more than 15 years in sales and marketing roles at the Hotel Captain Cook and the Hilton Anchorage, and is now the Director of Sales for the Alyeska Resort & the Hotel Alyeska. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business and an MBA from Alaska Pacific University. His awards include the Alaska Journal of Commerce Top 40 under 40 in 2018; and an Alaskan State Legislative Citation for community service in 2019.
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Samantha Brown Samantha started out as a billing / customer service clerk at United Freight & Transport in January 2014. She was promoted to Manager of Health & Safety Compliance in January 2018, and has since been dedicated to the overall safety of the company drivers and mechanics. She trains the entire United Freight crew to be accident free and works to keep Workers’ Comp claims to the minimum. A team player, Samantha is also involved with the Alaska Trucking Association and coached three drivers to the Alaska Truck Driving Championship this spring.
Dawn Campbell Dawn has a very special talent for connecting people with the places and experiences in Alaska that have molded her into the person she is today. The mountains drew her to Girdwood and Alyeska Resort back in the mid-90s, where her career in tourism began. Dawn worked for Alyeska Resort for a span of 15 years, the last seven of which were in sales, where she really proved her connection with people. Moving to a much larger scale and reach, she began working for Visit Anchorage in 2011 in the Convention Sales & Service Department, and then eventually in the Tourism Development & Sales Department in 2016, where she works today. She spent time learning the ropes with Alaska Video Postcards and CIRI Alaska Tourism Corporation as well, both proving to be very valuable learning experiences, and is a very proud mother of three.
Daniel Dahms Daniel was born and raised in Alaska, developing a love the outdoors and in particular for cross-country skiing and hatchet throwing. He works as a transportation engineer for DOWL Engineering, where he works hard every day to help make Alaskan’s lives better by improving the roads. Daniel is inspired by his former boss, Newt Bingham, who never had a negative word to say about his co-workers and who showed respect for everyone who he worked with.
Heather Dudick Heather arrived in Anchorage in 1997, and quickly learned that Alaska is an incredible place to live, work and play. Heather has been exploring the backcountry, paddling the waters, and skiing mountains of Alaska for 22 years, 20 of which she has spent working in Alaska’s tourism industry. Her professional experience and passion for Alaska makes Heather a wealth of knowledge for remarkable travel experiences in the Last Frontier; early on, working for an Alaskan ecotourism company sparked a passion for what she expects to be “a lifelong career in the Alaska tourism family.” Today, as the Alaska Railroad’s Senior Passenger Sales Account Executive, Heather works diligently to promote Alaska as a yearround destination. Anchorage Daily News | Sunday, September 8, 2019
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John Ferguson John has spent more than seven years working for Alaska Traffic Company. His favorite part of the job is the opportunity he recieves to meet people from all walks of life; due to many businesses shipping to Alaska, John has met with many brilliant and inspiring business owners through his time at Alaska Traffic Company. He finds motivation in the feeling that he is able to help businesses, individuals, colleges and municipalities grow and maintain their functionality by providing the service of freight directly to their door.
Alison Gazay Alison has been an incredible employee in Alaska tourism for years. A team member at The Lakefront Anchorage, she is very knowledgeable and hardworking, often behind the scenes. Alison also volunteers with Anchorage Concert Association, Habitat for Humanity and American Marketing Association. She is someone who I can count on to be honest, forthright and dedicated.
Charlie & Athena Grimm Charlie moved to Cordova in 1987, working in the commercial fishing industry before receiving his education and starting his first business. Ten years later, in 1997, he met Athena and the rest is history. The pair grew BAC Transportation from an operation with two limousines and a bus in 2000, to their current fleet of more than 70 vehicles. Under the leadership of Charlie and Athena, BAC Transportation keeps the local economy moving and supports the Alaska community through transportation and tourism in many ways.
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Congratulations, Scott, on receiving the Achievement in Business Award. Your ability to succeed by acting through your values inspires us all. Your friends at Team Alaska.
Scott Habberstad Scott exemplifies a great person working in tourism while absolutely loving everything about the tourism industry, the organization he works for and proudly represents everything Alaska Airlines stands for. He is currently the Director of Sales and Community Marketing at Alaska Airlines, working to better our state and economy for Alaska’s youth and ensuring tourism is an influential part of their upbringing. This includes a heavy focus on influencing and assisting schools extracurricular activities, such as sports and music. Scott also sits on a variety of boards, dedicating much of his free time to ensuring the tourism industry is well represented.
Anchorage Daily News | Sunday, September 8, 2019
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Two big air cargo projects proposed
By Annie Zak
Two projects proposed at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport would, if approved, bring hundreds of thousands of square feet of new warehouse and cargo space to what is already the fifth-busiest cargo airport in the world. An Alaska investment firm is behind one of the projects, a warehouse with cold storage space, and a Lower 48 cargo facility company is behind the other, which would allow for faster cargo transfer between aircraft. The developments would be located on airport land that is currently occupied mostly by grass and shrubs — one next to the FedEx facility and the other on a piece of land across the north-south runway. Cold storage at the airport would grow capacity for companies to ship seafood and other perishables to and from markets in Asia, or capitalize on Alaska’s growing peony industry, said airport manager Jim Szczesniak. The cargo transfer facility would allow aircraft to land, unload, and get going to their next destination, rather than wait on other planes to land. Such additions to expand the airport’s
cargo capacity are long overdue, said an architect on one of the projects. Both are still in a public comment period before they can officially move forward. It has been more than 20 years since the last cargo facility was built at Ted Stevens, said Szczesniak. Last fall, the airport put out feelers to see if there were any businesses interested in pursuing such projects there. The company that proposed one of the projects is 6A-XL Aviation Alaska, owned by Maryland-based company 6A Aviation Inc. That development would be 500,000 square feet of space to facilitate cargo transfers between aircraft. The other project, backed by Anchorage firm McKinley Capital through a company called Alaska Cargo and Cold Storage, would be a 700,000-square-foot cold storage and general warehouse space. By comparison, the FedEx facility at the airport is 450,000 square feet, according to a spokesman from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. “These are pretty big developments,” said Szczesniak. The estimated value of the 6A project is $170 million and the esti-
mated value of the other is $200 million, according to land lease applications filed with transportation department. While the Anchorage airport is already the fifth-largest airport in the world by cargo throughput, according to the state, Szczesniak wants to add business opportunities for flights that already make stops here. “So now not only do you have your stopover, but you have the ability to make revenue by swapping cargo, getting new stuff, dropping stuff off, that it makes Anchorage so much more attractive compared to competitors” such as Canadian airports in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, he said. Anchorage International is unique among most airports because of expanded rights it has had for cargo transfers since 2004. That means flights with cargo going to or from an international destination can stop in Anchorage and transfer that cargo between aircraft without it being considered to have broken its international journey. That makes the facility all the more attractive for prospective freight business. Right now, there’s not a facility for air-
An Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 freighter taxis past one of two sites
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for Anchorage International Airport
craft-to-aircraft cargo transfers on airport property. Having one will make the process more efficient and give planes a spot indoors to unload goods. “This facility will handle the freight and keep it out of the elements,” said 6A vice president of sales Lawrence Majewski. In recent years, state and private entities have identified air cargo as one industry in Alaska that is ripe for growth, by leveraging its prime location between Asia and the Lower 48. “We’ve already got the planes,” Szczesniak said. “Now, with these projects, we’ll have the infrastructure that makes that process efficient, which will strengthen our market.” If approved, the projects are expected to be finished two to three years from when work starts. Both are privately funded, and would lease the land from the airport. The 6A Aviation facility has an airline or airlines involved on the project, but Majewski would not say who, citing confidentiality agreements. The developments “are years overdue,” said Jason Gamache, principal architect on the project, at Anchorage firm MCG
Architecture Design. “Our airport’s been hungry for it for quite a while.” Following a period of challenges around the Great Recession, the U.S. aviation industry in recent years has rebounded some, thanks to e-commerce. While Alaska just weathered a three-year recession, “the overlapping aviation industry has continued to grow,” Gamache said. “We have a huge resource here, and it’s not the resource everybody often thinks of,” he said. “In fact, a fairly invisible resource.” The projects would be large investments in Anchorage at a time when some economists say the state may be poised to return to a recession if Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s massive vetoes to the state budget stand. Szczesniak isn’t concerned by such forecasts. “I saw a great T-shirt back in 2008, and the T-shirt said, ‘I refuse to participate in your recession.’ And that’s kind of our attitude,” he said. “The governor says the state’s open for business, and we’re moving forward with it and I’m not worried about any external issues. We have a tremendous asset here. We’re maximizing that asset.”
Rob Gillam, CEO of McKinley Capital, said that while the firm historically has invested outside of Alaska, more recently it is investing here. “One of the many things we think is a good idea is world logistics and transportation, which is a play on Asia,” he said. “(The Anchorage airport) is playing a central role in that.” The demand for the cargo transfer facility is driven by e-commerce growth, said Majewski with 6A. “Trying to get packages faster, that’s what’s really driving expansion,” he said. Amazon recently announced its air cargo operation, Amazon Air, would start serving the airport as of last month. The two proposed warehouse projects are unrelated to that, Szczesniak said. There’s more cargo expansion happening at the airport beyond these proposed projects. The FedEx Express facility there is set to upgrade gates to accommodate growth in Boeing 777F operations, the state transportation department announced last month.
at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, where proposed air cargo expansion facilities would be constructed. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Anchorage Daily News | Sunday, September 8, 2019
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Bernie Karl Bernie moved to Alaska during the pipeline boom in the 1970s, and started K&K Recycling Inc., the largest recycling facility in Alaska, 1984. He has since created more businesses, including the Kodiak Narrow Cape Lodge, Chena Power and Chena Hot Springs Resort. Today, Chena Hot Springs Resort, the crown jewel, brings tourists to the heart of Alaska during the winter season and operates on renewable energy. Making Chena Hot Springs Resort a sustainable community has been a focus for Bernie since he drilled the first geothermal well at the Resort during his first week of ownership. In 2010, he was named the 34th Business Leader of the Year by the UAF School of Management. Always positive, Bernie wants to make the world a better place and is an inspiration to everyone around him. Erin Kirkland Erin has worked within the scope of outdoor education and recreation for more than 20 years — all the while nurturing a love of words and writing. Shortly after the family arrived in Alaska in 2005, Erin realized there were few resources for parents looking to explore the Last Frontier with their children. A meeting with a local magazine publisher led to a column, regular contributions to the Anchorage Daily News, a website, and two books in the “Alaska On the Go” series of Alaska travel guides. The Kirkland family philosophy is to “keep exploring,” and she shares that motto with families across the state. Erin’s Read On the Fly project launched in June 2016, and today brings shelves of free books for kids of all ages and reading abilities to seven Alaska airports. Erin is always working to better the state’s offerings for children and families, and is tireless in her efforts and advocacy for the promotion of family travel, reading and the idea that community collaboration makes us all stronger.
Karen Koon As Director of Business Development at the Anchorage Museum, Karen is bringing a perspective of art, history and culture in the northern city with a focus on business development, promotion and fiscal responsibility. For 30 years in Anchorage, she has worked for great hotels, her own small business, tourism and environmental nonprofits, education and cultural organizations. Karen loves the northern perspective, the outdoor lifestyle and how Alaskans collaborate. Working in Cultural Tourism gives her a chance to add an important level of depth to the visitor experience.
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Alison McDaniel Alison is the founder and owner of Alison’s Relocations Inc., an Alaska-based Van Line that provides moving and storage services. Founded in 1998, Alison’s Relocations relocates More than 700 families every year, in and out of Alaska. With tenacity and fortitude Alison has carved out a niche for the customer that wants choices, from a “Full Service” move to a “Do It Yourselfer” and everything in between. Alison has created a moving company that truly exemplifies their motto: “Make Your Move Your Way.”
Scott McMurren Scott is an Alaska travel expert, with 30-years experience in the travel business — primarily in Anchorage — and the voice behind Alaska Travelgram. The mission of the Alaska Travelgram is to provide “news you can use” about new travel destinations, hot travel deals, special insider knowledge on when and how to get the best deals, and other items of interest to travelers. Scott considers travel to be the first leg of diplomacy — whether it’s around Alaska or around the world.
Erik Mendoza Erik is the General Manager of the Hilton Garden Inn and Garden Grille Restaurant. As the General Manager, Erik takes great pride in ensuring that all guests and restaurant patrons receive wonderful service and comfortable stays, while also providing great amenities with the Hilton brand. Erik has also worked with other brands, such as Homewood Suites, Hampton Inn, Courtyard, Holiday Inn Express and Embassy Suites as a Task Force General Manager. Erik enjoys spending time exploring Alaska with his husband of three years, who is also in the hospitality industry as a General Manager in Anchorage.
Anchorage Daily News | Sunday, September 8, 2019
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Tammy Philemonof Tammy works at Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, where she handles the ANMC shuttle. She works hard to make sure the shuttle is running and takes pride in helping the customers at ANMC.
Ed Shadow Ed began working with the Odom Corporation on July 31, 1989. He took the company by storm, starting as a night warehouse worker and excelled, working his way to where he is today as the Delivery and Fleet Manager for the State of Alaska. Ed is constantly looking for more efficient deliveries for our customers throughout the state. In his personal time, Ed has enjoyed competing in several power-lifting competitions, taking 1st place in 2016 and 2nd in 2017 at a state meet for his division. When not competing, he has been a security and stage manager for the NPC bodybuilding competitions for several years. His inspiration in life is his wife Stefanie, “I may be the power lifter, but she is the true strength in my life.”
Oscar Sigl Oscar first started flying in the Pacific Northwest at age 14. At the time, he was working part time at his parent’s bakery, and through the generosity of a friend willing to donate his time, Oscar obtained his Private Pilot Certificate in 2013. With the support of the Alaska Airmen Association, Oscar made it his mission to grow the next generation of Alaskan Aviators. Today, he mentors more than 30 volunteers and hosts more than 500 attendees during the Alaska Airmen’s tradeshow. Oscar also founded the NextGen Aviators Program, a program with a dedicated Executive Board and more than 60 student members focusing on new pilot development in the areas of safety, community involvement and networking. With the resources existing within the Alaska Airmen’s Association and the general aviation community, Oscar is excited about the opportunities to educate the community about general aviation and continue growing the Association’ youth and young professional programs and attract more young Alaskans dreaming about flying. 12
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Junco Skinner Junco was born and raised in Japan. She began her career in the travel business with A&P Tours Inc. as a travel guide in 2011. After surviving cancer eight years ago, Junco decided to try to make everyone happy and discovered great joy in allowing the natural wonder of Alaska to bring smiles to her international clients — and make herself happy as well. Junco assumed partial ownership and Vice President duties in 2017. Maintaining tailored services for Alaskan visitors, and maintaining and growing even stronger relationships within the Alaskan tourism industry, remains A&P’s, and Junco’s focus.
Brian Stoecker Brian believes in giving Alaska visitors a wonderful experience, and does his best to afford others the best version of their dreams - providing visitors their dream vacations. In the tourism industry, he considers himself an ambassador for Alaska and brings his drive to share the wonders of the state to his position at Premier Alaska Tours. His ultimate goal, since he was nine years old, is to leave the world a better place than he found it. He firmly believes that the little things can have the most profound effect on others, and as such he works tirelessly in all facets of his life to better others’ lives.
Bob Terrazas Bob started PicTours Alaska in 2017, with much encouragement from his wife, creating a business that stemmed from his passion for well-composed photos. He has a deep respect for nature, as well as a keen eye for natural beauty, which he shares with Anchorage visitors through his sightseeing tours. Bob loves sharing the beauty of Anchorage with visitors and helping them capture its wonder with photography coaching and guidance. He goes above and beyond with visitors to accommodate their needs and dreams for a day trip in Alaska. He is kind, and caring with everyone including, other tour operators, visitor information staff and clients.
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ACHIEVEMENT IN BUSINESS Anchorage Daily News | Sunday, September 8, 2019
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Caity Tozier Through her lifetime, Caity has been an amazing and strong Indigenous woman. She was raised with six siblings in Nome, learning and helping with subsistence hunting and gathering with her family. She does her absolute best to educate others about her culture and way of life, and brings representation to the table. She is a strong leader and her work at Denali Education Center, implementing a more culturally appropriate way of educating tourists on Alaska Native people, is an amazing example of her hard work and dedication.
Mead Treadwell A man who truly needs no introduction, Mead was the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Alaska (2010-2014) and has brought his passion for the state to the world. In business, he is principal at Treadwell Development, an investment and advisory firm helping to establish Arctic infrastructure projects in energy and transportation. Mead was Chair of the US Arctic Research Commission (2006-2010) under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, where he helped develop and implement the US Arctic policy adopted in 2009, expanded Asian observer participation in the Arctic Council, and funded and advanced the eightnation Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment, which set a blueprint for marine safety and reliability in the newlyaccessible Arctic Ocean. Mead has done much more to contribute to the state and the Arctic, and had a leading role in paving the way for transportation, and tourism, in Alaska.
CJ Von Imhof Born and raised in Alaska, CJ is an entrepreneur at heart. Seeing opportunity in new ventures, CJ has dabbled in business, working with Red Bull Sales/Marketing, Acai Bowls (Acai Alaska LLC) and now, Alaska 4 x 4 rentals - for the adventurous Alaska visitor. Alaska 4 x 4 has taken flight and grown exponentially in the three years since its inception, and CJ is a rockstar of customer service, as he goes above and beyond with every client. His drive, passion for excellence and aloha create a one-of-akind experience for those he helps.
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Dale Westerlin Dale is the kind of person whose genuine personality and honest approach with people create long-lasting relationships throughout the transportation industry and beyond. His in-depth knowledge of the shipping industry in Alaska has been a key asset to the TOTE Maritime Alaska team and industry partners for more than 15 years. Dale began his career in transportation in the Pacific Northwest in 1995, and joined TOTE Maritime Alaska in 2002. Dale managed the terminal operations for TOTE at the Tacoma location for 11 years before transitioning to the commercial side of the company as an Account Executive in 2013. In 2015, Dale was promoted to Alaska Sales Manager and returned to Alaska with his family. Dale leads by example and is always willing to share his extensive knowledge of the maritime and transportation industry.
Anchorage Daily News | Sunday, September 8, 2019
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Congratulations to the A N C H O R A G E D A I LY N E W S ACHIEVEMENT IN BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS At Northrim, we value exceptional customer service in all forms. We tip our hats to all the honorees who go above and beyond for their community. You deserve this award.
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