Alaska Business April 2024

factors impact your bottom line every day. Some in your control, some well beyond it. One thing you have the power to choose is who you work with.

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38 THE 2024 CORPORATE 100

62 WHO’S THE BOSS?

Sorting the presidents from the CEOs

By Scott Rhode

66 HR PROFESSIONALS IN THE WORKFORCE CYCLE

From recruitment and training to promotion and graceful exits

By Lincoln Garrick and Patty Hickok

70 THE TROUBLE WITH “TRIBE”

When workplace culture clashes with cultural appropriation

By J. Maija Doggett

74 NONTRADITIONAL EXPERIENCE

Employers cast wider net with diverse résumé requirements

By Terri Marshall

58 BEHIND THE SCREENS

ABOUT THE COVER

78 BRIDGE OF SKILLS

Bienvenue chez Alaska Business! The French accent comes through clearly, non? Because this is the voice of a consummate chef preparing a gourmet banquet in honor of this month’s Corporate 100. Only the finest farm-fresh, seasonal ingredients for the guests at this table—namely, the thousands of workers who qualify their listed companies as the state’s largest priva te sector employers.

The recipe to nourish and satisfy these tireless toilers: a spoonful of professional growth opportunities, a heaping helping of a healthy workplace, and a sweet glaze of enticing benefits. Sample the buffet within these pages. Bon appétit!

Partners to the Alaska Native Community

DWT has been part of the Alaska community for more than forty years. Our lawyers use their depth and breadth of experience to serve and partner with our clients, including many Alaska Native entities, as they develop, grow, and strengthen their non-profit and for-profit enterprises.

BUSINESS & CORPORATE

ENERGY

ENVIRONMENTAL

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

HEALTHCARE & TRIBAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT

DWT.COM

LITIGATION

NON-PROFITS & FOUNDATIONS

PRIVACY & SECURITY

REAL PROPERTY

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FROM THE EDITOR

Across all industries, no employer can avoid human resources. The Corporate 100 rank by number of employees motivates a focus on those human elements this month, but I hear about it year-round from my sister, an experienced HR manager.

Conversations around the holiday table led me to invite her to write for the magazine. Yes, Maija Doggett is that sister. She alerts me about HR issues I’ve never heard of, such as the problems with “tribe” in workplace jargon.

Respectfully, she’s not policing anybody’s language, especially not Native tribes or their members. But words contain codes that are not immediately obvious. For instance, my own article in this issue mentions the word “chief,” and a source outside the magazine advised caution, for reasons not unlike the trouble with “tribe.”

Of course, etymology is not the ultimate arbiter, but in this case “chief” is on safer ground. Linguists posit its derivation from the Proto-Indo-European root word for “head” that also gives us “capitalism,” “captains of industry,” and this month’s cover mascot, “chef de cuisine.” The word has many positive denotations and few, if any, negative connotations, so I feel justified using “chief” to refer to a corporate executive.

Semantic landmines aside, the Corporate 100 celebrates the labor factor of production, at least by companies employing more than 100 Alaskans. Smaller businesses are, regrettably, too numerous to cover with as much hype… which is why we launched a monthly feature a couple of years ago to highlight them.

TAB, an acronym for "This Alaska Business," is a series on our YouTube channel. In two minutes or less, we spotlight enterprises with fewer than a dozen-or-so employees, sometimes a single owner-operator. Sixteen entries so far cover a variety of industries from across the state, and we hope to expand our reach. Check out these short videos edited by our friend Carter Damaska, an owner-operator himself of a photography and videography business.

In the middle range, between 12 and 100 employees, Alaska has tens of thousands of small businesses doing yeoman’s work. They aren’t listed in the Corporate 100, but they are vital economic contributors nonetheless. A Corporate 100 listing isn’t a prize, after all; listed companies can be proud of sustaining so many employees, but a portion of the achievement is simply answering our survey. To be clear, this is no small feat; we couldn’t publish the list without that cooperation.

Consider the Corporate 100 issue to be a handbook for HR suggestions, and keep it handy every month of the year. These articles should prompt every organization to examine its practices and contemplate areas for improvement. Not only does a healthy workplace culture drive productivity and help with recruitment and retention, but the closer to perfection employers get, the less I have to hear about it from my sister at birthdays and Thanksgiving.

Scott Rhode Editor/Staff Writer, Alaska Business

THE “NEW” GIG HR MATTERS

The Flex Workforce

Written by Paula Bradison, CEO PeopleAK

In several recent surveys and publications, it is well documented that business owners are searching for creative and unique staffing solutions. Examples include flexible work schedules, remote work, and job sharing, to name a few. In Alaska, this challenge is seasonally amplified. While employers grapple with staffing challenges, it’s important to recognize the significant benefit that temporary staffing offers to employers and employees alike.

Construction and maritime workers know this on-again and off-again “gig” all too well. Many look for a paying “gig” during winter to keep them busy and provide extra cash. Similarly, in the summer months, teachers work as tour operators. This is not a new

concept, so why are employers continuing to hesitate to hire contingent staff based on “job hopping” or “being overqualified?”

Employers – Why not hire who you need for the duration of the need? At PeopleAK, we’ve had positive feedback from clients who were unsure about the quality of contingency staffing but have not looked back once we provided them with exceptional staff.

Employees – Look for a job that meets your unique skill set and provides a steady income until the assignment is completed. These assignments offer experiences with exceptional employers, flexibility, and a team of recruiters at PeopleAK who are ready to address any concerns. Our contingency staff love their work

and their clients.

Employees are drawn to many of the perks of contingency work: creativity, feedback, and pay. These positions can lead to a mutually beneficial professional relationship between the employer and the employee. Employers must prepare for the “gig” worker with quality onboarding, orientation, and training. Access to highly qualified employees is now much greater through contingent staffing. The “gig” worker is not looking for promotion; they want to be good at what they do, build their skills, and take pride in doing an amazing job for the client.

The thought of providing flexibility in your staffing can seem overwhelming. It is also clear that the old way of managing recruitment isn’t working. The shortage in the workforce is driving demand, but so is a heightened awareness of the employee experience. Focusing on the immediate problem and brainstorming staffing needs before recruitment is the best path forward.

Paula Bradison, CEO For more information call (907) 276-5707 or visit our website at PeopleAK.com

HR Matters is sponsored content:

Provoking the Change

Rasmuson Foundation catalyzes Alaska organizations

By Rindi White

Ki ndness is the beginning of philanthropy, but the formula for successful giving sometimes needs a catalyst. That’s when the Rasmuson Foundation, the largest private charitable funder in Alaska, steps in. The Rasmuson Foundation consistently finds the right time and place to donate that maximizes the effectiveness of its funding.

Chris Perez, Rasmuson Foundation’s vice president of programs, says the foundation actively seeks out projects that offer a chance to make positive change for the community they’re

Catholic Social Services

“Rasmuson is such a rock—and that kind of support over the years is so meaningful… The longevity of their investment means that organizations can grow in new ways and meet needs in new ways.”

Kirk Rose

CEO, Anchorage Community Land Trust

in—grants that help kids or improve a community’s health. Even better are those that do both, he says, citing the $400,000 that Rasmuson Foundation gave to Community Connections to help that nonprofit purchase two houses for therapeutic foster care, one on Prince of Wales Island and one in Ketchikan. “Catalytic support grants,” he calls them, referring to their ability to act as a catalyst or, according to Merriam-Webster, “an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action.”

Many of the Tier 2, or greater than $25,000, grants the Rasmuson Foundation has distributed to Alaska communities, nonprofits, and tribal groups in 2023 could be seen as speeding significant change or action. For example, OPT-In Kiana, a nonprofit for youth in the Northwest village of Kiana, received $176,978 to renovate and furnish a youth center. The group, whose name stands for One Positive Thing, aims to give youth a voice in their community and a positive place to hang out. It’s not hard to see the catalyst-like opportunities there.

Rock of Support

The $1 million that Rasmuson Foundation gave to Anchorage Community Land Trust (ACLT) to help fund a food business incubator facility in Mountain View is sure to be a catalyst for the local restaurant scene.

ACLT Director of Communications and Development Emily Cohn credits Rasmuson Foundation with delivering the funding early in the organization’s capital campaign to act as a real catalyst.

The demonstration of faith from Rasmuson Foundation is a huge boost as ACLT launches a capital

funding campaign for the roughly $4 million project, Cohn says.

ACLT is a nonprofit that has been working to disrupt concentrated poverty in Anchorage for two decades, focusing on the neighborhoods of Mountain View, Fairview, Spenard, and Muldoon. “Rasmuson has been a major part of our organization from inception,” says ACLT CEO Kirk Rose.

ACLT has a suite of services to support neighborhoods. Closely linked to the food business incubator project, ACLT has for several years run a program called Set Up Shop, aimed at helping entrepreneurs in its four served communities reach their dreams of owning a business. Participants learn about business assistance programs, get all kinds of business training, and gain access to lending resources and real estate services.

“Close to 60 percent of our clients work in food-based businesses,” Rose says. “There was a common need for access to kitchen space.”

Set Up Shop could help clients learn bookkeeping skills or establish a brand, he says, but if it couldn’t help them find a place to, say, make the Mexican birria stew the client dreams of selling, then the program wasn’t fully helping.

“Anchorage isn’t the first community to confront this; Alaska isn’t the first place this is an issue. We found models where there was a program or support to help people access kitchen space. What we came up with was the ability to rent kitchen space 24/7, to rent freezers and coolers and have a place to wash their dishes,” Rose says. “When we create this space that is permitted… we’re going to blow up the food ecosystem.”

That’s a catalytic project for sure. But like Cohn, Rose says Rasmuson Foundation is the catalyst, allowing organizations such as ACLT to meet the needs of the communities it serves not just today, but in the future.

“I think in our sector, and for the work that we do, Rasmuson is such a rock—and that kind of support over the years is so meaningful,” Rose says. “The longevity of their investment means that organizations can grow in new ways and meet needs in new ways. Their support has not been monolithic. That kind of support over time makes a huge difference for Alaskans and for our state.”

Cohn adds, “Rather than just writing a check and mailing it off, they show up and really understand the work so

they know how they can be the most impactful—and that’s just as important as the funding itself.”

Six Areas of Focus

The philanthropic focus of the Rasmuson Foundation covers six distinct areas: healthcare and social support; thriving people and communities; education and economic possibility; arts and culture; civic and philanthropic responsibility; and special circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic or the 2018 earthquake. All aim to improve the lives of Alaskans.

“There’s little in an Alaskan’s life we don’t touch in one way or another,” the foundation website states.

While the focus may seem broad— few projects don’t fit into one of those areas—it’s narrow enough to help communities and nonprofits hone their requests.

For example, Rasmuson Foundation has supported Catholic Social Services (CSS) over the years, including $1.8 million for the Third Avenue Resource & Navigation Center that opened in Downtown Anchorage in February. The decision by the Rasmuson Foundation board to support CSS’s purchase and renovation of a building

Catholic Social Services board and leadership staff gather to thank the Rasmuson Foundation for its contribution toward the purchase of the new building at 4600 Debarr Road.

Catholic Social Services

“[Noel Wien Library] was a warehouse for books… It came to a point where it was becoming more and more inefficient for the staff to serve the public in the way they needed and desired— and deserved.”

Melissa Harter

Former Public Libraries Director, Fairbank s North Star Borough

in East Anchorage to provide a onestop homelessness assistance office helps in a different way.

The building at 4600 Debarr Road is easy to reach by bus and offers case management services, staff offices, and more. Clients can meet with case managers there, or with refugee assistance and immigration services, or any of several other CSS programs. Partnering organizations can meet clients there too; some, such as the Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs, share space in the building.

The need was driven in part by the influx of immigrants, says Molly Cornish

Cordy, chief communications officer for CSS. In Anchorage, the immigrant population has soared from about 130 new arrivals per year to around 500 per year. The war between Russia and Ukraine has led to an influx of Ukrainian refugees. Many immigrants have limited ability to speak English, so having to go from one office to another around Anchorage to apply for services is challenging on many levels.

Dual Foundations

Under Rasmuson Foundation’s dual umbrella of healthcare and thriving communities is the project

by Providence Alaska Foundation to build a crisis stabilization center in Anchorage. Rasmuson Foundation contributed $1 million to the project; it was the final gift needed to allow the project to move forward to construction, says Cynthia Libby, Providence Alaska Foundation president.

It’s a two-phased project. The $11 million raised so far will cover the cost of building a 23-hour service, for teen and adult clients in mental health distress who need immediate but shortterm support, and a 24-hour service for clients needing support that requires medically assisted treatment overnight.

“Rather than just writing a check and mailing it off, [Rasmuson Foundation will] show up and really understand the work so they know how they can be the most impactful— and that’s just as important as the funding itself.”

Emily Cohn Communications and Development Director Anchorage Community Land Trust

A third element, yet to be funded, will offer urgent care for people in acute mental distress. This clinic, Libby says, will be where police and first responders bring people in need of mental health support but who don’t necessarily need an emergencyroom response. The new building will include space for the urgent care facility, she says, but Providence Alaska Foundation will continue to raise the amount needed to build it.

Funding for this effort came from many sources, primarily federal, state, and local grants and Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority funding, Libby says. The final funding from Rasmuson Foundation was a welcome top-off.

“They have always been a leader in stepping up to provide what I would call collaborative support,” Libby says.

A True Community Library

Bridging the two categories of “thriving people and communities” and “education and economic possibility,” the $450,000 that Rasmuson Foundation granted to the Fairbanks Library Foundation will furnish the new Noel Wien Library to create a welcoming space for Fairbanks library users, particularly its teen user group.

The Noel Wien Library was built in 1977 and is the last large library in the state not to be renovated. The project to update the library has been in the works for more than six years, says Melissa Harter, who was director of Fairbanks North Star Borough public libraries until late last year. “This was a warehouse for books,” Harter says. “It came to a point where it was becoming more and more inefficient for the staff to serve the public in the way they needed and desired—and deserved.”

The COVID-19 pandemic changed how libraries serve patrons nearly as much as the onset of the digital age. Michelle Daml, president of the Fairbanks Library Foundation, says patrons were asked to complete a survey outlining what they want and need from the library. The results showed that patrons want access to computers and a business center; teens need a safe place where they can do homework; and people generally want a central location to meet socially or for business.

While the Fairbanks North Star Borough was able to fund construction, the Library Foundation needed help furnishing it.

“We needed tables and chairs. That’s what this funding will go for,” Daml says.

It will have an Alaskana map table, an interactive learning lab, and maker space with movable tables allowing it to be reconfigured for changing needs. There will be a business center and 4,000 square feet of space in the children’s area. The auditorium will be a space for community gatherings and readings. A café and used book store are part of the new building as well, allowing internal fundraising to happen year-round.

“Without them, we would have had an empty library,” Daml says.

The Library Foundation has an ongoing fundraising effort for the remaining roughly $1 million in funding needed.

Construction is expected to wrap up in April; for now, a limited version of the library is operating out of the Joy Community Center.

Final Round, Then a Pause

Last December, the Rasmuson Foundation announced a final round of grant awards for the year, seventeen grants totaling more than $7.5 million and seven grants of up to $50,000 for nonprofit leaders to take sabbaticals of three to six months to pursue endeavors that will allow them to return to their posts recharged.

After those grants were announced, Rasmuson Foundation itself began an organization-wide sabbatical, of a sort. The foundation is currently not accepting new grant applications for its Tier 1 (up to $25,000) and Tier 2 (larger than $25,000) grants, nor is it accepting applications for 2024 individual artist awards. Rasmuson Foundation staff have listed mid-2024 as the likely timeframe when application periods will reopen.

Rasmuson Foundation President and CEO Gretchen Guess explains, “The main reason for the pause is really to allow the staff… to catch up on their work, document the processes, and do some internal alignment work that, because of how fast the team has been going, it hasn’t been able to catch up on it.”

Energizing Renewables

Federal and state grants for energy upgrades

By Dimitra Lavrakas

Al aska businesses are reaching for the sun with US Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants to take advantage of renewable energy or energy efficiency.

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) has $145 million to help agricultural producers and rural small business owners nationwide make energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy investments. Both grants are available to applicants in a one-year period, says Dan Smith, state energy coordinator for USDA Rural Development. The remaining periods for REAP applications in 2024 are April 1 to June 30 and July 1 to September 30.

For renewable energy, grants range from $2,500 to $1 million, and for energy efficiency the grants range from $1,500 to $500,000. This funding is made possible in part by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which is the nation’s largest-ever investment in combating the climate crisis.

USDA’s REAP (not to be confused with the Renewable Energy Alaska Project, a local nonprofit with, by happenstance, the same acronym and a similar mission) is a competitive program where all projects are scored against one another within a state. If a project were unable to be funded because Alaska's share runs out, it could compete with other projects nationwide, Smith says.

"Each state has an allocation to work with on a quarterly basis,” Smith says. “If we run out of funding, we would be able to go to the national office to get funds from, say, Kentucky, if it doesn’t use all its funding. Still, we would compete with other projects.”

Smith has heard complaints from business owners about the difficulty of applying for taxpayer money. “It’s

your standard government process with certain hoops to jump through,” he says. “It’s a real headache with lots of paperwork, and we understand that. You’d rather be fishing or fixing cars.”

To speed the process along, there are now technical system partner vendors available to help, he says. But the best way to use this program, he advises, is to think about a specific need, like a new boiler.

“We can make that an energy efficiency project, and we’ll pay for half of it,” he says.

If the application is rejected?

Smith advises, "Hang on t o that application."

A Guide for the Process

Alaska Solar has a track record of working on twenty-five REAP projects without being denied funding.

“We have done a ton of residential projects,” says Development Director Chase Christie.

The Anchorage company offers a complete turn-key process including design, permitting, net-metering applications, installation, inspections,

made it pretty easy with helping us with the right permits—and that’s a big thing to do… They took out the headaches for us.”

Hans Vogel Owner Triverus

“We are a design/build solar distributor and contractor,” says Christie, a senior solar consultant. “Part of our services is to guide our customers through the USDA REAP application process,” he says.

Since 2016, he figures Alaska Solar has completed more than 600 residential and commercial solar installations. REAP funding, however, is only available to agricultural businesses or small businesses outside of Anchorage due to the focus on rural projects.

“Anchorage exceeds the population numbers of being rural,” he says.

Christie notes it’s not easy for REAP applicants to make their way through the process, and he says Alaska Solar helps customers do just that.

Manufacturing by the Sun

The owner of Triverus, which manufactures aircraft carrier deck cleaning machines in Palmer, is one of Alaska Solar’s customers.

Hans Vogel says he adopted solar power to get ahead of the technology and determine the price point, which in economics are prices at which demand for a given product is supposed to stay relatively high. But he wanted to get a handle on the process first, get a feel for it, its gains and liabilities, so he put solar panels on his home.

“It was a bit of a learning curve,” Vogel says. “It’s sort of a complex situation really, but it’s a really good deal to supplement our energy costs.”

To make it happen, Alaska Solar served not only as vendor but as facilitator. “They made it pretty easy with helping us with the right permits—and that’s a big thing to do,” Vogel says. “They took out th e headaches for us.”

He is amazed that the panels continue to collect energy even when the skies are overcast. “Right now, it’s 10.5 kilowatts even on a cloudy day in mid-February in Alaska,” he says. “It’s still pulling power off the sun.”

Vogel figures the panels will last him twenty-plus years.

“Also, we have an employee with a Tesla,” he says. “So we have to fill up the tank, so to speak.”

Arctic Organics, a family vegetable farm near Palmer, had photovoltaics installed as part of its commitment to sustainability.

Alaska Solar

Talkeetna Air Taxi (above) puts its roof to work generating extra electricity, while Triverus (below) drives its Palmer machine shop with panels facilitated by Alaska Solar.

Alaska Solar

Vogel

it’s a four-to-fiveyear return on his investment in the solar system.

Strengthening the Grid

At Metropolitan Garage, a familyowned auto repair shop in Fairbanks for more than twenty years, co-owners Steve and Rebecca Levy decided to upgrade their electrical system to deal with increased demand from the volume of vehicles serviced.

“We service electric cars and are seriously community oriented and think that solar-ready is the next step,” Steve says. “The chief officer drives an electric.”

In 2023, Metropolitan made that leap and applied for a REAP grant with guidance from Alaska Solar.

“Working with them was easy,” Steve says. “They supported me in the REAP process, still we had to do a lot of it— eight to twenty hours of bookkeeping and lots of time calling back and forth."

The Levys found the staff at USDA to be helpful but the process was very slow. In fact, Steve says he hasn't seen any of the money yet. “You need lots of patience and you must meet the deadlines,” he adds. “And you have to meet them, because it’s the government and you can’t cut corners.”

He sees the employees at Alaska Solar as “young go-getters who are obviously inspired and interested in what they’re doing.”

They might even have a future in fixing electric vehicles. Steve says, “I wanted to hire every one of them.”

REAP Goes Fishing

More than eighty-two commercial fishing vessels and buildings have received or are currently working on energy audits, according to a report from the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference (SWAMC) Energy Audit Program. Funded through the USDA Renewable Energy Development Assistance grant, the program provides low-cost energy audits and grant assistance to small businesses, and that includes commercial fishers.

Once the audit is completed, SWAMC reports, many of the fishers and small businesses who receive the low-cost audit also qualify for a REAP grant, which covers up to 50 percent of the eligible costs of upgrading a vessel or building.

figures

Most welcome is the news that the program offers support to commercial fishers and building owners with the REAP grant application process.

Since 2018, the SWAMC Energy Audit Program has helped twenty-seven Alaska small businesses and commercial fishers in Bristol Bay, the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands, and Kodiak receive more than $330,000 in federal grants to make cost-saving energy efficiency upgrades.

SWAMC notes that a commercial fishing vessel energy audit can focus on the propulsion system, but the USDA REAP grant does not cover propulsion upgrades. USDA REAP grants will also not cover new boat builds, the purchase of used equipment, or labor conducted entirely by the applicant.

The State Steps Up

The State of Alaska has had a program similar to USDA’s REAP for more than fifteen years. The Renewable Energy Fund (REF), a competitive grant program providing financial support for statewide renewable energy projects, began in 2008. It was originally enacted with a sunset date that was repealed last year.

The REF is managed by Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) in coordination with a nine-member REF Advisory Committee. More than 100 operating projects have been built with REF contributions, collectively saving more than 30 million gallons of diesel each year. It also creates jobs and utilizes local energy sources like wind, hydropower, and solar.

stabilize energy costs by reducing their dependence on fossil fuels.

AEA points to the approximately 85 million gallons of diesel and close to 2.2 million cubic feet of natural gas that have been displaced through 2022 as a success story. The amount

Since its beginning, the REF program has secured more than $317 million in state funds and tapped into more than $300 million in federal and local funds. With a critical role in advancing Alaska’s clean energy goals, it has also provided Alaskans and their communities with the ability to

of diesel fuel displaced is equivalent to roughly five percent of all petroleum consumed in Alaska in 2021. And eleven hydro projects account for the largest share of diesel displaced of all technology types, as well as the largest share of natural gas displaced through the program.

Displacing fossil fuels mitigated approximately 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide cumulatively through 2022, according to AEA. This is equivalent to 3 percent of Alaska’s total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2016. The avoided cost of particulate pollution through 2022 is estimated to range from $29 million to $43 million. These avoided costs include healthcare, declines in productivity due to illness, and other factors.

Cumulative gross energy cost savings from 2008 through 2022 reached $357 million, while cumulative net energy cost savings reached $53 million. These figures, reports AEA, demonstrate the REF program has generated significant energy savings, even after accounting for the capital costs of infrastructure.

According to AEA, grantees indicate that the most common primary goal for REF grants was to reduce fossil fuel use, with the second mostcommon goal to provide reliable sources of energy.

For Fiscal Year 2024, the state has made $17 million available for eighteen projects recommended by AEA and the REF Advisory Committe, and forty-four more are in development.

AEA will have some more federal money to utilize soon. In October 2023, US Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola welcomed a $206.5 million grant awarded to the AEA to build a high-voltage direct-current submarine cable between the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage. The connection is meant to add redundancy to the Railbelt electrical grid, and it could enable the system to plug into more renewable sources in the future.

An example of a power analytics panel.

Triverus

Hardcore Metal

Phased research for strategic mineral production

By Nancy Erickson

Susan Karl | US Geological Survey

In January, developers of the Bokan Mountain mining prospect on Prince of Wales Island acquired an 80,800-square-foot building to house an innovative process for separating rare earth elements. Unfortunately for the Lower Panhandle, the Strategic Metals Complex is not being built in Ketchikan, which was the plan less than two years ago.

Instead, Ucore Rare Metals acquired a disused facility at a former US Air Force base in Louisiana. The company expects to begin production there next year. A setback for Alaska’s mineral industry, but a step forward for domestic processing.

Currently, China produces more than 95 percent of the world’s rare earth elements.

Alaska has a wealth of rare earth elements and critical minerals (REE/ CM) but faces challenges developing the resources due to limited road access and high energy costs. The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) funding opportunity announcement titled “Carbon Ore, Rare Earth and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative for US

Basins” aims to accelerate development of these minerals, and the the UA System is a key player in the first phase, wrapping up this year.

Lucky Thirteen

In 2021, DOE selected the UA System as one of thirteen CORE-CM centers across the country to conduct research on resource extraction, processing, and manufacturing of high-value, non-fuel, carbon-based products. Initiative organizers sought projects in traditionally fossil fuel producing communities across the US to support production of REE/CM.

“A majority of the work is focused on learning more about what critical mineral resources exist in the area and less how to recover them,” says Scott Montross, technology co-manager for critical minerals and materials at DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). “There is a large gap in data on the occurrence and distribution of the resource that must be addressed prior to developing mining and separation efforts to rec over said resource.”

Led by UAF, Alaska’s CORE-CM team includes the UA System's three main campuses, state and federal agencies, Alaska’s mining companies, and other stakeholders.

In addition to Alaska, selected basins with potential of producing REE/CM include the Appalachian Basin, Green River-Wind River Basin, Gulf Coast Basin, Illinois Basin, Powder River Basin, San Juan River-Raton-Black Mesa Basin, and the Williston Basin.

Of the thirteen centers funded, Alaska is the only center covering all geologic basins in a state. The remaining twelve focus on specific, well-developed basins.

Selection for the program was stringent.

“DOE and National Energy Technology Laboratory adhere to a competitive application process to solicit, review, and select projects to carry out research,” says Jessica Mullen, another technology co-manager of critical minerals and materials at NETL. “This process follows strict technical and procurement guidelines to make sure the most technically competent, competitive projects are

awarded funding to conduct the research that is solicited.”

Scope of Research Is Huge

“It is indeed huge. I suppose that is why DOE established three phases for the CORE-CM program,” says Brent Sheets, director of the Petroleum Development Laboratory at UAF’s Institute of Northern Engineering.

Phase 1 of CORE-CM is the only phase currently funded for all thirteen participants. Alaska’s Phase 1 is scheduled to end in September. DOE’s share of this phase is $2 million plus UAF’s cost share of $506,697, or 20 percent.

A Notice of Intent to Issue was released by DOE/NETL on January 24, 2024, which, if issued, will provide a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for the next step forward in the CORE-CM initiative. If issued, the FOA will expand the focus from the basin scale to a larger, regional scale.

Phase 2 covers a three-year performance period from September 2024 to February 2026 with a DOE share of $7.5 million, and Phase 3 is a five-year period with a tentative conclusion date of February 2030, funded by a DOE share of $10 million.

If totally funded, the three-phase program would bring $19 million of DOE funding to the state. The Alaska team’s cost share equals $4.9 million.

“Hopefully DOE/NETL will like our plans enough to fund us going into Phase 2,” Sheets says.

The mining industry also has a part in the initiative.

“Operating mines and projects under development are partners in the CORE-CM project,” says Rajive Ganguli, a Malcolm McKinnon Endowed Professor of Mining Engineering at the University of Utah. “They are partnering by giving us access to their sites, sharing knowledge about their processes, letting us collect samples, and provi ding relevant data.”

Existing mines may have significant amounts of CM in historical tailings piles, Ganguli explains. The CORE-CM team will focus on those issues.

“This approach has promise,” says Ganguli. “The Bingham Canyon copper mine in Utah is now producing tellurium—though not a result of the

Initiative. Adding to the product line can obviously positively affect the economics of a mine and a region. Besides, research may be able to convert a tailings pile into an asset.”

Tellurium is used in most alloys and as a conductor in solar panels.

Because it is unlikely that new mines producing REE/CM would be economical, the CORE-CM initiative was developed to understand the potential held by unconventional and secondary feedstocks, Mullen says.

Focus on Tasks Ahead

Alaska’s CORE-CM team has identified several tasks to complete in the initiative’s first phase:

• Assessing Resources - Assemble geologic models for carbon ores associated with potential REE/CM.

• Waste Stream Reuse StrategiesEvaluate mining waste streams to determine what minerals they may contain and if the streams are a viable resource for REE/CM. Streams to be assessed are located at Usibelli Coal Mine and Greens Creek Mine.

Strategies for Infrastructure -

Identify challenges associated with developing minerals and work toward solutions. Infrastructure to enable REE/CM production at an existing mine would be considerably different from the infrastructure needs of a mine still under development.

• Technology Assessment, Development, and Field Testing - Generate information about technologies appropriate for different locations so that companies can make well-informed decisions with respect to environmentally sensitive development.

• Alaska Focused Technology Innovation Center (AK-TIC) - DOE requires each of the thirteen CORECM centers to develop plans for a regional Technology Innovation Center (TIC). DOE intends to provide funding to eight TICs.

• Stakeholder Outreach and Education - Reach out to stakeholders from industry, government, Alaska Native corporations, and non-government organizations to share information about plans and progress, with opportunities for feedback.

Define “Critical”

The US imports more than 80 percent of its REE from offshore suppliers, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Commodity Summaries 2022 report. Similarly, in 2022, for at least forty-three of the fifty CMs identified by USGS, the US imported more than half its consumption, with no domestic production of fourteen CMs, the report states.

However, exactly which minerals qualify for the critical list are not, so to speak, etched in stone.

“Critical minerals are critical depending on—are those minerals critical for your use?” says Bob Loeffler, research professor of public policy at UAA’s Institute of Social and Economic Research. “If you’re thinking about the economy as a whole, what minerals are important for the economy? If you’re thinking about defense, what minerals are important for defense? And those can be slight ly different lists.”

Rare earth elements are a small subset of critical minerals, says Loeffler. “They’re called rare earth, but they’re not particularly rare. They’re relatively abundant. There are a variety of deposits around the world. The problem is they’re almost all, right now, refined in China—and done so with environmental consequences we would not tolerate here in the US— and then they sell it back to us for uses in our economy.”

Mountain Pass Mine in California is a major producer of REE/CM, but it ships ore to China for processing.

“We do have mines that produce REEs as their byproduct,” Loeffler says. “Red Dog Mine produces germanium as a very small byproduct. Rare earths are used in a lot of magnets and things, not necessarily batteries.”

The Red Dog Mine, 80 miles north of Kotzebue, mainly produces zinc and lead.

“If you’re talking critical minerals, we have lots of them,” he adds. “Zinc is sometimes a CM, sometimes not, depending on the list—and we’re a huge producer at Red Dog Mine. Copper, which frequently is a CM, is used for electricity everywhere.”

Graphite, a key component of high-powered lithium-ion batteries that propel electric cars, is currently

not mined in Alaska. A huge deposit at Graphite Creek north of Nome is undergoing a feasibility study through Graphite One, which has defined its potential as America’s largest high-quality graphite deposit, according to Loeffler.

Again, China dominates, producing more than half of the world’s mined graphite and close to 100 percent of the highly processed product used in batteries.

“Transitioning to a green economy requires lots of minerals: general minerals, critical minerals, and rare earth minerals,” Loeffler adds.

"Critical" has a different meaning for the USGS.

“The USGS defines critical minerals as minerals for which no substitute currently exists,” explains Sheets. “One of the members of our team promotes more frequent use of the phrase ‘strategic minerals’—those whose supply is largely controlled by countries that are not necessarily aligned with the interest of the USA.”

Potential Is There

Though vastly underdeveloped and underexplored, Alaska has been and continues to be a producer of REE/CM.

“Historic REE/CM production includes antimony, barite, chromium, platinum, and tin,” Sheets says. “Current production includes zinc and germanium. The Red Dog Mine is the largest producer of zinc in the world. Germanium is contained in the same

“I frequently use Utah as an example. They have mining, processing, and tourism—and they all cohabitate; industry and tourism are not mutually exclusive. Certainly we can do that in our great state too.”

Brent Sheets

Director, Petroleum De velopment Laboratory UAF Institute of Northern Engineering

ore with zinc and separated during the smelting process.”

Sheets says it is his understanding the company-owned smelter in Canada receives credit for the germanium production, not the Red Dog Mine.

“Many CM needed for economic and national security are supplied by countries with adversarial relationships with the US,” says Jim Patten, coprincipal investigator for the UAF project. “Alaska has the potential to supply many of these commodities.”

UAF believes in that potential.

“As we all know, Alaska exports its ore for processing outside of the state,” says Sheets. “Even if we start mining critical minerals, they still need to be separated into rare earth elements and processed into a form that allows for manufacturing. Alaska is at a disadvantage to the Lower 48 because of our higher energy costs and because of our logistical and infrastructure challenges.”

Indeed, when Ucore pivoted from Ketchikan to Louisiana, the quicker permitting at an existing industrial site was one of the attractions. A $10 million package of economic incentives played a factor, too.

For the next wave of developers in Alaska, the CORE-CM program could remove many obstacles.

“If we overcome these, then there is no reason we cannot make Alaska the mining and processing mecca for our country,” Sheets says. “I frequently use Utah as an example. They have mining, processing, and tourism—and they all cohabitate; industry and tourism are not mutually exclusive. Certainly we can do that in our great state too.

“Now I will climb back down from my soapbox.”

USGS geologist George Case recording data on graphite mineralization in a core sample from the Graphite Creek deposit north of Nome.

Susan Karl | US Geological Survey

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SAFETY, SERVICE, AND INNOVATION

More Done in a Day

Amplifying employee productivity

By Tracy Barbour

Ye ars of living with lymphedema inspired Laura Oden to go into business. Because of fluid buildup, her feet were two different sizes, so shoe shopping was a hassle. She wasn’t the only person in need of a solution, so Oden co-founded Pandere, a specialty shoe outlet for unique feet.

While Oden calls Alaska home, Pandere has a worldwide reach with a distributed team selling stylish footwear that can be adjusted to accommodate swollen feet. Technology ties the operation together.

Strategic Technology

With the persistent shortage of workers today, technology that optimizes efficiency is even more urgent. Employee productivity is defined as the amount of work an individual can accomplish within a certain time. By working more effectively, an employee can complete tasks more quickly, lower labor expenses, and generate more value for the business.

From communication platforms and data analytics tools to automation and artificial intelligence (AI), Alaska businesses large and small are strategically implementing technology to maximize productivity. In general, they are automating repetitive, timeconsuming, and unpleasant tasks like emailing responses, grant writing, contract generation, and financial

reporting, says Jon Bittner, executive director of the Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

According to Bittner, many businesses use automation to reduce the amount of time employees need to spend interfacing with customers. This includes point-of-sale and selfcheckout machines for customer transactions and the internet to provide more services online. “I think the scarcity in the workforce and high costs are driving people to be more efficient,” he says.

Bittner says technology represents a crucial tool for combating the ongoing labor shortage in Alaska. “We have to find a way to do more with less,” he says. “I honestly think technology is one of the only solutions we have.”

Effective Use of AI

Automation has been around since the Industrial Revolution, of course, but AI is different. Even at this stage of development, computers can take over communication and creative tasks reserved until very recently for humans alone. “I think it [AI] will be a game changer—as long as we can get people to connect with it in a way that is meaningful,” Bittner says.

The Alaska SBDC has been at the forefront of developing AI-based tools and training, says Christian Conroy, director of strategic initiatives at

America’s SBDC, a nonprofit network of state and local centers.

The latest step forward happened in March, when Alaska SBDC formed its Artificial Intelligence Resource Center. “I’m proud of the Alaska SBDC’s leadership in this area which has resulted in the launching of the first-of-its-kind AI Resource Center to support our business advisors and small businesses alike,” says Bittner.

The Alaska SBDC followed that announcement by hosting a summit in Anchorage on using AI to drive innovation and boost productivity. Industry experts shared their knowledge on the transformative impact, opportunities, and implications of AI for Alaska’s businesses, culture, education, and government.

AI is already an asset for Spawn Ideas. The advertising agency is using AI to speed up initial thinking, brainstorming, and document preparation as well as spark content ideas and set up content calendars. The agency’s creative team also uses Adobe Creative Suite. Adobe has enhanced its programs with AI, so Spawn Ideas staff can replace or swap out parts of photographs with the click of a button and even create artwork from scratch.

“Our work stands out because of our commitment to what we call genuine human understanding,” says president and CEO Karen King.

“When we understand our audiences, we can deliver messages that help them, persuade them, encourage their advocacy, and measure how they respond/convert. That human understanding comes through personal conversations, interviews, et cetera— but also through data analytics tools and consumer research tools like Ask Your Target Market.”

Staffing Analytics

Spawn Ideas is a nearly fifty-yearold advertising agency that combines in-house services with strategic partnerships to provide end-to-end services for its clients.

In its technological toolkit, Spawn Ideas employs Strata for in-house media planning and buying, optimization, and financial management; Workamajig marketing project management software for tracking budgets and invoicing; and Dropbox, Zoom, and Google tools for collaboration. “With Google Slides, for instance, multiple staff work simultaneously in a single document, ensuring that document is always the most up to date,” King says.

“We have to find a way to do more with less…

I honestly think technology is one of the only solutions we have.”

Jon Bittner Executive Director Alaska Small Busines s Development Center

In the healthcare field, Providence Alaska Medical Center (PAMC) and the larger Providence organization continuously explore innovative technologies to utilize staff more effectively. For example, the PAMC emergency department uses predictive

analytics based on patient visit data to schedule staff more effectively.

The application of technology is instrumental throughout PAMC’s staffing strategy. Even before recruitment, Providence uses predictive analytics to forecast expected turnover, so jobs can be posted before openings occur. Technology also plays an important role in retaining PAMC’s staff. For instance, PAMC provides free tuition assistance and/or reimbursement options for many degree programs. Providence also offers more remote/hybrid employment options, especially in non-clinical roles, that provide sought-after flexibility.

PAMC works attentively to curate the application of these ever-advancing technologies. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, PAMC centralized patient transfers to coordinate admissions. Previously, transfers had been coordinated on an informal, physician-to-physician basis. Now the transfer center tracks real-time bed availability and facilitates a simple, streamlined process to admit transfer patients. “The PAMC transfer center eases the way of referring physicians

Photos Courtesy of Valdez Native Tribe and Seed Media.

and ensures patients receive the right care at the right time in the right setting,” says Providence Alaska spokesperson Mikal Canfield.

Healthcare Technology

Providence employs about 5,200 Alaskans—the largest private sector employer in the state—and technology helps the staff multiply their effectiveness even further. For example, the hybrid operating room at the Anchorage campus— the first of its kind in Alaska—allows PAMC to provide the highest-quality cardiac, vascular, and neurovascular care in emergency situations and for elective procedures, according to Canfield. “With its innovative technologies, both traditional and minimally invasive procedures can be performed in combination or with other surgical services—all in the same room,” Canfield says. “For minimally invasive procedures, it has a cardiac catheterization lab. Benefits of these types of procedures include less postoperative pain, shorter hospital stays, and a faster recovery than traditional surgical approaches.”

The hybrid operating room also includes a bi-plane imaging system that provides real-time views of blood vessels and tissue. Its three-dimensional technology allows for more precise diagnosis and treatment. “For example, in an emergency like a brain aneurysm, surgeons can use the biplane to instantly diagnose the problem and perform life-saving surgery at the same time,” Canfield says.

PAMC was also the first in Alaska to offer the Ion robot-assisted bronchoscopy platform for minimally invasive biopsy in the lung, according to Canfield. “Using 3D imaging, it allows providers to insert a 3.5 mm catheter into a patient’s lungs and navigate to any of the eighteen segments of the lung,” he says. “The catheter includes real-time vision of the airway, so physicians can reach specific nodules and lock the catheter into place. A needle is then used to collect a tissue sample, which can then be tested for signs of lung cancer. Because of its small size, Ion can collect a tissue sample at the first signs of cancer, leading to an earlier diagnosis and treatment, improving patient outcomes.”

Virtual Impression

Beryl Castillo is extremely keen on capitalizing on technology for her North Pole-based résumé writing, interview preparation, and career consulting company, First Impressions BC. Castillo—who has a doctorate in business administration and researched crowdsourcing as part of her dissertation—fully appreciates the impact technology can have on improving business processes.

“The result of finding excellent applications that do a lot of heavy lifting is that it leaves time for us to do the part that only we can do: the job of being the human in the room.”

Laura Oden Co-Founder, Pandere

Without the virtual presence achieved through technology, Castillo’s oneperson operation wouldn’t be able to cater to businesses nationwide. The company mainly works with local businesses but also serves clients in Florida, Utah, and Washington, relying on email, text, video conferencing, and phone calls to facilitate communications.

Among many other technological solutions, First Impressions BC takes advantage of Meta business suite to manage and track business insights and activities across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. These analytics make it possible for Castillo to tailor her publicity efforts to her target market. “When I create a post on Facebook, I can see whether it was well received by

the community based on the number of shares, the people it reached, and how many people engaged with the post,” she says. “This way, I can make adjustments and create posts that appeal more to my audience.”

Having access to time-saving technology also provides Castillo with another important benefit. Thanks to the internet, video conferencing, and other products, she can work as a volunteer tutor for English speakers with the Literacy Council of Alaska. “If we didn't have online tutoring as an option, I would not be able to give back to the community as a business owner,” she says.

Remote Work, Big and Small GCI, Alaska’s largest telecommunications company, has nearly 1,900 employees and is always looking for ways to work more efficiently. At GCI, technology is the “name of the game,” says Corporate Communications Director Megan Webb. “Since GCI moved to a remote-first approach, our quick adoption of virtual collaboration tools and other technology has been vital for maintaining productivity, clear communication, and keeping the company’s projects on track,” Webb explains.

Collaboration and project management tools have proven more valuable than ever, Webb says. With tools like Microsoft Teams, employees have access to features that enhance communications and productivity, like chat, video conferencing, calendars, task management, and Viva Engage. “Many teams within GCI also use Asana to help track, manage, and collaborate on projects we have underway. Its task, goal tracking, and reporting capabilities make it a powerful tool in our tech toolkit,” Webb says.

Spawn Ideas is exactly 1 percent the size of GCI with nineteen employees (counting Bore Tide One Source, a printing/promotional items subsidiary), yet the firm uses the same type of technology solutions to facilitate workflow. “We could not work together [hybrid and distance workers] or serve our clients efficiently without technology,” says King. “It makes meetings, data collection and sharing, recommendations and approvals, invoicing, media planning and buying,

Matron of Machines

Technology is essential for the success of Jasmin Smith’s businesses: Baby Vend, Umoja CoWorking & Incubator, and The Business Boutique.

Smith is the owner/operator of The Business Boutique, a consultancy offering business mentoring, training, and project/event coordination. Umoja Coworking & Incubator, which has three employees, is a Mountain View-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering underrepresented communities through collaboration, mentorship, and entrepreneurship.

Her most sprawling venture is Baby Vend. With eight employees, the company operates vending machines stocked with products geared toward families traveling with young children. Machines are located throughout the Anchorage area, including in the Anchorage Museum, 5th Avenue Mall, Dimond Center, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The

company website lists further locations in Washington, California, Florida, New York, and an online shop for a “go box” of travel essentials is coming soon.

Heavy Lifting

E-commerce is likewise key to Pandere’s success. Instead of a traditional staff, the Anchorage-based business relies on a distributed team of contractors. “They all interact with various apps that subsequently allow each of them to accomplish the same amount of work that probably just a few years ago would have required multiple people,” says Oden.

Pandere has nearly twenty apps integrated in its Shopify store, each playing a critical role in streamlining onboarding for contractors. Describing the importance of this technology to her business, Oden says, “The result of finding excellent applications that do a lot of heavy lifting is that it leaves time for us to do the part that only we can do: the job of being the human in the room, writing personal emails, addressing customers’ concerns with thoughtfulness and compassion, and

learning together how to improve our team, smooth out bumps, and pivot when something isn't working.”

At Smith’s headquarters in Mountain View, she stays connected with clients, employees, and Baby Vend locations using Slack to simplify communication and Calendly for appointment scheduling. Smith says software solutions replace cumbersome group emails with faster, more convenient ways to interact.

Smith’s employees also enjoy using the Monday.com productivity and collaboration app because it lets them plan, organize, and track work more efficiently. “They can take a big task and break it down into pieces,” she explains. “I can check and see where employees are and then see if they need help. It helps people streamline [work] and stay organized.”

Technology allows Smith’s employees to significantly optimize their efforts. “Good software can allow people to work smarter, not harder,” Smith says. “It allows employees to get more done because they don’t have to start from scratch.”

Serious Games

Building teams for a positive workplace culture

By Vanessa Orr

Alaska Escape Rooms is an indoor adventure disguised by an innocuous storefront in downtown Anchorage. The rooms, plural, are named Raven’s Eye and Conjured Kingdoms. Each one-hour experience tells a story, inviting participants to solve puzzles and riddles and, in the process, choose whether to, say, imprison a villain or sacrifice themselves to rescue a damsel.

Since opening in 2017 on a wave of nationwide popularity for this new form of interactive entertainment, Alaska Escape Rooms has become a destination for date nights, bachelor and bachelorette parties, baby showers, and birthdays. Its founder, Graeme Deishl, also wants customers to know that escape rooms are a business-to-business service. Companies can book time as team-building exercises. Indeed, Alaska Escape Rooms was recognized in 2018 in the Best Team Building Company category (since discontinued) of the Best of Alaska Business awards.

“Team building is the oil in the engine,” Deishl says. “Ninety percent of the time when you do team building, employees learn things about each other and gain more respect for each other. Fun is a great equalizer for breaking down office barriers.”

Whether employers engage Alaska Escape Rooms or other indoor entertainment for team building or as a reward for a job well done, the goal is the same: foster a culture that makes the company a welcome place for workers. This serves the further goal of retent ion and recruitment.

Understand Culture First

Across the country, recruiting skilled workers is a challenge. According to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s January 2024 issue of Alaska Economic Trends , Baby Boomers are aging out of the job market.

Alaska Escape Rooms

Consequently, there are approximately two job openings for every one person looking for work.

It's especially important, then, for employers to reduce turnover. While a good wage definitely plays into keeping employees happy, building a healthy workplace culture can be almost as important.

“Everyone is struggling right now; workforce development and employee retention are big issues,” explains Emily Berliner, founder and chief operating officer at EBO Consulting, an Anchorage-based firm that provides recruitment and personnel solutions. “When clients come to us, one of their biggest expectations is that we understand their culture first before trying to find the right employee fit for them. And a healthy culture boils down to employees wanting to be at that workplace.”

One of the key signs of a healthy workplace, Berliner believes, is having people who feel appreciated and recognized for the work that they do. “Employees have been undervalued for so long that noticing their good

work and establishing reward and recognition programs can go a long way,” Berliner says. “It doesn’t take a lot for a manager or supervisor to remind people why they are there and why they matter.”

She adds that a healthy work/life balance is also key. Younger employees no longer consider going to college, getting a 9-to-5 job, and dealing with excessive overtime to be natural.

“In today’s workforce, we’re seeing a lot of people who don’t want to live that way; the work/life balance mindset has become predominant,” says Berliner. “Things dramatically changed during COVID, but even in the past couple of years, we’ve seen that companies are recognizing that employees are human beings with lives and responsibilities outside of work.”

Today’s employees also look to leadership to set the tone, and Berliner says that some of the best organizations have strong leaders who are ethically driven and embody integrity, purpose, and the company’s values.

“They practice what they preach,” she says. “A lot of leaders tend to silo

“While teams are having a great time, laughing from one end of the building to the other, they are also learning and practicing critical thinking skills.”

Graeme Deishl Founder Alaska Escape Rooms

Photo by Stacey Matteson Umialik Employee

themselves off, but it’s not a good experience when employees are scared to walk into the workplace or who have bad managers or bosses that don’t respect them. Leaders need to have a deeper understanding of what it’s like to be an employee in that environment; they need to be aware of what the company is doing well and not doing well, and right those wrongs.”

A Success Story

When customers call GCI for service, it’s not unusual to reach someone who has worked there for fifteen, twenty, or twenty-five years. Employees joke that they are “newbies” when they have less than ten years on the job.

“People stay at GCI for a long time because they enjoy the work—it’s interesting and dynamic in a fastchanging, challenging industry that is growing all the time,” says Megan Webb, director of corporate communications. “They enjoy the people they work with, and they learn from each other. They also have a good work/life balance, so it doesn’t feel like they’re just grinding away.”

Benefits at Alaska’s first tech startup, serving the state for more than forty years, include twenty-one days of vacation on top of two days’ worth of service time and six weeks of parental leave, plus a remote work-from-home stipend. And health insurance and 401(k) retirement savings, of course.

“We also make sure that our employees get the support they need in terms of upward mobility,” says Webb. “We want them to stay within the GCI family for the rest of their careers, so we provide career pathways and room to grow.”

In addition to allowing employees to switch departments or fields of interest depending on experience and training, GCI also pays up to $3,000 annually for continuing education. For instance, Webb took advantage of this program to earn her MBA.

But the perks don’t stop there.

“GCI’s culture is all about keeping employees connected,” says Webb of the company’s distributed workforce. Of its 1,800 employees, approximately 70 percent are eligible to work remotely. “One of our big goals was building and maintaining a strong company culture, which can be difficult when

GCI employees volunteering at Covenant House Alaska. Employees are given two days’ worth of paid leave to volunteer, individually or in teams, which GCI encourages to foster a sense of community purpose.

GCI

The staff at Alaska Escape Rooms in downtown Anchorage is one of many statewide that offer a team-building package along with conventional recreation.

Alaska Escape Rooms

employees don’t see each other face-to-face every day.”

After employees began working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company decided to remain remote, with 84 percent of their employees supporting that transition. To keep the staff connected, GCI created Red Van, an internal app based on Microsoft Office Suite Viva Engage, that enables employees to share time-sensitive information as well as socialize from their respective homes.

Using Red Van, Webb says, “They can see employees’ stories and have daily interactions. It’s like water cooler talk without coming into the office.”

Younger Workers Want DEI

Another method of team building is, well, forming teams—or as GCI calls them, business resource groups (BRG). These are self-organized networks among employees sharing special interests, aligning with the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals.

“We hired a consultant who showed us that this was an area where we could do better,” says Webb. “These BRGs are best practices for organizations that want to be more inclusive and provide a greater sense of belonging to their employees.”

Since GCI launched BRGs in 2021, employees have formed the Indigenous BRG, PRIDE BRG, BLACQ (Black Leaders and Allies Championing eQuality) BRG, and GWeN (GCI Women’s Network) BRG.

Rather than following mandates, Webb says BRGs chart their own path, building a community of allies and likeminded individuals who lead the effort.

Not only do these opportunities help retain employees, but they also help with recruitment efforts, according to Webb.

“Having testimonials from people who have been here a long time really attracts the next generation; it shows what we’re doing to continually adapt and improve,” she says. “It helps younger workers see the benefits of what we are doing in the areas of DEI and transparency and in making GCI the most attractive and best place to work.”

Lunch, Learn, and Laugh

While many employees appreciate the chance to socialize and learn,

“Employees have been undervalued for so long that noticing their good work and establishing reward and recognition programs can go a long way… It doesn’t take a lot for a manager or supervisor to remind people why they are there and why they matter.”

Emily Berliner Founder and COO EBO Consulting

both inside and outside the office, employers can leverage these opportunities for more impact.

“Lunch-and-learns and internal training are good, but in my experience, tuition reimbursement and paying for advanced courses or certifications are a lot more enticing,” says Berliner. “Sometimes companies tend to overspend on appreciation events, when what people really want is something that will help them in their everyday lives. Instead of spending $2,000 on a company party, increase a $50 stipend to a $100 stipend so that employees can get a gym membership or take yoga classes. Sometimes you can do a lot more with a simpler approach.”

Organized team building can make ordinary training sessions more of a bonding experience. That’s why many of Alaska’s larger companies have worked with Alaska Escape Rooms for professional socializing, Deishl says.

Deishl has observed that escape rooms not only help increase morale, productivity, camaraderie, and communication, but they can also directly aid in employee training. “While teams are having a great time, laughing from one end of the building to the other, they are also learning and practicing critical thinking skills,” he says. “In this wildly unpredictable world, employees are encountering problems they haven’t planned for, like COVID and logistics and supply issues, and they need to have the ability to pivot. Escape rooms teach players how to idea source, overcome obstacles, design and execute a plan, and think about processes.”

Deishl works with company leaders to ensure that the games solve specific company challenges, such as splitting teams certain ways to promote crossdepartment communication or using games to build bridges that do not exist in the everyday workflow.

Helpful Hints

During an escape room experience, players might get stuck, unable to locate the next clue. That’s when the game master pops in with a hint. Creating a positive workplace culture likewise needs outside assistance sometimes.

“If you have no idea what it means to create a healthy workplace culture,

bring in a strategic planner or someone who works with processes and procedures to show you ways to strengthen your team internally,” says Berliner. “Implement these ideas throughout the year and see if it changes retention rates or ontime rates. If you’re comfortable with identifying ways to improve workplace culture, examine the pitfalls that are currently present in your business and look at ways to apply those solutions.”

She also advises clearly defining roles and responsibilities, documenting how each person’s role helps to achieve organizational goals. “If employees don’t know what their role is, or don’t feel like they’re doing anything to help the business, there is an emptiness to the whole experience,” Berliner says. “Trust, cohesion, communication, and priority alignment produce a better team.”

And, without relying too much on the cliché pizza party, frequent praise is always effective. “It’s a big thing for people to feel like they’re having an impact on the business, which is why it’s also important to call out wins,” she says.

Escape Rooms

Fun and games have been so successful at improving workplace culture that Alaska Escape Rooms is creating “takeout” packages that can be played at a company’s site.

“Our on-site team-builder games will open up more opportunities for clients who may have already visited the escape rooms, or who have difficulty providing transportation to our site,” says Deishl.

He expects the first beta test of these games to take place this summer. Deishl explains, “We’ll come in with boxes and games, styled in different ways to keep their interest, that will enable teams to compete against each other, fight for resources, and double down on skill development.”

Alaska

This year, TOTE Maritime Alaska celebrates 49 years in the 49th State! TOTE is proud to have served Alaska since 1975, connecting communities with dedicated, reliable service from Tacoma, WA to Anchorage, Alaska. With our “built for Alaska” vessels and roll-on/roll-off operations, our service and operations were designed to meet the unique needs of the customers and communities of Alaska. Join us in commemorating nearly half a century of excellence in shipping to the Last Frontier.

Measuring up for this year’s Corporate 100 takes a relatively modest minimum payroll of, coincidentally, 100 employees.

Organizations invite themselves to this annual celebratory spread by virtue of their size—and by responding to a voluntary survey. Notice that five of last year’s top ten have pushed away from the table, plus many others, making room for twentytwo new place settings, ten of which have never appeared before. Consequently, all but three entries from last year’s list see their positions rising, like a fine dough.

Proper etiquette further dictates that listees maintain an Alaska address and business license. Thus, nonprofits and companies with Outside headquarters can qualify, but not the state’s largest public sector employers: the US Army, US Air Force, Anchorage School District, and the UA System.

In their company kitchens, the Corporate 100 blend wholesome ingredients with exquisite utensils to create the scrumptious ambrosia that keeps employees gratified and contented.

The Care and Feeding of Alaska's Workforce

COMPANIES RANKED BY NUMBER OF ALASKA EMPLOYEES

PROVIDENCE ALASKA

Ella Goss, CEO

1

3760 Piper St., Ste. 3035

Anchorage, AK 99508

ARCTIC SLOPE REGIONAL CORPORATION

Rex A. Rock Sr., Pres./CEO

2

providence.org/alaska 907-212-3145

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Providence, Renton, WA

3

PO Box 129

Utqiaġvik, AK 99723 asrc.com 907-852-8633

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

SOUTHCENTRAL FOUNDATION

April Kyle, Pres./CEO

4501 Diplomacy Dr. Anchorage, AK 99508

Stephanie Kennedy, District Mgr. 5600 Debarr Rd., Ste. 100 Anchorage, AK 99504

southcentralfoundation.com 907-729-4955

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Cook Inlet Region, Inc., Anchorage, AK

carrsqc.com; safeway.com 907-339-7704

RETAIL/WHOLESALE TRADE Albertsons, Boise, ID

Healthcare provider serving Alaskans in six communities: Anchorage, Eagle River, MatanuskaSusitna Valley, Kodiak Island, Seward, and Valdez. Providence Alaska includes Providence

Alaska Medical Center, the state's largest hospital.

Year Founded 1859 Year Founded in AK 1902 Employees (Worldwide) 120,000 Employees (AK) 5,200

ASRC is the largest Alaskan-owned and operated company and has five major business segments: government services, petroleum refining and marketing, energy support services, industrial services and construction.

Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972

Employees (Worldwide) 16,243 Employees (AK) 3,405

Alaska Native-owned, nonprofit healthcare organization serving nearly 70,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and fifty-five rural villages. SCF is home to the award-winning Nuka System of Care. Year Founded 1982

Founded in AK 1982

Retail food, drug, and fuel.

Founded in AK 1950

• Bill Pay to automate regular payments

• Merchant Services to accept debit or credit cards

• Positive Pay to help prevent check fraud

• Business Remote Deposit to save you time

5

6

ALASKA AIRLINES

Ben Minicucci, CEO

3600 Old Intl. Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99502

GCI

Ron Duncan, CEO

2550 Denali St., Ste. 1000 Anchorage, AK 99503

HILCORP ALASKA

Luke Saugier, Sr. VP

7

8

9

3800 Centerpoint Dr., Ste. 1400 Anchorage, AK 99503

SOUTHEAST ALASKA REGIONAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM

Charles Clement, Pres./CEO

3100 Channel Dr., Juneau, AK 99801

BRISTOL BAY NATIVE CORPORATION

AK 99501

alaskaair.com

907-266-7200

TRANSPORTATION

Alaska Air Group, Seattle, WA

gci.com

907-265-5600

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

hilcorp.com

907-777-8300

OIL & GAS

Hilcorp Energy, Houston, TX

searhc.org

907-463-0400

HEALTH & WELLNESS

bbnc.net

907-278-3602

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

alaskaregional.com 907-276-1131

Alaska Airlines and regional carrier Horizon Air provide passenger and cargo service to more than 120 destinations across the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

Year Founded 1932 Year Founded in AK 1932 Employees (Worldwide) 23,000 Employees (AK) 2,000

GCI delivers communication and technology services in the consumer and business markets. GCI has delivered services in Alaska for forty years to some of the most remote communities and in some of the most challenging conditions in North America.

Year Founded 1979 Year Founded in AK 1979 Employees (Worldwide) 1,850 Employees (AK) 1,750

Oil and gas operator/producer.

Year Founded 1989 Year Founded in AK 2012

Employees (Worldwide) 3,000 Employees (AK) 1,500

SEARHC is a non-profit health Consortium that serves the residents of Southeast Alaska. Providing essential healthcare services in 27 Southeast communities, SEARHC is one of the oldest and largest Native-run health organizations in the country.

Year Founded 1975 Year Founded in AK 1975 Employees (Worldwide) 1,222 Employees (AK) 1,222

Industrial services, government services, construction, seafood, and tourism.

Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 5,161 Employees (AK) 1,157

24-hour ER department, Family Birth Center, comprehensive stroke center certification, surgical robotics, cancer center, cath lab, diagnostic imaging, heart center, orthopedic and spine, rehab unit, and nurse residency program.

10

LYNDEN

Jim

11

lynden.com

Year Founded 1963 Year Founded in AK 1963 Employees (Worldwide) 1,078 Employees (AK) 1,078

The Lynden family of companies provides transportation and logistics solutions in Alaska, Canada, the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and around the world. For more than a century, Lynden has been helping customers get the job done.

Year Founded 1906 Year Founded in AK 1954 Employees (Worldwide) 2,619 Employees (AK) 1,050

GlobalCU.org

907-563-4567

196613 Anchorage, AK 99519

CALISTA

FINANCIAL SERVICES

calistacorp.com

907-275-2800

Global Credit Union has over 1,000 employees serving 14 Alaska communities, is one of the largest credit unions in the US, has operations in 5 western states, and serves 750,000+ members to enrich their lives through world-class financial services.

Year Founded 1948 Year Founded in AK 1948

(Worldwide) 1,987 Employees (AK) 1,035 13

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

worley.com 907-275-5100

SERVICES

alaska.conocophillips.com

907-263-4115

OIL & GAS ConocoPhillips Company, Houston, TX

alaskacommercial.com

ALASKA COMMERCIAL CO.

Kyle Hill, Pres.

3830 Old Intl. Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99502

907-273-4600

RETAIL/WHOLESALE TRADE

The North West Company, Winnipeg, MB

Calista Corporation is the parent company of 30+ subsidiaries in the industries of defense contracting, construction, real estate, environmental services, natural resource development, marine transportation, oilfield services, and heavy equipment.

Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972

Program management, procurement, fabrication, construction, and operations and maintenance, sustaining capital projects, all field services including drilling support and fluid hauling, equipment services, and commissioning/decommissioning.

Year Founded 1962 Year Founded in AK 1962

Employees (Worldwide) 54,000 Employees (AK)

An independent exploration and production company. We are Alaska's largest oil producer and have been a leader in oil exploration and development in the state for more than fifty years.

Year Founded 1952 Year Founded in AK 1952

Rural Alaska's largest retailer of food, apparel, and general merchandise with continuous service since 1867.

Year Founded 1867 Year Founded in AK 1867 Employees (Worldwide) 979 Employees (AK) 947

You bring out the best in us.

Providence has once again been recognized as a top health care provider by U.S. News & World Report. Providence Alaska Medical Center has been named 2023-2024 Best Regional Hospital in Anchorage and High Performing in seven procedures and conditions.

Our award-winning care reflects the exceptional work of our caregivers, providers and community partners, who share our commitment to ensuring Alaskans get the best care possible close to home. Learn more at Providence.org/PAMCawards.

17

FEDEX EXPRESS

Dale Shaw, Mng. Dir. 6050 Rockwell Ave. Anchorage, AK 99502

COLASKA

Tim Dudley, Pres.

18

4000 Old Seward Hwy., Ste. 101

Anchorage, AK 99503

KINROSS ALASKA

Brenna Schaake, External Affairs Supervisor

19

PO Box 73726

Fairbanks, AK 99707

MATSON Vic

VP AK

fedex.com

800-463-3339

TRANSPORTATION

FedEx Corp., Memphis, TN

colaska.com

907-273-1000

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES

Colas USA, Morristown, NJ

kinross.com

907-490-6132

MINING

Kinross Gold Corp., Toronto, ON

Matson.com

1-877-678-SHIP (877-678-7447)

Air cargo and express-package services.

Year Founded 1973 Year Founded in AK 1988 Employees (Worldwide) 400,000 Employees (AK) 850

Colaska is a heavy civil contractor and part of the worldwide Colas Group. Colaska's operating companies cover all of Alaska and include QAP, Secon, Southeast Roadbuilders, Exclusive Paving, AGGPRO, Emulsion Products Company, and University RediMix.

Year Founded 1999 Year Founded in AK 1999 Employees (Worldwide) 60,000 Employees (AK) 800

Kinross Alaska comprises the Fort Knox mine and the Manh Choh project. We are a leader in responsible mining, employing approximately 750+ Alaskans. We take deep pride in being in Alaska since 1996, putting people and the environment first.

Year Founded 1996 Year Founded in AK 1996

Employees (Worldwide) 6,580 Employees (AK) 800 20

1717 Tidewater Rd.

Anchorage, AK 99501

DOYON, LIMITED

Aaron Schutt, Pres./CEO

21

1 Doyon Pl., Ste. 300

Fairbanks, AK 99701

TRANSPORTATION

doyon.com

907-459-2000

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

denaliuniversal.com

907-522-1300

Matson provides twice-weekly vessel service to Anchorage and Kodiak and weekly service to Dutch Harbor, linking domestic and international cargo with seamless rail and trucking connections to the Kenai Peninsula, Valdez, Fairbanks, and Prudhoe Bay.

Year Founded 1882 Year Founded in AK 1964 Employees (Worldwide) 4,337 Employees (AK) 780

Doyon, Limited operates a diverse family of companies in the areas of oil field services, utilities, construction, information technology, natural resource development, tourism, laundry, and real estate.

Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 1,229 Employees (AK) 775 22

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES

Sodexo, Paris, France

BARTLETT REGIONAL HOSPITAL

23

Ian Worden, Interim CEO 3260 Hospital Dr. Juneau, AK 99801

ALYESKA RESORT

24

Kara Edwards, GM PO Box 249

Girdwood, AK 99587

ALYESKA PIPELINE SERVICE COMPANY

25

John Kurz, Pres./CEO PO Box 196660, MS 542 Anchorage, AK 99519

BERING STRAITS NATIVE CORPORATION

26

Cindy Massie, Pres. 3301 C St., Ste. 100 Anchorage, AK 99503

bartletthospital.org

907-796-8900

HEALTH & WELLNESS

alyeskaresort.com

800-880-3880

TRAVEL & TOURISM

Pomeroy Lodging, Grande Prairie, AB

alyeskapipeine.com

907-787-8700

OIL & GAS

beringstraits.com 907-563-3788

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

Operational support including facility maintenance, security services, catering and housekeeping services.

Year Founded 1946 Year Founded in AK 1946 Employees (Worldwide) 1,000 Employees (AK) 750

Emergency services; diagnostic imaging; critical care; cardiac & pulmonary rehab; speech, infusion, respiratory, sleep, occupational and physical therapy; behavioral health; obstetrics; lab; surgery; critical care; medical oncology; specialty clinics.

Year Founded 1886 Year Founded in AK 1886 Employees (Worldwide) 738 Employees (AK) 738

Alaska’s premier year-round destination. Featuring the state's largest ski resort, Alaska's only Nordic Spa, premium guest rooms, exceptional dining experiences, and more. Alyeska is your basecamp for endless adventure and relaxation.

Year Founded 1994 Year Founded in AK 1994 Employees (Worldwide) 716 Employees (AK) 716

Alyeska Pipeline Service Company has operated the Trans Alaska Pipeline System since 1977 and delivered nearly 19 billion barrels of oil. Focused on safe operations, employees are committed to environmental protection and TAPS sustainability.

Year Founded 1970 Year Founded in AK 1970 Employees (Worldwide) 723 Employees (AK) 678

Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC) was formed as a result of ANCSA in 1972. It is owned by more than 8,200 Alaska Native shareholders and actively pursues responsible development of resources and other business opportunities.

Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 2,250 Employees (AK) 660

27

UKPEAĠVIK IÑUPIAT CORPORATION (UIC) Dr. Pearl K. Brower, Pres./CEO PO Box 890 Utqiaġvik, AK 99723

uicalaska.com 907-852-4460

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

FNBAlaska.com

907-777-4362

Commercial, civil and industrial construction, architecture, engineering, surveying, environmental, marine logistics, real estate, land, natural resources, IT, maintenance and manufacturing, tundra transportation, and Arctic science support.

Year Founded 1973 Year Founded in AK 1973 Employees (Worldwide) 4,419 Employees (AK) 620 28 FIRST NATIONAL BANK

Betsy Lawer, Board Chair/CEO/Pres. PO Box 100720 Anchorage, AK 99510

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Alaska’s community bank since 1922, First National, with assets of $5.7 billion and 28 locations in 19 communities, helps Alaskans shape a brighter tomorrow with banking services to meet their needs across the state, the nation, and around the world.

Year Founded 1922 Year Founded in AK 1922 Employees (Worldwide) 620 Employees (AK) 620

THE ONE ALASKA NETWORK FOR ALASKA BUSINESSES

Reliable service for more than 40 years.

More fiber than all other providers in Alaska.

Always expanding on our $4 billion investment statewide.

29

ALASKA RAILROAD CORPORATION

Bill O'Leary, Pres./CEO

PO Box 107500

Anchorage, AK 99510

ESS SUPPORT SERVICES WORLDWIDE

Marq Couey, VP North America

30

201 Post Rd.

Anchorage, AK 99501

SOUTH PENINSULA HOSPITAL

Ryan Smith, CEO

31

4300 Bartlett St.

Homer, AK 99603

CHUGACH ALASKA CORPORATION

Sheri Buretta, Chairman of the Board

3800 Centerpoint Dr., Ste. 1200 Anchorage, AK 99503

ODYSSEY LOGISTICS & TECHNOLOGY

Kevin Kelly, Pres. Integrated Marine Logistics Div.

5025 Van Buren St. Anchorage, AK 99517

THE ODOM CORPORATION

William Odom, Vice Chairman/Exec. VP

6300 Changepoint Dr.

Anchorage, AK 99518

PEACEHEALTH KETCHIKAN MEDICAL CENTER

Dori Stevens, Chief Administrative Officer

35

3100 Tongass Ave. Ketchikan, AK 99901

HOPE COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Michele Girault, Exec. Dir.

36

540 W. International Airport Rd.

Anchorage, AK 99518

CHUGACH ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

Arthur Miller, CEO

37

5601 Electron Dr. Anchorage, AK 99518

ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS

Matt McConnell, Pres./CEO

38

600 Telephone Ave.

Anchorage, AK 99503

GRANT AVIATION

Robert Kelley, CEO

alaskarailroad.com

907-265-2300

TRANSPORTATION

Alaska Dept. of Commerce, Community & Economic Development, Juneau, AK

essalaska.com

907-865-9818

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES

Compass Group PLC (North America), Charlotte, NC

sphosp.org

907-235-8101

HEALTH & WELLNESS

chugach.com

907-563-8866

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

odysseylogistics.com

907-248-5548

TRANSPORTATION

Odyssey Logistics & Technology, Danbury, CT

odomcorp.com

907-272-8511

RETAIL/WHOLESALE TRADE

The Odom Corporation, Bellevue, WA

peacehealth.org/ketchikan

907-225-5171

HEALTH & WELLNESS

PeaceHealth, Vancouver, WA

hopealaska.org

907-561-5335

HEALTH & WELLNESS

chugachelectric.com

907-563-7494

UTILITY

alaskacommunications.com

907-297-3000

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

ATN International, Beverly, MA

The nation's last full-service railroad, offering year-round freight and passenger rail transportation, as well as real estate land leasing and permitting. Year-round employees 590-610; Seasonal (summer) employees 125-135; Total employees 700+.

Year Founded 1923 Year Founded in AK 1923 Employees (Worldwide) 604 Employees (AK) 600

Restaurants, lounges, espresso. Catering services: remote sites: short-or long-term, including offshore platforms, camp janitorial and other employee staffing and leasing, in-flight services, governmental agency support services.

Year Founded 1986 Year Founded in AK 1986 Employees (Worldwide) 248,937 Employees (AK) 579

Eighteen-bed medical/surgical inpatient hospital; ER, general/orthopedic surgery; diagnostic lab & imaging services; rehabilitation; SART/SANE, home-health, primary care, OB/GYN, visiting specialists, infusion clinic, behavioral health, & long term care.

Year Founded 1956 Year Founded in AK 1956 Employees (Worldwide) 520 Employees (AK) 520

The Chugach family of companies provides government services, facilities services and energy services. Chugach also manages a diverse portfolio of investments and land/resource development opportunities.

Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 4,500 Employees (AK) 500

Ocean freight forwarding, freight consolidation of all kinds, LTL/LCL, full loads and single shipments, temperature protected, dry vans, specialized equipment, heavy haul, project logistics, intrastate trucking, warehousing and distribution.

Year Founded 1984 Year Founded in AK 1988 Employees (Worldwide) 2,500 Employees (AK) 500

Licensed wholesale alcoholic beverage distributor. Franchised soft drink distributor.

Year Founded 1934 Year Founded in AK 1934 Employees (Worldwide) 1,961 Employees (AK) 499

In 1923 the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace opened the Little Flower Hospital in Ketchikan. Today, it is a 25-bed critical access hospital, in partnership with the City, providing medical services to support the health and wellness of SE Alaska.

Year Founded 1890 Year Founded in AK 1923 Employees (Worldwide) 17,305 Employees (AK) 476

Providing services and supports to Alaskans who experience an intellectual, developmental, or other physical disability; a traumatic brain injury; or a mental health challenge.

Year Founded 1968 Year Founded in AK 1968 Employees (Worldwide) 469 Employees (AK) 466

We provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity through superior service and sustainable practices, powering the lives of our members.

Year Founded 1948 Year Founded in AK 1948 Employees (Worldwide) 450 Employees (AK) 450

Alaska’s leading provider of managed IT services, high-speed internet, data networking, and voice communications.

Year Founded 1999 Year Founded in AK 1999 Employees (Worldwide) 485 Employees (AK) 434

39

6420 Freyholtz Ln.

Anchorage, AK 99502

PETRO 49

Kurt R. Lindsey, President/CEO

40

1813 E. First Ave.

Anchorage, AK 99501

flygrant.com

888-359-4726

TRANSPORTATION

petro49.com

907-562-5000

OIL & GAS

An Alaskan airline known for a strong track record of safety and commitment to customer service. Provides scheduled and charter passenger, mail, freight and air ambulance services in the YK Delta, Bristol Bay, the Aleutian chain, St. George, and Kenai.

Year Founded 1971 Year Founded in AK 1971 Employees (Worldwide) 425 Employees (AK) 424

Petro 49, family-owned since 1959, distributes petroleum products across Alaska and The Yukon. The company operates under the brand names of Petro Marine, Shoreside Petroleum, North 60 Petro, Alaska Oil Sales, Essential One, and Petro One.

Year Founded 1959 Year Founded in AK 1959

Employees (Worldwide) 470 Employees (AK) 406

Joseph Schierhorn, Chairman/CEO PO Box 241489 Anchorage, AK 99524

Steve

43 NEW

Rob McKinney, CEO

4700 Old International Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99502

AFOGNAK NATIVE CORPORATION

Greg Hambright, Pres./CEO

44

300 Alimaq Dr.

Kodiak, AK 99615

AHTNA, INC.

45

Michelle Anderson, Pres. PO Box 649

Glennallen, AK 99588

CREDIT UNION 1

Mark Burgess, Pres./CEO

46

1941 Abbott Rd. Anchorage, AK 99507

Northrim.com 907-562-0062

FINANCIAL SERVICES

coeur.com/kensington 907-523-3300

MINING

Coeur Mining, Chicago, IL

Ravnalaska.com

800-866-8394

TRANSPORTATION

Float Alaska, Anchorage, AK

afognak.com

907-486-6014

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

ahtna.com

907-822-3476

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

cu1.org 907-339-9485

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Northrim Bank is an Alaska-based community bank with nineteen branches and one loan production office, statewide. The Bank differentiates itself with its detailed knowledge of Alaska’s economy and its “Customer First Service” philosophy.

Year Founded 1990 Year Founded in AK 1990 Employees (Worldwide) 472 Employees (AK) 404

Kensington Mine is an underground, hard rock gold mine located in the Berners Bay Mining District about 45 miles north-northwest of Juneau. The mine is owned and operated by Coeur Alaska, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Coeur Mining.

Year Founded 1987 Year Founded in AK 1987 Employees (Worldwide) 390 Employees (AK) 390

Ravn Alaska offers scheduled passenger, cargo, and mail service to twelve destinations throughout Alaska and growing. Our charter operations fly to any destination with acceptable landing conditions and facilities.

Year Founded 1948 Year Founded in AK 1948 Employees (Worldwide) 400 Employees (AK) 354

Afognak Native Corporation, Alutiiq, LLC, Afognak Commercial Group, and their subsidiaries offer exceptional government and commercial services worldwide, including: leasing; timber; retail; engineering; security; logistics; and facility support.

Year Founded 1977 Year Founded in AK 1977

Employees (Worldwide) 2,702 Employees (AK) 353

Construction, engineering, environmental, facilities management, surveying, security, military training, janitorial, healthcare & medical records management, government contracting, land management, resource development, oil & gas pipeline services.

Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972

Employees (Worldwide) 955 Employees (AK) 352

As a full-service financial institution that serves nearly 100,000 Alaskans, Credit Union 1 is proud to foster thriving, happy communities by always putting people first. We achieve this goal by offering low cost loans, innovative technology & more.

Year Founded 1952

Year Founded in AK 1952

Employees (Worldwide) 399 Employees (AK) 346

•

•

•

48

CRUZ CONSTRUCTION

Dave Cruz, Pres.

49

7000 E. Palmer Wasilla Hwy. Palmer, AK 99645

ACE HARDWARE

50

John Venhuizen, Pres./CEO 240 Muldoon Rd. Anchorage, AK 99504

MTA

51

Michael Burke, CEO 1740 S. Chugach St. Palmer, AK 99645

WELLS FARGO

52

301 W. Northern Lights Blvd. Anchorage, AK 99503

crowley.com/alaska 866-770-5587

OIL & GAS Crowley, Jacksonville, FL

EvertsAir.com

907-450-2300

TRANSPORTATION

Tatonduk Outfitters Ltd., Fairbanks, AK

cruzconstruct.com

907-746-3144

CONSTRUCTION

acehardware.com

907-333-6648

RETAIL/WHOLESALE TRADE

mtasolutions.com

907-745-3211

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

wellsfargo.com/biz

907-313-7266

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Wells Fargo Bank, NA, San Francisco, CA

Crowley Fuels Alaska is a leader in the fuel industry storing, selling and distributing petroleum products to more than 160 communities across the state and backed by decades of proven capabilities with an intense focus on safety in all that we do.

Year Founded 1892 Year Founded in AK 1953 Employees (Worldwide) 6,572 Employees (AK) 343

With a diverse aircraft fleet, Everts Air Cargo provides scheduled air freight service to nine hubs within the State of Alaska and On Demand Air Charter Services throughout North, Central, and South America, including the Caribbean.

Year Founded 1995 Year Founded in AK 1995 Employees (Worldwide) 336 Employees (AK) 326

Experts in resource development and heavy civil construction.

Year Founded 1981 Year Founded in AK 1981 Employees (Worldwide) 310 Employees (AK) 310

Paint, sundries, custom paint matching and mixing, power tools, hand tools, electrical, plumbing, heating, hardware, fasteners, lawn & garden, outdoor living, BBQ, housewares, key cutting, special orders, online orders, business-to-business services.

Year Founded 1924 Year Founded in AK 1969

Employees (Worldwide) 65,700 Employees (AK) 306

As a key player in the economy of Southcentral Alaska, MTA provides residential and business technology solutions to empower member-owners and patrons to live a connected life. Today, MTA remains as one of the largest technology co-ops in the US.

Year Founded 1953 Year Founded in AK 1953

Employees (Worldwide) 306 Employees (AK) 301

Diversified financial services company, providing businesses of all sizes with checking and savings products, retirement planning, merchant services, loans, and credit cards.

Year Founded 1852 Year Founded in AK 1916

Employees (Worldwide) 225,000 Employees (AK) 300

Celebrating 90 Years of Excellence

53

CONAM CONSTRUCTION

Mike Colombie, Pres. 301 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Ste. 300 Anchorage, AK 99503

THE HOTEL CAPTAIN COOK

Joe Towslee, Pres./CEO

54

939 W. Fifth Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501

CARLILE TRANSPORTATION

55

Krista Williams, CEO 1800 E. First Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501

NORTHERN AIR CARGO

Gideon Garcia, VP/GM

56

3900 Old International Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99502

NORTH STAR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

57

Ross Newcombe, CEO 2530 Debarr Rd. Anchorage, AK 99508

HECLA GREENS CREEK MINING CO.

Brian Erickson, VP/GM

58

PO Box 32199

Juneau, AK 99803

N C MACHINERY CO.

6450 Arctic Blvd.

59

Anchorage, AK 99518

PRICE GREGORY INTERNATIONAL

Robert Stinson, Sr. VP AK Division

60

301 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Ste. 300

Anchorage, AK 99503

61 DAVIS

Luke Blomfield, Pres. 6591 A St., Ste. 300, Anchorage, AK 99518

conamco.com

907-278-6600

CONSTRUCTION

Quanta Services, Houston, TX

captaincook.com

907-276-6000

TRAVEL & TOURISM

Hickel Investment Company, Anchorage, AK

carlile.biz

907-276-7797

TRANSPORTATION

Saltchuk Resources, Seattle, WA

nac.aero

907-243-3331

TRANSPORTATION

Saltchuk Aviation, Seattle, WA

northstarbehavioral.com

907-258-7575

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Universal Health Services, King of Prussia, PA

hecla.com

907-789-8100

MINING

Hecla Mining Company, Coeur d’Alene, AK

ncmachinery.com

907-786-7500

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES

Harnish Group Inc., Tukwilla, WA

pricegregory.com

907-278-4400

CONSTRUCTION

Quanta Services, Houston, TX

davisconstructors.com

907-562-2336

CONSTRUCTION

subwayak.com

907-563-4228

62

Steve Adams, Pres./Co-Founder 1118 E. 70th Ave., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99518

H C CONTRACTORS

63

Bill Hoople, CEO/Mgr. PO Box 80688

Fairbanks, AK 99708

ENSTAR NATURAL GAS

General construction contractor specializing in design and construction of oil and gas facilities and pipelines, mining facilities, water and sewer facilities, and other remote infrastructure projects.

Year Founded 1984 Year Founded in AK 1984 Employees (Worldwide) 350 Employees (AK) 300

The Hotel Captain Cook is a 557-room luxury hotel with four unique restaurants and an athletic club. Centrally located in downtown Anchorage.

Year Founded 1964 Year Founded in AK 1965 Employees (Worldwide) 300 Employees (AK) 300

Transportation and logistics company offering multi-model trucking and logistics services across Alaska and North America.

Year Founded 1980 Year Founded in AK 1980 Employees (Worldwide) 394 Employees (AK) 289

Northern Air Cargo, Alaska’s largest all-cargo airline since 1956, offers multiple service options that help Alaskans find solutions to all of their shipping needs. The people of Alaska have established NAC as their preferred precious cargo carrier.

Year Founded 1956 Year Founded in AK 1956 Employees (Worldwide) 438 Employees (AK) 283

North Star Behavioral offers pediatric acute psychiatric care & residential treatment. Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital offers psychiatric care to first responders, active duty military, and veterans. Arctic Recovery offers civilian detox & substance use support.

Year Founded 1984 Year Founded in AK 1984 Employees (Worldwide) 90,000 Employees (AK) 275

Hecla’s 100 percent owned and operated Greens Creek mine in southeast Alaska is one of the largest and lowest-cost primary silver mines in the world.

Year Founded 1989 Year Founded in AK 1989 Employees (Worldwide) 508 Employees (AK) 272

Caterpillar dealer. Equipment sales, parts, service, and rental. Cat engines for marine, power generation, truck, petroleum, and industrial applications. Sales and rental of Cat & other preferred brands of rental equipment and construction supplies.

Year Founded 1926 Year Founded in AK 1926 Employees (Worldwide) 1,200 Employees (AK) 253

Pipeline, power, heavy industrial construction, EPC, and consulting services. Infrastructure construction services provider.

Year Founded 1974 Year Founded in AK 1974 Employees (Worldwide) 450 Employees (AK) 250

In Davis Constructors’ forty-plus year history, we have completed almost 700 projects totaling nearly $2.8 billion throughout Alaska. Mass Excavation is a seasoned civil contractor established in 2004 and has completed more than 300 diverse projects.

Year Founded 1976 Year Founded in AK 1976 Employees (Worldwide) 240 Employees (AK) 240

We cater to every craving! Subs, signature wraps and salads prepared in front of you. Order at subway.com, on the Subway APP or at any Anchorage, Eagle River, or Girdwood Subway Restaurant. Third-party delivery and curbside service also available.

64

John Sims, Pres. PO Box 190288

Anchorage, AK 99519

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Subway World Headquarters, Milford, CT

hccontractors.net

907-488-5983

CONSTRUCTION

HC Construction Holdings, Fairbanks, AK

enstarnaturalgas.com

907-277-5551

UTILITY

TriSummit Utilities, Inc., Calgary, AB

Year Founded 1988 Year Founded in AK 1988

Employees (Worldwide) 235 Employees (AK) 235

HC Contractors is a heavy civil contractor specializing in road, paving, airport improvements, bridges, projects that have unique designs and construction techniques requiring innovative and technical skills.

Year Founded 1993 Year Founded in AK 1993 Employees (Worldwide) 221 Employees (AK) 221

ENSTAR is a regulated public utility that delivers natural gas to 152,000 customers across Southcentral. For sixty years, ENSTAR has heated homes and businesses with efficient natural gas.

Year Founded 1961 Year Founded in AK 1961 Employees (Worldwide) 220 Employees (AK) 220

Reaching new heights.

From Adak in the Aleutians to Juneau in the Southeast, to Elliott Highway in the Interior and in our hometown of Utqiaġvik, UIC is rising above to meet diverse business needs across Alaska.

And that’s just a tip of the iceberg.

www.uicalaska.com

65

GREAT NORTHWEST, INC.

A. Minder, Pres./CEO

PO Box 74646

Fairbanks, AK 99707

CHENEGA CORPORATION

Charles W. Totemoff, Pres./CEO

66

3000 C St., Ste. 301

Anchorage, AK 99503

DELTA CONSTRUCTORS

Ed Gohr, CEO

67

351 E. 104th Ave.

Anchorage, AK 99515

SANTOS

Bruce Dingeman, EVP/Pres. AK

68

PO Box 240927 Anchorage, AK 99524

grtnw.com

907-452-5617

CONSTRUCTION

chenega.com

907-277-5706

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

deltaconstructors.net

907-771-5800

CONSTRUCTION

santos.com

907-375-4600

OIL & GAS

907-222-7612

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Heavy highway civil construction, utilities, and paving.

Year Founded 1976 Year Founded in AK 1976 Employees (Worldwide) 210 Employees (AK) 210

Specializing in government services contracting by supporting defense, intelligence, and federal civilian customers. Through our portfolio of companies, Chenega competes in 8(a), small business, and full and open markets.

Year Founded 1974 Year Founded in AK 1974 Employees (Worldwide) 7,949 Employees (AK) 206

Delta Constructors specializes in project management, procurement, fabrication, selfperform construction, commissioning, and integrated EPF&C project delivery. We focus on industrial clients in oil and gas and mining, as well as commercial services.

Year Founded 2007 Year Founded in AK 2007 Employees (Worldwide) 532 Employees (AK) 205

Santos—building Alaska’s energy future beginning with the giant Pikka oil field located east of the Colville River and northeast of Nuiqsut. Phase 1 production of ~80,000 bopd is expected in 2026, generating billions in state taxes and royalties.

Beacon provides turn-key health and safety solutions for our clients' workforce to include remote medical, occupational medicine, staffing, drug testing, & more! Beacon has permanent locations in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Mat-Su, Kenai, and Deadhorse.

Year Founded 1999

Year Founded in AK 1999

Employees (Worldwide) 240 Employees (AK) 198 70

GOLDBELT INCORPORATED

McHugh Pierre, Pres./CEO 3025 Clinton Dr. Juneau, AK 99801

Goldbelt.com

907-790-4990

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

Tourism, hospitality, transportation, security services, 8(a) government contracting.

Year Founded 1974

Year Founded in AK 1974

Employees (Worldwide) 1,885 Employees (AK) 188

71

SOURDOUGH EXPRESS

Josh Norum, Pres. 600 Driveways St. Fairbanks, AK 99701

TDX CORPORATION

Christopher Mandregan Jr., CEO

72

3601 C St., Ste. 1000 Anchorage, AK 99503

NUVISION CREDIT UNION

ALASKA

Roger Ballard, CEO

73

440 E. 36th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99503

ALCAN ELECTRICAL & ENGINEERING

Chrys Fleming, Pres.

74

6670 Arctic Spur Rd.

Anchorage, AK 99518

REI CO-OP

Eric Artz, CEO

75

500 E. Northern Lights Blvd. Anchorage, AK 99503

RYAN AIR

Lee Ryan, Pres.

76

6400 Carl Brady Dr. Anchorage, AK 99502

Sourdoughexpress.com

907-452-1181

TRANSPORTATION

tdxcorp.com

907-278-2312

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

nuvisionfederal.com

907-257-7200

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Nuvision Credit Union, Huntington Beach, CA

alcanelectric.com

907-563-3787

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING

rei.com/stores/anchorage.html

907-272-4565

RETAIL/WHOLESALE TRADE

ryanalaska.com

907-562-2227

TRANSPORTATION

Saltchuk, Seattle, WA

Freight transportation services, logistics, moving, and storage services. Steel Connex container sales/lease.

Year Founded 1898 Year Founded in AK 1902 Employees (Worldwide) 185 Employees (AK) 185

Industry leader in diverse energy and alternative power solutions, electric utilities, power plant construction and operations. Government and construction services worldwide remote power O&M and switch gear development, environmental services.

Year Founded 1973 Year Founded in AK 1973 Employees (Worldwide) 406 Employees (AK) 183

Complete financial services for our members throughout Alaska and the world. Nuvision has twenty-six branches in five western states, as well as 5,000 shared branches and 30,000 shared ATMs to serve members.

Year Founded 1935 Year Founded in AK 1948

Employees (Worldwide) 550 Employees (AK) 180

Electrical and telecommunications, security, CCTV, integration, oil production modules, hazardous electrical installation, and 508A control panel fabrication.

Year Founded 1971 Year Founded in AK 1971

Employees (Worldwide) 180 Employees (AK) 180

National specialty outdoor retailer and the nation's largest consumer co-op. Alaska stores in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Guided adventure trips across the state.

Year Founded 1938 Year Founded in AK 1979

Employees (Worldwide) 15,201 Employees (AK) 178

From Platinum to Kobuk, from Gambell to Mt. Village, we know the challenges of transportation in Alaska. Ryan Air operates twenty aircraft out of seven hubs across Alaska to serve more than seventy villages.

Year Founded 1953 Year Founded in AK 1953

Employees (Worldwide) 175 Employees (AK) 175

Featuring distinctive dining experiences, a full-service espresso bar, unique shops and both men’s and women’s athletic clubs.

77

CAPE FOX CORPORATION

Chris Luchtefeld, CEO PO Box 8558 Ketchikan, AK 99901

JAG ALASKA

78

Tim Jagielski, EVP PO Box 969 Seward, AK 99664

USIBELLI COAL MINE

79

Joseph E. Usibelli Jr., Pres./CEO 100 Cushman St., Ste. 210 Fairbanks, AK 99701

ASM GLOBAL

80

600 W. Seventh Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501

BAILEY'S FURNITURE

Ron Bailey, Pres.

81

350 W. International Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99518

THE ALEUT CORPORATION

82

Skoey Vergen, Pres./CEO 4000 Old Seward Hwy., Ste. 300

AK 99503

ALASKA VILLAGE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

83

Bill Stamm, Pres./CEO 4831 Eagle St. Anchorage, AK 99503

KONIAG

Ron Unger, Chairman/CEO

84

194 Alimaq Dr.

ARCTIC SLOPE TELEPHONE ASSOCIATION COOPERATIVE

Jens Laipenieks, CEO/GM

85

Pres./CEO

5015 Business Park Blvd., Ste. 4000 Anchorage, AK 99503

87 R&M CONSULTANTS

Len Story, CEO 9101 Vanguard Dr. Anchorage, AK 99507

capefoxcorp.com

907-225-5163

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

jagalaska.com

907-224-3198

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES

usibelli.com

907-452-2625

MINING

anchorageconventioncenters.com

907-263-6850

TRAVEL & TOURISM

ASM Global, Los Angeles, CA

baileysfurniture.com

907-646-4914

RETAIL/WHOLESALE TRADE

aleutcorp.com

907-561-4300

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

avec.org

907-561-1818

UTILITY

88

FRANZ BAKERY

Larry Brandt, GM AK Division 2248 Spenard Rd. Anchorage, AK 99503

After 50 years, Cape Fox Corporation continues to grow and maintain a strong financial foundation by profitably managing financial and land resources to provide immediate and long-term economic, educational, and cultural benefits for shareholders.

Year Founded 1973 Year Founded in AK 1973 Employees (Worldwide) 941 Employees (AK) 170

Ship repair serving private, commercial & governmental entities. Full in-house blast & coating, marine electrical, mechanical, machine shop, piping, structural and joiner departments. 5,000T synchro-lift, (5) berths on rail system. 100T Grove Crane.

Year Founded 2018 Year Founded in AK 2018 Employees (Worldwide) 425 Employees (AK) 165

Alaska's only operational coal mine and its affiliate companies.

Year Founded 1943 Year Founded in AK 1943 Employees (Worldwide) 198 Employees (AK) 163

Banquets, concerts, conferences, conventions, corporate events, cultural, family shows, galas, meetings, performing arts, political and religious events, sporting and e-sporting events, trade shows, weddings.

Year Founded 1977 Year Founded in AK 1999

Employees (Worldwide) 10,001+ Employees (AK) 160

Desks, workstations, conference tables, cubicles, office chairs, task seating, reception seating, upholstery, dining, beds, bunk beds, mattresses, occasional tables, silk trees, rugs, lighting, artwork.

Year Founded 1990 Year Founded in AK 1990

Employees (Worldwide) 145 Employees (AK) 145

Federal government contracting, logistics, IT; remediation, demolition, engineering, prototype manufacturing; fuel sales, real estate property management and investment; and mechanical fabrication and installation.

Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 1,350 Employees (AK) 140

AVEC is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric utility providing power generation and distribution to fifty-nine member communities in rural Alaska.

Year Founded 1967 Year Founded in AK 1967 Employees (Worldwide) 137 Employees (AK) 137

Koniag advocates for our people, our communities, and our lands. Our subsidiaries provide meaningful benefits to our Alutiiq Shareholders through government contracting, commercial IT, energy and water, real estate, and in-region investments.

Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

907-563-3989

TELECOMMUNICATIONS North Slope Telecom, Inc., Anchorage, AK

dowl.com

907-562-2000

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING

rmconsult.com

907-522-1707

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING

Usbakery.com

907-375-8800

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Employees (Worldwide) 3,025 Employees (AK) 136

ASTAC provides Fiber Broadband Ethernet and Internet, LTE wireless, local and long-distance services across the North Slope. ASTAC also offers a Nomadic WAN and Internet service using the North Slope’s only private LTE network covering oil fields.

DOWL is a multi-disciplined consulting firm that has been providing civil engineering and related services in Alaska since 1962. Some of our additional in-house services include environmental, land survey, and land use planning.

Year Founded 1962 Year Founded in AK 1962 Employees (Worldwide) 550 Employees (AK) 130

Civil, structural, geotechnical engineering; geology; environmental (NEPA, contaminated sites); planning; public involvement; land surveying; hydrographic surveying; GIS; construction administration; special inspection; materials testing.

Year Founded 1969 Year Founded in AK 1969 Employees (Worldwide) 130 Employees (AK) 130

Franz Bakery is a fourth-generation family-owned baking company based out of Portland, Oregon. Since 1906, Franz has been providing communities with fresh bread, buns, bagels and cookies, using the highest quality ingredients.

Year Founded 1906 Year Founded in AK 2013 Employees (Worldwide) 5,000 Employees (AK) 120

Wasilla

Whittier

Seward Cordova

Anchorage

Soldotna

Homer Kodiak

Petersburg

Dawson City

Stewart Crossing

Watson Lake

Haines Junction Whitehorse

Skagway

Juneau

Sitka

Wrangell

Ketchikan

Craig

photo: Petro Marine Services, Ketchikan Terminal

93

ALASKA AGGREGATE PRODUCTS

Kirk Zerkel, Pres. 5563 N. Tazlina Dr. Palmer, AK 99645

CHOGGIUNG, LIMITED

Cameron Poindexter, Pres./CEO

94

PO Box 330

Dillingham, AK 99576

907-357-9590

HEALTH & WELLNESS Medical Network of Alaska, Wasilla, AK

907-563-3822

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES

ak-gravel.com

907-746-4505

MINING

choggiung.com

907-842-5218

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

Civil, commissioning, corrosion control, electrical, fire protection, industrial design, mechanical, pipeline integrity management, process design, project management, structural, alternative energy, carbon capture, and process safety management.

Our retail locations—Sadler's, Ashley, La-Z-Boy, Williams & Kay, Ultimate Mattress Store, and Mattress Firm—offer a wide range of furniture, bedding, and home furnishing accessories.

We are a multispecialty medical clinic, offering medical care treatments for Family Medicine, OB/GYN, GI, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Employer Health, and Urgent Care services throughout Alaska.

Construction and mining equipment sales, rentals, service, and parts.

Year Founded 1985 Year Founded in AK 1985 Employees (Worldwide) 117 Employees (AK) 117

Mine development and infrastructure. Earth moving. Liner installation and welding. Roads, dams, and bridge construction. Shotcrete and slurry. Structural steel. Concrete structures and foundations. HDPE piping. Carpentry and structure restoration.

Year Founded 2006

Year Founded in AK 2006

Employees (Worldwide) 114 Employees (AK) 113

Alaska Native Village Corporation. Federal contracting, construction, hospitality.

Year Founded 1973 Year Founded in AK 1973 Employees (Worldwide) 455 Employees (AK) 110

95

SIEMENS INDUSTRY

Dan Hart, Branch GM 5333 Fairbanks St., Ste. B Anchorage, AK 99518

SITNASUAK NATIVE CORPORATION

96

Charles Fagerstrom, CEO PO Box 905 Nome, AK 99762

JACOBS

Katie Bloom, Ops Mgr.

97

949 E. 36th Ave., Ste. 500 Anchorage, AK 99508

ARG INDUSTRIAL

Mike Mortensen, Pres./CEO

98

5811 Old Seward Hwy. Anchorage, AK 99518

MAJOR MARINE TOURS

99

Colby Lawrence, COO PO Box 1571 Seward, AK 99664

AIRPORT EQUIPMENT RENTALS

100

Jerry Sadler, Owner/Pres. 1285 Van Horn Rd.

Fairbanks, AK 99701

usa.siemens.com

907-563-2242

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES

snc.org

907-387-1200

NATIVE ORGANIZATION

jacobs.com

907-762-1500

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING

alaskarubbergroup.com

907-562-2200

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES

majormarine.com

907-224-8030

TRAVEL & TOURISM

airportequipmentrentals.com

907-456-2000

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES

Energy services company and system integrator, including automation/energy management control systems, fire alarm, HVAC mechanical systems, security (card access, CCTV, intrusion, etc.), mass notification systems, and electrical distribution.

Year Founded 1849 Year Founded in AK 1982 Employees (Worldwide) ~350,000 Employees (AK) 104

Apparel manufacturing and distribution; real estate; title and financial services; and fuel and energy services.

Year Founded 1973 Year Founded in AK 1973 Employees (Worldwide) 1,209 Employees (AK) 102

Jacobs leads the global professional services sector delivering solutions for a more connected, sustainable world. Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, and program management.

Year Founded 1947 Year Founded in AK 1969 Employees (Worldwide) 60,000 Employees (AK) 100

AK's largest supplier of hydraulic & industrial hose assemblies & associated products; specialize in fabrication/testing of wire rope, chain & synthetic slings for overhead lifting & rigging; supply & service fueling, lubrication & cleaning equipment.

Year Founded 1980 Year Founded in AK 1980

Employees (Worldwide) 190 Employees (AK) 100

Major Marine Tours offers world-class wildlife and glacier cruises in Kenai Fjords National Park, departing from the beautiful harbor town of Seward.

Year Founded 1991 Year Founded in AK 1991 Employees (Worldwide) 110 Employees (AK) 100

AER has the largest and most diverse fleet across Alaska. With six locations providing rentals, sales, and service for the construction and oil and gas industries. AER has the expertise, inventory, and dedication to meet any of your equipment needs.

Year Founded 1986 Year Founded in AK 1986 Employees (Worldwide) 100 Employees (AK) 100

Lidar Data

A Key Tool for Protecting and Preserving the Alaskan Way of Life

In the vast expanse of Alaska, the interplay of extreme weather, brutal winter freezes, summer precipitation, and shifting climate patterns is profoundly affecting delicate tundra and coastal ecosystems. These environmental transformations not only have ecological repercussions but also striking implications for human communities. Alaska Native communities, residing in remote regions, find themselves increasingly vulnerable to these shifts. So what can be done to safeguard these lands and preserve cultural heritage in the face of such challenges?

The first step is having the scientific evidence to document and better understand the hazards these communities face. This enables communities to access needed resources and make appropriate decisions to address immediate and long-term threats. One critical piece of data is lidar mapping. Using advanced remote sensing laser technology, lidar is used to map surface features on the ground— such as signs of permafrost, floodplains, beaches, trees, and community infrastructure—to deliver high-resolution elevation models for precision analysis. These data can address multiple realworld challenges. Better flood modeling and erosion scenarios lead to improved disaster response and engineering strategies for mitigation..

IMPACTING NATIVE COMMUNITIES

In Alaska Native communities within the Lake and Peninsula Borough, the village of Iliamna needs a new dock breakwater to provide a safe harbor for commercial fishing vessels, sport fishing craft, barges, and other boats. Development of the breakwater would not be possible without lidar, which is being collected as part of a project using grant matching funds from the US Geological Survey (USGS) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) Data Collection Announcement (DCA) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).

“Lidar will save the breakwater project time and money by reducing topographic survey requirements that can be costly and require significant time for qualified personnel to fly into the remote site," says Danica Wilson, borough planner and emergency manager.

Once all communities in the region are mapped with lidar, the borough expects to use this data to support wildfire risk identification, increase accuracy of avalanche modeling to protect regional and local transportation, and address tsunami and flooding risk in coastal areas. This data will also support UAF’s research into habitat changes that could impact the salmon population, which is essential to the subsistence lifestyle and the commercial fishing industry.

“Without data, communities are ineligible for grant funding to implement solutions to natural hazards and have little information for making decisions on what responses are best," says Jacquelyn Overbeck, Alaska regional geospatial coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management, which is

collecting lidar in communities in Alaska to support coastal managers and other partners. "Having access to lidar enables communities and scientists to work together on risk assessment to better understand the immediate and long-term threats they face. This then informs what engineering solutions are needed, which must be included in local hazard mitigation plans to make projects eligible for certain federal funding programs.”

MAP ONCE, USE MANY TIMES

The amount of lidar data available for Alaska Native communities is sparse. About 95 percent of the contiguous United States has been mapped with lidar, allowing those states and communities to reap the benefits of such rich data. Yet, even though Alaska is one-fifth the size of the Lower 48 states, very little focus has been put on collecting lidar across the state, until recently.

"Many Alaska Native communities are threatened by environmental hazards, which are impacting critical infrastructure and causing entire communities to

(RIGHT)

Photo Credit: NV5

relocate for the safety of their residents," says Leslie Jones, geospatial information officer, State of Alaska Geospatial Office. "Lidar data is incredibly important for helping communities identify, mitigate, and proactively address risks. The level of detail made possible with lidar will immediately help many communities fill the gaps in critical data layers that can be leveraged for a wide array of use cases."

and improving access to the data across the state. She coordinates among many entities to "map once and use many times," in an effort to control costs and eliminate duplicative projects. Jones also oversees the Alaska geoportal where digital map data including lidar data collected across the state is made available publicly.

development activities.

Having high-resolution, accurate lidar data available publicly offers a foundational understanding of the landscape and the conditions impacting it. With this information in hand, leaders can make informed decisions about how to mitigate future risks like flooding and erosion, with a goal of protecting the Alaskan way of life.

DEMOCRATIZING ACCESS TO DATA

Centralizing lidar data in the geoportal will help local, tribal, state, and federal officials, as well as commercial and educational entities, with a number of key initiatives: minimizing hazards related to landslides, avalanches, and earthquakes; geologic mapping; ecological research; and infrastructure, natural resource, and economic

A partner in these efforts is NV5, which has more than 65 years of experience working on a variety of mapping projects in Alaska from its office in Anchorage. NV5 is working on a variety of projects with the State of Alaska and federal agencies to collect lidar, which facilitates datadriven decisions across several at-risk communities and expands availability of the data statewide.

Jones was instrumental in securing a $3 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for lidar collection across sixty communities covering over 3,000 square miles that will help add to the data available in the state. Lidar collected under the FEMA grant will assist environmentally threatened communities. Many Alaska Native communities are situated along rivers or coasts, and increased risk of flooding and erosion puts community infrastructure and resources at risk. Highly accurate lidar data will enable state and federal partners to create flood maps and track erosion over time and provide insights into ways to proactively protect the communities, including erosion protection, raising buildings above floodplains, and identifying safe locations for site expansion and relocation.

Beyond the FEMA grant, Jones is focused on expanding lidar coverage

LIDAR ENABLES DECISION-MAKERS TO ANALYZE THE COMPLEX LANDSCAPE SURROUNDING VILLAGES IN REMOTE ALASKA

Photo Credit: NV5

Behind the Screens

Nancy Johnson sets the tone at KTUU

By Sarah Reynolds Westin

Inside the master control room, Nancy Johnson watches monitors that flicker with the live feeds of Anchorage’s KTUU Channel 2 and KAUU Channel 5. As vice president of Gray Television and general manager of the local TV stations, Johnson prefers to sidestep the limelight and work behind the scenes. She has helped keep the NBC affiliate on the air since 1981, the year the former KENI-TV adopted its current call letters, making Johnson its longest employee—not to mention one of its most influential, even though she will rebuff this second descriptor.

“My successes aren’t my own,” she says, pointing to colleagues who assist with broadcast productions, news segments, and advertisement sales. Johnson classifies her efforts at KTUU as supporting and empowering others.

“I grew up on the East Coast. Work there was about who you knew and what you could get away with,” Johnson recalls. “Alaska wasn’t that way. Here, what mattered was your talents, how you’re contributing to the community.” This sense of belonging and feeling like she was making a difference motivated her to remain at KTUU.

Up from the Basement

What brought Johnson to this community was a graduation gift, according to Doris Tronstad, KTUU’s national sales manager and director of operations and HR. “When Nancy graduated from college, her present was a ticket to Alaska to visit family,” Tronstad recounts. “Like so many folks, once she got here, she never left—and we’re all better for it.” Tronstad has worked alongside Johnson fo r thirty-five years.

As for how Johnson ended up at KTUU, “I wanted to work for Al Bramstedt, Jr.,” she says, “so I went after a job.” Bramstedt, an Alaska Broadcasting Association Hall of Fame recipient, had a reputation for fairness, honesty, and good business. His father had owned the TV station since 1966 but sold it to an out-of-state owner in 1981. At that time, Johnson brought to the organization her degree in journalism and experience at two other media outlets, not to mention her integrity and resolve.

Johnson worked her way up from the station’s old home in the Fourth Avenue Theater basement to a role in leadership. “I started as a salesperson and moved to sales manager,” she shares. “Then they said, ‘We need a marketing director,’ so I said I’d do that.” Her lips turn up slightly while recalling her professional trajectory. “Soon we decided we needed to do more with programming, so I said, ‘Okay, let’s do more,’ and tackled that next. It wa s fun. It still is.”

Sweet Touch

Johnson’s colleagues echo many of her fond memories, an overlap of significant moments that reinforces the tightknit community at KTUU.

“We had an employee survey a couple years back about things that would make their days happier, better, and easier,” says Tracy Sabo, KTUU’s director of news and content. “One was, ‘I need help with my afternoon sugar rush.’”

Sabo laughs as she elaborates: “Nancy took that task on herself. Now she goes to Costco, gets us snacks, and fills up a table with them every day.” When Johnson is going to

Photos by Patricia Morales Alaska Business

be away, she arranges for someone else to put the treats out. “These little acts speak to who Nancy is and how she cares,” Sabo says.

Replenishing the snack bin while saying good morning to her staff is one of Johnson’s first daily tasks as general manager. “I just want to connect with everyone,” Johnson explains. “Then, since I’m the interface with corporate, I look at things that are coming from them. I make sure all the bills get paid, contracts get signed, the business sort of things. I have one-on-ones with managers to talk about their departments. I work on the flow of communication between the teams, keeping everyone talking to one another and coordinating. That’s the core of my job.”

When asked what parts of her job she loves most, Johnson replies resoundingly: “The people.” She repeats for emphasis, “Absolutely the people. They’re the greatest joy… and greatest heartache.” She chuckles and her eyes sparkle.

Right People in the Right Room

Each month, Johnson convenes team members from KTUU’s departments to coordinate their efforts on strengthening their digital platforms, which includes anything beyond broadcast, such as streaming, podcasts, OnDemand, and all the other evolving ways people consume media.

“Nancy excels here,” says Tony Freije, KTUU’s general sales manager, precisely because Johnson knows when to step back. “She forms committees, starts them in a good direction, and moves aside.”

At the digital platform meetings, for example, “It’s an instance of her putting the right people in the right room and letting the magic happen,” Freije says. The meetings provide opportunities to hear from the newsies—Freije’s word for the TV station’s journalists—and find ways to monetize their projects and s erve the community.

“A great example is ‘The Last Frontier Honor Flights,’” says Freije. “We were like, ‘Oh! That’s going to be cool!’ Can we find a sponsor to make the coverage better?” Sure enough, they did. The project was well done and well received. Freije says, “Good

journalism and good entertainment— Nancy made that happen.”

Johnson would credit KTUU’s team, though. “I watched our ‘Honor Flights’ special three times and cried every time,” she says. “When we pull off a live broadcast or a big story, so much work has gone into it. I get goosebumps.”

The Public Interest

Since her first day at KTUU, Johnson has stayed on the business side of KTUU’s operations. All these years have solidified one of her principles: support

services—like finance and marketing— help a free press succeed. “I believe so deeply in journalism and its importance to democracy,” Johnson says. “You can’t have one without the other.”

Here again, Johnson mentions community. “If you can do both sides well,” referring to support services and journalism, “while making a positive impact in your community, then you’ve got the best of both worlds.”

As a broadcaster using federally licensed airwaves, KTUU is obligated to serve the public interest, but it is also

a for-profit business, and the general manager must balance both duties. “KTUU as a news organization and its employees have benefited from the smart programming decisions Nancy’s made,” Tronstad says. “As she works to balance making and spending money with providing news to our community, she’s always guided by her answer to the question: how will this help people?”

Johnson’s concept of community extends to the economy, nonprofits, athletes, and students. Her service on the boards of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce and the Alaska Broadcasters Association has advanced those causes. Her involvement with the Alaska Run for Women, the Alaska Ski for Women, and the Kenai Run for Women has united others. Her efforts to generate sponsors for “Fund the Future” have provided thousands of dollars in scholarsh ips to Alaska youth.

“One thing I’ve really celebrated is developing people,” Johnson says. “Like when I was a sales manager, there was this young woman I oversaw. She was

ready and good at her job, so I moved to something new to let her grow.”

Switching Channels

More recently, Johnson assisted Victoria Taylor, a previous KTUU weekend anchor and producer, in her professional advancement. Johnson says, “News can wear on a person, and Victoria was trying to decide whether to make a switch.”

“I was looking to make a change,” recounts Taylor, “but I wasn’t entirely sure what that was.” She worried whether her skills in shooting, writing, and editing were transferable. When KTUU’s marketing director position opened, Taylor evaluated the opportunity. “I knew our branding, work, and team. I knew I could lean into the creativity, which felt like a good move for me. But I needed a push, one way or the other.” She decided to confide in Johnson, trusting her honesty to either dissuade or encourage her.

“Victoria is a wonderful and creative person, so I offered her the position.” Johnson’s eyes twinkle as she says, “She took it, and it tickles me.”

Taylor was, in a way, retracing Johnson’s path from journalism to sales and administration. “With Nancy’s experience having been our marketing director before and being able to bounce ideas off her and get guidance from her, well…,” Taylor pauses before saying, “Nancy got me where I am today. She recognized something in me when maybe I didn’t.”

Souls on Board

This approach applies to how Johnson treats all of KTUU’s employees, whom she calls “souls on board.” There are eighty-two of them working at the Northern Lights Media Center, the Anchorage outpost of Atlanta-based Gray Media. In 2020, the building absorbed eleven staffers when the KTVA newsroom dissolved, and KAUU Channel 5 (also known as KYES-TV) was brought under th e same roof in 2016.

Being able to help each one of those souls feel valued, empowered, and connected cannot be an easy feat. However, to hear her colleagues tell it, Johnson succeeds.

“Nancy cares—truly, honestly,” says Yvette Morales, KTUU’s local and digital sales manager, adding, “I wish there was a better word for ‘cares’ to attribute to her.”

As an example, Morales cites Johnson’s management during the COVID-19 pandemic. “She mailed these packages to every employee. They had stickers, candy, some hand sanitizer— if I remember correctly—and even handwritten notes, saying things like, ‘Thank you so much, I appreciate you,’ and, ‘I know it’s a weird time.’ No one expected them. They just arrived one day and made us all so happy.”

Johnson also called every employee, just to check on them, Morales recalls. “She wanted our homes and families to be good and healthy—and us too,” she says. “It wasn’t an empty statement… Nancy wouldn’t give that.”

Others reiterate Johnson’s drive to “chase excellence,” which happens to be KTUU’s motto.

“Nancy does that. She leads by example every day,” says Sabo.

“Not only does Nancy lead by example,” Morales says, “she lifts people up.”

“Nancy has resilience. She finds the positive and cheers us on,” says Freije.

Connect the Community

Having achieved so much, why does Johnson stay at KTUU?

“The job is never done,” she says. “That’s why I stay. There are people to mentor, stories to share, challenges to overcome.”

Morales corroborates that assessment. “For her, it’s about our team. Nancy points to someone else and steps back,” Morales says, laughing while adding, “I call her our fearless leader.”

Her boss "hates it" when Morales uses that title, she admits, “But the reason I do is because it’s true. Nancy is our fearless leader.”

Indeed, Johnson overcame a fear of the spotlight by agreeing to be the subject of this article. By illuminating her long career and how she has supported her crew, she shares the glow by showing how they, in turn, support Alaska.

“The most important thing we do is connect with our community,” Johnson

says. “I wish I could go door to door. I wish I could bring everyone together. We’re part of the same community. We’re all in this together.”

Nancy Johnson says she's most proud of KTUU's 2019 Regional Emmy Award for Overall Excellence.

Patricia Morales | Alaska Business

Who’s the Boss?

Sorting the presidents from the CEOs

By Scott Rhode

Companies in the Alaska Business Corporate 100 declare their top officer, the person who serves as the figurehead and the public face of the organization. These individuals hold a variety of titles, and some of them hold more than one title at a time.

On the 2024 list, the top officer for 21 percent of companies is a CEO. For 18 percent, it’s a president. One-quarter of the listings have some other title: vice president, senior vice president, executive vice president, general manager, district manager, operations manager, director of operations, owner, or some combination.

The most common single title, though, is a double title: presidentslash-CEO, almost always in that order. Of the Corporate 100, 28 percent of companies have a top officer with this dual honorific.

The joint title is even more common among the Top 49ers, mainly because that list is restricted to Alaska-based companies only, with the highest gross revenue. The total number of president/CEOs among top officers is about the same as the Corporate 100, but that amounts to about half of the companies listed.

What does the job of president/ CEO entail? Clearly, each title refers to different responsibilities because many organizations have one of each. Yet the jobs overlap so much that giving both titles to a single person is very common.

And what about the board of directors? Since the board hires and fires the CEO, and the board is led by a chairperson, then is the chair the real power player? Who’s in charge?

The CEO Is in Charge

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition defines “CEO” as “chief executive officer.” That settles it, then. The chief of all the officers who execute company business must be at the top of the heap. Just like the commander-in-chief of the executive branch of the United States: the… president.

Government analogies are unhelpful, says Gwen Kennedy, owner of Kennedy & Associates consulting firm in Anchorage. In her experience, the exact title is less important than delineating authority and responsibility within the organization.

“There are definitely nuances between a president and a CEO,” she says. “I find

that the size of organization makes a difference. I also find that your legal structure will make a difference, articles of incorporation and that sort of thing.”

Kennedy is a seasoned consultant, having worked with a significant number of corporate boards in Alaska. She also teaches at Alaska Pacific University’s Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program.

“The class that I teach is on working effectively with boards,” says Kennedy. “Many of the people in the Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program are coming in as staff, typically. Some of them actually do serve on boards themselves, so understanding that relationship between the board and the CEO is really what I focus on teaching.”

That relationship is fairly straightforward. Kennedy explains, “The board really needs to be more strategic. What is the vision for the organization, the strategic direction? The implementation of that is the responsibility of the CEO and the staff.”

Board members hire the CEO to execute their chosen strategy and mission and to help inform the board’s decision making. To accomplish that,

the CEO hires a team, which could include the rest of the chiefs in the C-suite. The CEO is therefore the unique nexus between what the organization does day to day and the highest level of direction.

“The big distinction between board and CEO is that the board does not go below the CEO and should not be meddling with the staff,” Kennedy says.

Macro Versus Micro

Another name for CEO, more common in British parlance, is “managing director.” One of the most prominent bearers of that moniker in Alaska is Dave Karp of Saltchuk, a Seattle-based family of transportation and distribution companies. Karp’s team includes the top officers of Carlile Transportation, Northern Air Cargo, Ryan Air, and TOTE Maritime Alaska, among many others.

Carlile has its own Anchoragebased CEO. Northern Air Cargo’s boss goes by “Vice President/General Manager.” Ryan Air, started as a familyowned company in Unalakleet, has its own president. TOTE Maritime also has a president in charge of its Alaska division.

Presidents (or equivalent) run a company’s business units and report to the CEO. That enables the CEO to take a broader view. “The CEO is definitely the vision setter,” says Rob Gillam of McKinley Management. “Macro is CEO, micro is president.”

In the example of Saltchuk, in addition to his macro responsibilities, Karp is also president of Naniq Global Logistics, exercising direct micro-level oversight of that business unit.

Another example is Bruce Dingeman, whose title at Santos is “President Alaska.” For all the Australian oil company’s operations in the state, he’s the top man. In the grander scheme, Dingeman is EVP, or executive vice president, reporting to Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher.

The difference, Dingeman explains, is that one title points upward in the organization chart while the other points downward. “EVP is a corporate title. That means that I’m part of the executive group of the corporation,” he says. “President Alaska means that I’m the senior leader in this business unit.”

When a CEO is also president, the unit is the overall company, in essence. Gillam, for instance, is both CEO and president, and the presidents of smaller units within McKinley Management report to him.

The macro view of the CEO, as Gillam sees it, includes setting the vision. He says, “I always tell people that my primary job is the keeper of culture: where are we going, what are we doing, and how are we going to get there?”

The CEO represents the board’s strategic perspective to everyone

downstream on the organization chart, and in turn the CEO reports back up to the board.

The Trifecta

Sometimes, though, the board doesn’t need someone else to interface with the staff. For example, Joe Schierhorn is both the chairman and CEO of Northrim Bank.

However, when it comes to the bank’s holding company, Northrim Bancorp, Schierhorn completes the trifecta: he’s the chairman,

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“The big distinction between board and CEO is that the board does not go below the CEO and should not be meddling with the staff.”

Gwen Kennedy Owner Kennedy & Associates

CEO, and president. Oh, and chief ope rating officer, too.

Financial regulations dictate a specific role for a corporate president, according to Betsy Lawer of First National Bank Alaska. “It says that a bank shall have a president, and the president shall sit on the board,” she says. Even though a CEO leads day-today operations, the rule mandates that a bank must have a president.

Kennedy explains, “There may be a legal responsibility for the president to sign a document. They do that. But when they are integrated, the CEO takes responsibility for everything. It just becomes a flatter organization.”

Lawer reclaimed the responsibility of First National’s president in 2022 when Doug Longacre retired. By that point, Lawer was the bank’s CEO, and she had already served as president from 2013 to 2018. Her father and grandfather previously led the bank, and she joined the board in 1982, rising to become chair in 2015. Today she is the only person listed in the Corporate 100 as chair, CEO, and president.

Three titles but, as she sees it, two jobs. “It seems pretty normal to me. I clearly distinguish what my day-today responsibilities are for keeping the bank running smoothly,” Lawer says, knocking on the wooden table, “and my more strategic goal as chair of the board.”

Subject-Matter Experts

A further distinction between the strategic and operational “hats” that a president/CEO swaps during the day is the matter of skills. A CEO’s specialty is business management, whereas other senior leaders might ascend via different pathways: accounting, sales, communications, design, engineering, technology, security, or other fields.

Josh Norum ascended through every level of Sourdough Express, the transportation company that’s been under his family’s leadership for 100 years. His expertise is logistics, so he carries the title of “president.”

Sourdough Express doesn’t have a CEO.

“We’ve never used the term CEO,” says Norum. “To me, it sounds very cold and distant. Sounds like a guy in

an executive office that comes down to see their people once a year to tell ‘em they get a pizza party for lunch.” By contrast, he feels “president” conveys the warmth of a leader who knows the names of every employee.

Dingeman likewise started as a subject-matter expert, trained in petroleum geology, before honing his skills at MBA school. “My roles have been a mix of technical, commercial, and leadership,” he says. “As I advanced in my career, I needed to have a better understanding of things that affect the balance sheet.”

At McKinley Management, Gillam retains the title of Chief Investment Officer (CIO), which he held prior to becoming CEO, the position held by the founder of the company, the late Bob Gillam.

He recalls, “When my father passed away, I didn’t want to manage the business. I only wanted to manage the investments. I had a whole plan to let somebody else manage the business. As we pivoted and focused on other business types—like lending, research, and private investment—that changed

a bit, and it became very clear that the vision I was articulating could only be managed by me as the articulator.”

Of course, the financial industry is somewhat peculiar; subject-matter expertise in a bank or investment firm overlaps with the MBA skillset. “Investment companies are kind of a special character,” Gillam says, noting that he was able to ease into senior management. “As my dad got older, I became the president and CIO, so I had some operational oversight.”

Transferable Skills

In other industries—airlines, utilities, manufacturing, media—the skills of a CEO apply generally. For instance, last year Alaska Communications hired a new president/CEO, Matt McConnell, who was previously CEO of media streaming and software companies.

“CEO's will go from one industry to another, so that's transferable skills,” says Kennedy. The team the CEO manages should have industry-specific knowledge.

Yet in smaller companies, the industry expert is the owner-operator.

As the company grows, that key person might step into the visionary CEO role or might keep hands-on responsibility while bringing aboard a management specialist as CEO.

“You'll see that sort of single contributor that is the expert that you don't want to lose,” Kennedy says, “but in terms of supervising others, they may not have that skill set. But you can elevate them to a senior role reporting to a CEO.”

The bottom line is that the delineation of duties for a CEO and president depends on the size of the company, and it can vary by industry. Generally, though, a CEO outranks a president, and when one person holds both titles, “president” is more of a figurehead.

When Gillam’s father was CEO, “master and commander was what he liked to call himself,” he recalls. Another dual title, and another mess of confusion. On merchant vessels, “master” is the highest ranked mariner, but a “master” in the US Navy is a junior lieutenant.

But untangling naval jargon is a separate discussion.

Michelle Boutin Philip Blumstein Suzanne Adler Jennifer M. Couglin Anna Chapman Crary

Kim Dunn Andy Erickson Casey K. Gilmore Joshua D. Hodes

Doug Karet Karl A. Kaufman Alexander J. Kubitz Matt Mead Bruce A. Moore

John R. Crone

Lauren Sommer Boskofsky

Benjamin W. Spiess John M. “Sky” Starkey

Jackson Morawski

Robert H. Hume, Jr. Leslie R. Need Ryan J. Thomas

HR Professionals in the Workforce Cycle

From recruitment and training to promotion and graceful exits

By Lincoln Garrick and Patty Hickok

Humans are essential to the success of any business. Just as equipment, a working space, and financial capital are key components needed for an organization to “do” business, so are all the people who work and contribute to an organization. This includes employees and (increasingly in the gig economy) independent/temporary and on-call and workers employed without a traditional labor contract. Human resource (HR) professionals are tasked with creating the environment for individuals and teams to achieve better performance for an organization, and these efforts can happen before, during, or post-employment.

Changes in the HR field had previously been incremental, but in recent years they have been revolutionary. The HR field has changed more in the last three years than in the previous fifty. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM):

The COVID-19 pandemic threw employers and employees into chaos and uncertainty, with no clear end in sight. HR operated in crisis mode for much of 2020 and the first half of 2021, figuring out how employees could work from home, trying to provide extra mental and physical health support, and working more than ever on C-level strategies for keeping their organizations functioning. As the dust continues to settle and companies adjust to a new normal, the role of HR has fundamentally changed.

The COVID-19 years accelerated work-technology, adapting to the need for remote work. Along the way, many long-held corporate rules about leave, work travel, layoffs, and overtime policies were drastically changed.

Today’s HR team is still charged with performance, productivity, and efficiency within the workforce, but post-COVID-19 it now is also tasked with understanding the challenges employees face, their struggles inside and outside of work, and contributing to employees’ overall well-being.

Who Are Alaska’s HR Professionals?

The field can be viewed broadly as three tiers of positions: HR assistants, HR specialists, and HR managers. HR assistants compile and keep personnel records, prepare reports, and search files furnishing information to authorized persons. HR specialists recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization, along with contributing in other employee areas. HR managers plan, direct, or coordinate HR activities for staff and executives of an organization. Larger organizations may have specialty positions within the areas of compensation, benefits, employment law, training, and development.

Seventy-five percent of Alaska’s HR managers are women, according to the October 2021 Alaska Economic Trends publication by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD). In 2019 average pay for HR managers was $97,300, with women earning 88 percent of what men in the same role were paid. Alaska SHRM State Council, the state’s affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management and the major HR professional organization, indicates the following demographics within its 2023 membership:

Education - 70 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

• Unionization - 84 percent work in non-union organizations.

• Generations - 58 percent are Gen X, 28 percent Baby Boomers, 13 percent Gen Y, and 1 percent Greatest Generation (2019 findings).

• Ethnicity - 70 percent white, 13 percent Alaska Native/American Indian, and 17 percent other races.

• Organization type - 51 percent work for private, for-profit businesses, 28 percent non-profit organizations, 16 percent government agencies, and 5 percent other.

• Company size (number of employees) - 31 percent are in organizations with fewer than 100 employees, 32 percent in organization with 100 to 499 employees, 12 percent in organizations with 500 to 999 employees, 18 percent in organizations with 1,000 to 4,999 employees, and 7 percent in organizations with more than 5,000 employees (2019 findings).

The field is expected to grow in Alaska, with DOLWD projecting increases from 2020 to 2030 of 10.7 percent among HR assistants, 9.6 percent among HR specialists, and 11.5 percent among HR managers.

Challenges for Alaska HR Professionals

HR professionals generally oversee the following workforce tasks:

• Talent acquisition - recruiting, hiring, and retaining a skilled workforce. Employee engagement - developing a workplace culture, which requires listening to employee issues, sharing organizational triumphs and setbacks, and resolving disputes or difficulties among coworkers.

• Performance managementassessing and coaching employees with continuous feedback.

• Compensation and benefitscalculating fair compensation rates and putting together a comprehensive list of benefits that are valued by current and potential employees.

• Development and trainingproviding opportunities for employees to learn new skills, as well as training, which aligns with the

Changes in the HR field had previously been incremental, but in recent years they have been revolutionary. The HR field has changed more in the last three years than in the previous fifty.

organization’s strategic goals and legal responsibilities.

• Risk management - collecting anonymous employee feedback, implementing diversity measures, and investigating complaints or allegations of harassment and other employee law concerns.

Some of Alaska’s recent HR issues mirror the Lower 48, with mass retirements, a diminishing level of participation from women in the workforce, and significant challenges finding qualified and reliable new workers.

On the Horizon

There have been a number of contemporary shifts in society that have and will continue to affect HR professionals’ ability to recruit, retain, and develop Alaska’s workforce, including the Great Resignation, the Great Reassessment, burnout, quiet quitting, and a shift in employees’ personal and professional priorities.

All of this has led to Alaska HR professionals having a smaller pool of potential employees from which to recruit. Alaska is currently experiencing record low nonseasonally adjusted, statewide unemployment rate in the 4 percent range, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This compares to the average statewide rate of 7 percent from 2000 to 2020. Alaska’s working-age population—individuals 18 to 64 years old—peaked ten years ago in 2013 at 479,000, and its rate of loss since then—of 5.4 percent to 449,000 individuals—was the third highest decrease in the US, according to DOLWD. Economists believe this has been caused in part by an outmigration from the state and an aging Alaska’s population, as well as excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is difficult to untangle how HR professionals might find qualified and motivated Alaska employees in the future, but some combination of a focus on retaining workers, investing in automation, and rethinking remote or flex work will be critical. Larger employers may be able to stand out when recruiting by increasing access to childcare, which continues to be a problem especially for female workers, with the average cost for care around

$10,746 annually, or 29.3 percent of an Alaska single parent’s median income.

With the stiff competition for talent, Alaska companies are now offering higher starting wages and signing and referral bonuses, even in industries that traditionally didn’t do so. HR professionals are also having to think more broadly about how to stand out for recruiting new employees since compensation and health insurance are no longer the only differentiators. Many Alaska companies have updated their recruitment strategies with employee referral programs providing incentives for potential new hires, retooled job descriptions highlighting company culture and values, and targeting passive candidates—individuals who are not actively seeking a new job but who might be willing to make a career move if the right opportunity was presented. In 2022, according to Indeed.com, more than 75 percent of US job seekers indicated they have been approached by another employer while they were already employed, and 99 percent said they would be willing to take an interview if another employer approached them.

As organizations struggle with navigating the new employment landscape, automation has emerged as a tool to address concerns created from the labor shortage. It is not uncommon at retail stores to have more self-checkouts than staffed cashier aisles, and this use of computer-aided customer service is increasing in areas like restaurants and airports. Business leaders are now confronted with whether to invest now and embrace change or wait until the technology is further defined. Many in HR are not viewing these new technologies as threats to workers’ jobs but as an evolution of what work will look like in the future, with human intelligence combined with artificial intelligence to improve productivity and efficiency. In a new AI-assisted workplace, the most successful employees will adapt to change and upskill to ensure they are equipped for technological advances.

The Future of Work

Labor shortages are driving organizations to adjust their policies, practices, and operations and think differently about the “future of work.”

That term, coined by the SHRM, defines labor not only by the who but also the how, where, and when work is performed. The notion of remote work had traditionally been met with skepticism until the pandemic forced organizations to change. With the pandemic in our rear-view mirror, some organizations are advocating for a return to the office. Organizations that seek to define themselves as an employer of first choice for recruiting and retaining talent are adopting hybrid work schedules, as well as championing issues like employee well-being and mental health, work-life harmony, and greater say in an organization’s strategic direction.

The last three years have been a testament to organizational resiliency and HR adaptability. Many lessons have been learned about flexibility that will continue to shape the future of work and how HR professionals will approach recruitment, retention, and technological integration. Organizations that view change not as a disruption but as an opportunity to act differently will continue to innovate. Employees will be well served to do the same since the future of work is already here.

Lincoln Garrick is an assistant professor of business, MBA director, and alumnus at Alaska Pacific University. He has more than twenty years of experience in the business, marketing, and communications fields, providing public affairs and strategy services for national and Alaska organizations.

Patty Hickok has more than twenty years of HR experience working for Alaska Native corporations. She's been an Alaska Pacific University adjunct professor for fifteen years, specializing in HR courses. She is the past-president of the SHRM Anchorage chapter and has served on the board for twenty-one years.

The Trouble With “Tribe”

When workplace culture clashes with cultural appropriation

By J. Maija Doggett

Excited as my former colleagues were for my new adventure when I changed jobs in 2023, they were also sad to see me go. At twenty-plus years of service, I had the longest tenure of all employees in the human resources department. Many of my coworkers expressed how much they were going to miss my "tribal" knowledge of the firm’s HR practices.

It wasn’t a tribal entity that I worked for. I’m not of American Indian or Alaska Native descent, and I don’t belong to any of the 574 tribes recognized by the US government. When my coworkers referred to my "tribal" knowledge, what they meant was my institutional knowledge of the firm’s history, employee policy development, and corporate culture, which many of my teammates found to be useful in doing their own jobs. They were using “tribal” in the context of referring to our workplace as our tribe.

While “tribe” and “tribal” are used in non-tribal workplaces with less fervor than they once were, some organizations still use the word "tribe" in employee communications, recruitment materials, and marketing campaigns. A marketing department might deliver a “Your vibe attracts your tribe” pep talk to encourage networking with potential clients, or the lead recruiter may post a “Find your tribe” campaign on social media. Or maybe team meetings are informally called “tribe gatherings” as a way of evoking a sense of camaraderie and community that is conducive to enhancing teamwork. Leaders of organizations that continue to use “tribe” and “tribal” in these contexts need to understand why this practice should stop.

Used with Good Intentions

Various online explainers and definers use different words to describe “tribe,” but they all generally describe a group of people with shared interests who have a recognized leader. To non-Indigenous people, “tribe” has a way of evoking an image of teamwork, camaraderie, community, and engagement that is the epitome of the way business leaders want their employee teams to work together.

Use of “tribe” and “tribal” in the non-tribal workplace was never meant to be derogatory. On the contrary, it was meant to be positive, and influencers are still touting the benefits of "tribe."

“How Do I Find My Work Tribe?” references the feeling of belonging that we all desire at work. Wilson’s article points out that “being in an environment where you can genuinely thrive involves finding and working with your tribe. Small companies can be a tribe, while larger organisations typically comprise tribes wit hin a bigger tribe.”

Wilson’s usage suggests that one benefit of "tribal" affiliation is that you can thrive in your workplace and in your career.

A website article by public relations firm Startr Co. titled “Company Culture: How You Know You Found Your Tribe” recommends vetting the company culture of your prospective employer before accepting an offer. Using the terms “company culture” and “work tribe” interchangeably, the article characterizes your "work tribe" as the work environment that meets your professional goals and makes you feel like part of a team, which are both essential aspects of achieving career fulfillment.

In other words, according to relationship coach Meg Tuohey in her article "F inding Your Tribe": "…when you find your people, you really are finding a space in the world that you belong to. And the thing about humans is that you want to belong. You also want to be noticed and witnessed… When you’ve got your tribe, you’ve got all three things. Belonging, Being Noticed, a nd Being Witnessed.”

“Tribe” is used to describe the feelings of belonging and thriving in the workplace that employees are seeking and that employers seek to offer. What could be wrong with that?

In 2020, Yeti Cycles found out.

Somebody Else’s Tribe

Yeti Cycles is a high-end mountain bike manufacturer based in Golden, Colorado. Yeti Cycles had used “tribe” for decades to describe its community of cyclists as the Yeti Tribe. The company held events called Yeti Tribe Gatherings.

In July of 2020, more than 1,000 people signed the #NotYourTribe petition on Change.org requesting

While there is no one-to-one replacement for “tribe” for every context, one way to start is by removing the word and exploring alternative vocabulary.

I don’t belong to any of the 574 tribes recognized by the US government. When my coworkers referred to my "tribal" knowledge, what they meant was my institutional knowledge of the firm’s history, employee policy development, and corporate culture.

Congress to regulate commerce “with the Indian Tribes.”

WeRNative.org, a youth resources website by the nonprofit Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, goes on to say, “Federally recognized Tribes are recognized as possessing certain inherent rights of selfgovernment (i.e., Tribal sovereignty) and are entitled to receive certain federal benefits, services, and protections because of their special relationship with the United States… For Indigenous people, tribal identity is important. So when non-Native people say ‘Find your tribe’ or ‘tribe’ to describe groups of shared interest, it is offensive because it erases the significance of Tribal sovereignty, id entity, and people.”

The strong association between “tribe” and a historically marginalized group is one reason for caution when using the word. Another reason, sadly, is because of how that group became associated with “tribe” in the first place.

Blame Latin

Wilson’s article quotes Google’s definition of "tribe", which says “a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader.” She cites this to support her use of the phrase “work tribe.” However, this definition ignores the history of the word.

unit—and characteristic life-organising social form—of peoples considered more primitive than the Euroamerican colonists… Tribe became the standard term for the political groups of those thought of as barbarians, both in colonial encounters and in historical accounts of antiquity.”

Seven days after the #NotYourTribe petition began, Yeti Cycles readily admitted its mistake and ceased using the word “tribe.”

That wasn’t the end, of course. Critics immediately accused Yeti Cycles of caving to cancel culture. One outraged commenter quipped that maybe people shouldn’t say “salsa” anymore, implying the word is racist.

Admittedly, any word can become offensive if it is used with the intent to offend; however, "salsa" doesn’t have the same negative connotations contained in the etymology of “tribe.” There hasn’t (yet) been a movement by members of the Latino community claiming that “salsa” is an offensive word. The flippant analogy seems to demonstrate a lack of empathy for people who are legitimately offended by the inappropriate use of “tribe.”

In-Group Bias

that Yeti Cycles end its use of “tribe” in all marketing communications. The petition states: “… when nonIndigenous people use the term ‘Tribe’ to describe a group of people with a common interest, it belittles the history, experience, and unique status of the Tribal Nations in the United States and contributes to the exotification, cultural appropriation, and cultural erasure of tribal nations.”

Petitioners argued that Yeti’s use of “tribe” is derogatory and cultural appropriation.

The website WeRNative.org agrees, calling tribes “significant cultural and political groups for Indigenous People.” Furthermore, the term has legal force, with the US Constitution empowering

Etymonline.com traces “tribe” to the Latin “tribus,” meaning "one of the three political/ethnic divisions of the original Roman state." During the colonial expansion era of the 16th century, the word acquired the broader connotation of “a division of a barbarous race of people, usually distinguishable in some way from their congeners, united into a community under a recognized head or chief.” Essentially, Western Europeans used “tribe” to describe groups or families of indigenous people whom they judged to be primitive.

David Sneath of the University of Cambridge in his article “Tribe” in the Open Encyclopedia of Anthropology, states: “The notion of the tribe took on a very particular role in the era of colonial expansion. It became the social

If the cultural appropriation and derogatory history of “tribe” aren’t enough to convince non-Indigenous people to stop using it in a workplace context, consider that tribalism already conveys a certain negative connotation. In a workplace culture, it implies compartmentalization and division. In particular, the “similarto-me” or “like-me” bias can appear in project teams, who is recruited and hired, who is given new responsibilities, or who is provided with training and advancement opportunities. In-group favoritism is a well-known pattern of human thought: we tend to more highly value others we think are like us, and we judge them based on real or perceived similarities that are not relevant to work performance.

It's great to have friends at work, but ultimately employees are hired for their knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitude. Whether they run on the same trails, have kids the same age, or appreciate the same movie or TV references—those are

not the reasons colleagues are brought together for a job.

Tribalism and associated biases create an atmosphere of “it’s who you know, not what you know,” which poisons a culture of career growth and advancement. If left unchecked, the "like-me" bias can lead to processes, policies, and procedures that favor the “in group,” driving away skilled talent that doesn’t fit. The resulting lack of diversity effectively kills innovation and throttles revenue. In this way, tribalism at work is bad for business.

Vocabulary Suggestions

In its response to the #NotYourTribe petition, Yeti Cycles said, “We have walked away from a word, but the soul of our community remains intact. We ask you all to join us in embracing this change.”

Trying to do so, one commenter said, “I’ve done a little reading and can see how it [tribe] could be conveyed negatively. Oddly I think I have exclusively used it in the way Yeti has to describe a collective of likeminded folk, always in a positive manner… Sounds like I might need to find a new shorthand to describe the same sentiment. Suggestions?”

While there is no one-to-one replacement for “tribe” for every context, one way to start is by removing the word and exploring alternative vocabulary.

Instead of “tribe,” a workplace unit could go by many other names, starting with, well, “unit.” Or “community.” Group. Team. Crew. Crowd. Bunch. People. Nation. Society.

Find your troupe. Gather your flock. Here’s a cool one: squad. It has a military connotation, deriving from a square formation (same as “cadre”), but the Cambridge Dictionary definition fits perfectly: “a small group of people trained to work together.”

Fair warning, though: "tribe" isn’t the first derogatory, inflammatory, or offensive word to hit the workplace, and it won’t be the last. If a member or members of your squad, circle, or coterie express discomfort over a word you’ve chosen, look into why they feel that way. Better yet, vet any jargon used in marketing or employee communications. The group, combo, or posse is stronger when everyone feels included.

LEmployers cast wider net with diverse résumé requirements

By Terri Marshall

Nontraditional Experience

i fe is a college. When evaluating potential employees, many companies are looking beyond higher education or a résumé loaded with relevant work experience to notice a subtler sort of qualifications. Applicants may have nontraditional backgrounds that translate into excellent job performance. This expansive view might not have been obvious until relatively recently, when hirin g became a headache.

Faced with difficulty finding qualified workers, Governor Mike Dunleavy issued an administrative order in February 2023 that waived the college degree requirement for most State of Alaska jobs. Dunleavy said, “Today people can gain knowledge, skills, and abilities through on-the-job experience. If we are going to address our labor shortage, we must recognize the value that apprenticeships, onthe-job training, military training, trade schools, and other experiences provide applicants. If a person can do the job, we should not be holding anyone back just because they don’t have a degree.”

Alaska is not alone. Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania also no longer require college degrees for state jobs.

At the local level, Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson announced in November 2022 that the municipality would ask applicants for executive or non-union positions about nontraditional work experience. Examples include experience, paid or unpaid, with community-based cultural, philanthropic, professional, religious, social, spiritual, and tribal organizations. By hiring individuals with experience outside of traditional employment, the municipality hoped to diversify its workforce.

In the private sector, several Corporate 100 companies welcome nontraditional experiences, too, enlarging the hiring pool. While some professions resolutely require college degrees, such as doctors or lawyers, many positions have more flexible qualifications. By considering broader life experiences, companies attract valuable team members while providing on-the-job training.

From Fast Food to Cold Cash Northrim Bank understands the unique challenges and opportunities of Alaska. Thus, Northrim considers the following for all positions: equivalent combination of related education or experience as a substitute for work experience alone, or related military education or experience.

“In 2024, we are shifting how employers should look at the workforce and considering what is truly valuable,” says T.J. Alinen, human resources director for Northrim. “What mattered ten or twenty years ago doesn’t apply anymore.”

Alinen acknowledges that some positions still require formal education, but he notes that it is not as important as it was previously. “Leadership experience can come from several places, including a volunteer organization,” Alinen says. “For entrylevel branch employees, we evaluate any work applicants have done with the public, including tribal or village work. We have also had a lot of success with employees who previously worked in the fast-food service industry where they learned to provide good customer service. That translates well for teller positions.”

Alinen also welcomes military veterans to apply for banking jobs. “Veterans are workforce ready for many positions. They’ve already learned solid work ethics from their service; they know how to figure things out and are an excellent resource for positions requiring organizational skills.”

Aware that fewer people are interested in becoming bankers in Alaska, Northrim has gotten creative by developing in-house programs for on-the-job training. “We offer a twelve-month program to prepare employees to be commercial loan officers specifically,” explains Alinen. “In the program, they learn credit analysis, credit quality, collections, and underwriting. If they have not worked in a branch setting, they do a rotation in a branch for experience.”

Northrim also created an internship program over the last couple of years in partnership with the Anchorage School District. “We bring students in for a sixty-hour internship program,” says Alinen. “The goal of the program is to attract students right out of high

school who are interested in entry-level careers in banking.”

Rhythmic Consistency

Celebrating one hundred years as a company this year, Ace Hardware has thirty-one stores in Alaska, with more to come. Each store is independently owned by locals as employees, managers, and owners.

Unlike many larger companies that offer virtual job interviews, Ace Hardware prefers a face-to-face meeting. “All of our retailers and owners have face-to-face interviews with potential employees,” says Ian Momany, Alaska district manager. “That personal conversation makes a big difference when an applicant doesn’t have traditional experience or education.”

Ace Hardware focuses on the applicant’s level of interest in working for the company. “A lot of Alaskans don’t have previous store experience, so we look for stories from people about their personal experiences,” explains Momany. “One example was a young man who said he chopped wood every day with his father and grandfather and

had to carry the wood back and forth each day. That rhythmic consistency transfers well to the duties in our hardware stores. Employees need to show up ready to work each day to meet the needs of our customers.”

When a community experiences a major snowstorm or another natural disaster, Ace Hardware becomes the hub for residents to get the supplies they need to clean up after the storm. “Our employees are all the same: they are dedicated to serve, happy to be there, and many are focused on giving back to their communities,” shares Momany.

Ace Hardware also rewards the work of its employees through promotions. “We saw one young man’s experience going door to door shoveling snow for his community to earn money as a reflection of his dedication,” says Momany. “He became a great worker and eventually became a store manager.”

Fulfilling Impact

Founded in 1968, Hope Community Resources is a nonprofit disabilities

service provider for people of all ages with intellectual or developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, or mental health challenges. Founder Nancy Stuart Johnson moved to Alaska from Florida with her husband in 1967, having worked with children with developmental disabilities as a volunteer. Today's applicants can leverage their own volunteer experience to secure paid employment at Hope.

“When hiring new employees, one thing I always look for is transferrable skills,” says Caitlyn Scott, director of human resources. “Some examples include someone who has coached baseball or softball or someone who taught kindergarten previously. That type of experience transfers well to our company, as we are here to teach and coach the people who choose our services.”

Scott also considers applicants who have family members with a disability. “Their personal experience with someone with a disability makes them a great candidate for a position with us,” she says.

As a nonprofit organization, hiring is always challenging. “We are subject to budget constraints and have to rely on state and federal government funding, which makes it difficult for us to be competitive with a for-profit organization,” explains Scott. “When the pandemic hit, we experienced unprecedented hiring challenges. We saw a dramatic decrease in our workforce and had to pivot dramatically in terms of how we could recruit employees to fill critical needs.”

Creativity led to new practices to help fill those critical needs. “We would post on social media, where we focused on attracting the type of people that would be interested in our work,” says Scott. “With record employment shortages everywhere post-COVID, we had to explore how to upskill or reskill a workforce. Many folks came in from medical clinics, exhausted and burned out, so we worked at reskilling them to work as direct support professionals, which is not as stressful but equally important and equally fulfilling, as it makes an impact within our communities.”

Hope developed partnerships with high schools and career counselors to develop a pipeline of individuals interested in entry-level positions like a certified nursing assistant. The company also has a direct partnership with the Alaska Primary Care Association. “We do mock interviews with students who are going through a program, and that can lead to an offer of employment if they are interested in working wit h Hope,” says Scott.

Some positions require formal training, such as an assisted living home supervisor. For those positions, Hope looks at internal promotions. “We cannot let any opportunity go for succession planning. If we have supervisor or director roles to fill, we consider current employees who are interested and provide them with a formalized development program,” shares Scott. “Internal employees might not have the qualifications on paper, but we know their work ethic and their work history, so we want to give them opportunities for development.”

Strong Foundation from the Start

Southcentral Foundation (SCF) is one of the largest of Cook Inlet Region, Inc.’s affiliated nonprofits. Its healthcare network encompasses more than eighty programs, employing more than 2,700 people. Filling that massive personnel roster is a never-ending task.

“SCF has created a systematic process with a strong foundation to ensure that our recruitment and sustainability processes are aligned,” says Karen McIntire, director of human resources. “To build a strong foundation, we have written the job requirements to allow for some flexibility to hire someone without a formal education for a job. This allows us to work with people within our communities and to continually develop our employees’ potential.”

As a team-based, story-based, community-based organization, SCF focuses on those practices in the selection, onboarding, and internship training processes. “By

providing a strong foundation from the start, someone can start in an entry-level position in administrative support, and through on-the-job training that individual can develop the skills and competencies necessary for promotion without going through another recruitment process, ” explains McIntire.

SCF also considers applicants seeking a career change. “Let’s say we have someone living in rural Alaska who has worked as a fishing boat captain and managed a business for years, including payroll, ordering supplies, and other business management activities. That experience could transfer to a position as a supervisor or manager,” says McIntire. “This also applies to moms who have managed the family budget and taken care of kids for years. Those are not lost years, and the life skills they have learned can help them when they are ready to join the workforce.”

Additional programs help community members develop skills to thrive. Targeting young people ages 14 through 19, the SCF Raise program was established to introduce Alaska Native and American Indian interns to administrative and healthcare careers, provide worksite experiences, and support educational goals to become the next generation of leaders.

For positions that require a formal degree or certification, SCF offers various scholarship opportunities for Alaska Natives and American Indians interested in studies of behavioral health and paraprofessional training. “We work to create pathways for advancement,” McIntire concludes.

A nontraditional background can prepare a dental assistant for on-the-job training (left) or a teenager for a Raise internship (center) with Southcentral Foundation. And Northrim Bank (right) is more interested in what applicants can do than where they've been.

Southcentral Foundation | Southcentral Foundation | Chris Arend

meet in The Meeting:

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. District 12 Annual Meeting

May 4-7, 2023

350 Delegates

Estimated Economic Impact: $218,114

The men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity embody four cardinal principles: manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and uplift. Alaskan Nathaniel Rivers exemplified those principles, spending 30 years in the Army, three seasons in the NFL, and as a full-time mentor and volunteer in Anchorage. Inspired to reconnect past and present brothers of Omega Psi Phi, Rivers set his sights on bringing his fraternity’s annual meeting to Anchorage. Making his case to host, Rivers successfully landed the bid and the group held their district meeting in Anchorage for the first time since 1998. Inspired by the allure of Alaska, 350 attendees came from across the country to enjoy Anchorage’s urban and outdoor experiences. Anchorage proved the perfect fit for these Omega Psi Phi brothers, weaving an unforgettable story into the fabric of their fraternity.

Nathaniel Rivers, Meeting Champion

Bridge of Skills Connecting military veterans to civilian jobs

By Vanessa Orr

Li fe in uniform doesn’t always translate into relevant civilian work experience after military personnel finish their tours of duty. Fortunately, several programs and resources can help prepare for life after leaving the service.

“Not to be flip, but whether a person has served a few years or a lifetime in the military, it’s like being a teabag in water,” says Mary M. Rydesky, a professional coach who works with the federally funded Transition Assistance Program (TAP). “They’ve been imbued in the culture, and their whole identity is shaped by the expectations of the military and the community that supports them.”

Differences include some fundamental aspects that most workers take for granted. “While a civilian workplace culture is 8-to-5, in the military, the culture is 24-7,” Rydesky says. “Military personnel are brought up with expectations about the workplace, values, and performance.”

Rydesky notes that the civilian workplace tends to be “looser,”

and often doesn’t have the same consequences that the military workplace does, even if the job is similar.

“If a boss tells an employee to do something and they don’t do it in the civilian workplace, what happens?” she asks. “There may not be a lot of recourse. If you do that in the military, you pay a price. That person may have to undergo counseling or find that that decision affects his or her career.”

The longer a person serves, the more entrenched the culture is. “People who have served fifteen to twenty years don’t know what they don’t know,” she says. “They expect the civilian workplace to be run on the same values and principles that they’ve followed, and they are taken aback when it is not. Even if someone has only been in a short time, they may still have trouble making the transition. They are looking for employers who respect the individual and will work to help them achieve their goals along with the company’s goals.”

Kenneth A. Hopkins Jr., contract installation manager for MKS2 Technologies and a contractor with

TAP, adds that there are other issues as well, such as military personnel needing proper certifications to participate in trades.

“You can drive a truck for eighteen to twenty years in the military and not leave with a commercial driver’s license (CDL),” explains Hopkins, a US Army veteran. “In the civilian world, certain jobs require specific certifications and vocational requirements.”

Hopkins observes that military veterans and civilian employers might also experience a language barrier. “For example, if you were a squad leader of nine personnel, how does that translate to the civilian world?” he says. “There is also a lot of confusion about all of the acronyms that the military uses.”

No matter what type of position military members are trying to transition to—from lawyers, engineers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, project managers, government workers or upper management— making the change is a challenge that goes beyond skills and training acquired in uniform.

Lance Cpl.

Alyssa Deputee | DVIDS

Tapping Valuable Experience

Over the last decade, the federal government has increased efforts to help transitioning service members (TSM) adjust to life after the military. TAP, for example, coincided with the 1991 Gulf War, when the government realized that homelessness and joblessness were higher in the veteran population than the general population. Congress started providing money and programs to help veterans find jobs as a result, and the program has grown from workshops and classrooms to connecting with counselors and navigators.

“Military bases now have whole teams with counseling backgrounds, training backgrounds, and in my case, community networking backgrounds, to help engage TSMs in business conversations to become more at ease in the civilian workplace culture,” says Rydesky. “This 360-degree approach is available to any service person, as well as to military families.”

Because these families move quite often, military spouses may have a difficult time in their

careers, as their résumés seem to show a habit of turnover. TAP helps with job hunting, résumé writing, interviewing, and internship opportunities, among other things.

Rydesky adds that the more interaction a TSM has in programs focused on finding a job after military life, the better.

“You can’t change the mindset in one workshop; it’s a matter of time and application,” she says. “From the time a person enters the military, they should be thinking about the future; as far as the specific services I’ve mentioned, I recommend that they begin the process at least two years out from the time they will finish their tour of duty or expect to retire.”

Long lead time can be a luxury, though. “Many service members get out on short notice due to injury or something else that comes up that prevents them from staying in for as long as they wanted,” she adds. “Wherever they are, we pick them up.”

To this end, TAP has worked with USO Alaska to create a networking night once each quarter for military members

in transition. Business managers and owners are invited to meet prospective job candidates in a social environment, and Rydesky says that the program has been very popular for participants on both sides of the career divide.

“The networking night provides a more comfortable atmosphere for the transitioner to hold a conversation with job providers before the words ‘résumé,’ ‘job,’ and ‘interview’ even start to come up,” she says. “It gives business owners a chance to meet-and-greet and get a sense of the person before having a job they need to fill and determining if that person can do the job.”

Placed with Partners Transition assistance intensified in 2011 with the launch of SkillBridge. The program provides the chance for onthe-job training, job shadowing, specific industry training, apprenticeships, and internships in civilian workplaces during the last 180 days before discharge from the military. This is especially helpful to those going into the trades, as they can earn certifications before leaving the service.

Perry, the experience is a bridge into civilian helicopter repair, and Cooper secured a job maintaining C-130 cargo planes at the US Navy's Fleet

“The program Troops for Transportation, for example, enables service members to get training to earn a CDL or any types of HAZMAT certifications they need,” says Hopkins. “It also serves as a pipeline to employers, bringing in carrier partners like Swift and Schneider who might hire from the graduating class. In the BMW MSTEP [Military Service Technical Education Program], Universal Technical Institute does all the training and BMW recruits from the graduating class.”

The program is not just open to veterans pursuing trade careers, though. Servicemen and women can find positions in a wide variety of fields, including healthcare, information technology (IT), accounting, project management, operations and logistics, content creation, ministry, music, and therapy and couns eling, among others.

A handful of TSMs even learned the fine art of brewing thanks to placements with Zip Kombucha in Anchorage.

“While people often think that the military equals the trades, many TSMs have extensive experience in upper management, international relations, policy, finance, strategic planning, and more,” says Rydesky.

According to Hopkins, it’s a fairly simple process for both companies and military members who want to participate in SkillBridge to apply. The US Department of Defense has thousands of pre-approved companies on its SkillBridge website, where servicemembers can look for a specific type of job, or even search by location.

If the company has not been preapproved, a service member can reach out to express interest and refer the company to the SkillBridge program.

“For example, someone serving in the Army’s Human Resources Department could reach out to a potential employer like Arctic Slope Regional Corporation to see if they’d be willing to offer an internship,” says Hopkins.

In February, the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) officially became a SkillBridge partner. Service members can apply for DOLWD internship positions on the SkillBridge website by searching for “State of Alaska.”

DOLWD Commissioner-Designee Catherine Muñoz says, “I encourage Alaska’s industries to consider starting their own SkillBridge program.” She adds that the department is available to assist business applying with SkillBridge.

Positive Outcomes

Once an agreement for an internship, on-the-job training, or job shadowing is reached, the company signs a legal document agreeing to stipulations that include that the service member won’t work more for forty hours a week and that the job requires no outof-pocket costs. The company also can’t use the SkillBridge participant to replace a paid employee.

The biggest advantage to the employer is that there is no cost to them, other than the time it takes to train the service member. SkillBridge participants are on

nonchargeable administrative leave and are still receiving a military paycheck during that time.

“The company is not doing anything inappropriate from a human resources angle, and as the owner of a small company myself, I think it’s exciting to work with someone who is serious about working with me with the added benefit that it doesn’t adversely affect my bottom line,” says Rydesky.

According to Hopkins, the ideal outcome is that the service member completes the internship and is then offered a job by that company. In this regard, the program has been a success. In 2019, the Department of Defense reported an 85 percent hire rate, up from 83 percent the year before. The veteran unemployment rate in 2019 was 3.2 percent, according to the US Department of Labor, down from 9.9 percent in 2011 when the Skillbridge program was first authorized by Congress.

“In talking to business owners and TSMs who have been through the program at JBER [Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson], I’ve received a very high rate of positive feedback,” says Rydesky. In most cases, the company offers a position at the end of the internship, but if the participant ends up somewhere else, that could be part of the plan.

“Sometimes a service member does an internship for reasons other than to go to work for that company,” Rydesky adds. “They might want to experience a similar position in a different industry or gain some

Inside a V-22 Osprey, US Marine Corps Sergeant Darehle Perry (left) and Joseph Cooper, a US Coast Guard veteran, inspect wiring while earning internship credit with SkillBridge. For

Readiness Center East in North Carolina.

Kimberly Koonce | DVIDS

broader knowledge before going to work for a company that they’ve targeted beforehand. The person might als o want to relocate.”

People Who Show Up

Hiring a veteran can benefit a business looking for the right type of employee.

“Service members bring unteachable skills to the job, like respect, courtesy, and adaptability,” says Hopkins. “They also understand the importance of wearing the proper attire, using safety gear, and being on time.”

Rydesky believes military experience imparts a “missing component” for veterans entering the civilian workforce. “They are the people who show up,” she says. “They keep their word. They are fully committed when on the job, and they don’t stop until the job is done.”

As an example, Rydesky cites a recent exchange she had with a human resources recruiter. “She had four interviews planned, which requires a certain amount of resources, money, and time,” she recalls. “Not one of the four civilians showed up. They ghosted

the company. Service members are shocked when I tell them this happens!”

She adds that, while not everyone is the same, there is a much higher likelihood that an employee with a military background has internalized the values of doing a job fully, which means being there, doing the job without distraction, and getting the job done.

Crying Out for Personnel

This type of commitment is especially important in Alaska, where job openings far outnumber applicants. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Alaska’s job openings rate was 7.6 percent as of September 2023, compared to a national average of 5.7 percent.

“We’re not even talking about jobs that require technical backgrounds. No matter what the job is, from technology to IT to healthcare to restaurant cooks and Slope workers, business owners are lamenting the lack of the quality component that assures them that a new employee is going to do the job,” says Rydesky. “Businesses are crying out for good personnel.”

In addition to finding the right fit for their businesses, Rydesky says companies benefit from service members talking to others about their transition experience. If other service members are interested, they can be introduced to the owner by the person completing the internship.

“That service member is no longer an anonymous applicant, which is what the computerized method of hiring has turned us into,” says Rydesky.

While many companies and servicemen and women are taking advantage of SkillBridge and other resources, Rydesky says many more could benefit.

“It grieves me that we’ve got this gap between jobs and the workforce to fill those jobs, which affects the growth of our local and state economies,” she says. “Here is a program that is a lowrisk opportunity to fill that gap for businesses small and large. We have companies in need and people who have been trained for years coming out into the workforce, and we need to match them up.”

Leading the Charge Electrical engineers on the design circuit

By Rachael Kvapil

El ectrical systems rarely receive the same attention as the showier parts of engineering. Not only are wires hidden within walls, but the current they carry, unlike water in pipes, is invisible. It’s easy to think of electrical designs in terms of lights and outlets; however, the field has grown to encompass advancing technologies used for safety, productivity, and a healthier environment.

Security

Jeremy Maxie, associate principal electrical engineer for RSA Engineering, says he has probably worked in every Anchorage school and every correctional facility in the state. Security is a major component of the company's electrical engineering and consulting division—along with lighting, power, telecommunications, fire alarms, and audio-video systems. RSA Engineering is a design service company primarily focusing on mechanical, electrical, and site investigation services statewide, in the Lower 48, and even in Antarctica.

“Our goal with security is to keep people in and out of areas based on the needs of our clients,” says Maxie.

Beyond prisons, Maxie says security is a concern for all industries. His team has developed designs ranging from

complex systems for correction facilities and schools to simpler systems for small retail shops. He says a good system design addresses three main areas: access control, intrusion detection, and video surveillance.

Access control is how a person gains entry and exits a locked area. For years, people used physical keys to unlock doors, cabinets, gates, et cetera. However, Maxie says the big drawback to a lock and key system is the need to completely replace all the locks and keys when an employee leaves or a key is lost. New electronic systems allow people to gain access using a fob or card reader, which can easily be modified from a central location without changing the hardware at every access point.

When it comes to intrusion detection, Maxie says there are several options when a building is unoccupied, including burglar alarms on doorways, glass break sensors for windows, and motion detectors. Clients must also decide how they want the system to react if it detects an intruder. Do they want an audible or silent alarm?

Who should the system alert? And what other actions should it trigger?

The final component, video surveillance, is a growing aspect of security designs. Though people have attempted to integrate video into their security systems for years, Maxie says it isn’t until recently that cameras have advanced enough to make a real difference.

“Older cameras were clunky, analog systems that ran through co-ax cable and produced poor blurry images,” says Maxie. “Today, video surveillance is more intelligent. The images are clear enough to look for weapons, identify faces, and monitor places in real time. It’s allowed us to be more proactive instead of reactive.”

However, more advanced cameras don’t remove the human factor. Maxie says a single person can’t monitor thirty cameras simultaneously and expect to catch everything. This is where advanced system designs come

into play, integrating hardware and software. While systems are not 100 percent perfect, Maxie says their ability to prevent problems is better now than when the only choice was to deal with things after an incident occurred.

When designing a security system, RSA Engineering considers two main aspects: what hardware is needed and where to place it. This requires an indepth assessment of protocols and daily operations, the occupants, the security systems' goals, and the hardware and installation budget. Electrical engineers also need to consider emergency scenarios where occupants are relocated to a safe area that locks out intruders or occupants are fully evacuated off the premises.

Maxie frequently speaks with schoolage children about his work as part of educational outreach. Inevitably, the discussion veers toward how security is portrayed in movies and TV. The two most common scenarios that kids ask about are when someone cuts the electricity to a prison and convicts escape or someone holds a lighter to a sprinkler to set off the

entire system as part of a distraction. Maxie says both scenarios are falsely depicted. Fail-safe magnetic locks that need electricity will unlock in a power outage, but prisons use fail-secure locks, which use electricity to hold a door open. In a power outage, prison doors remain locked, and authorized personnel must use an alternative method to unlock them.

As for sprinklers, Maxie clarifies that most only release water specifically where the system detects a fire hazard, so a whole floor wouldn’t be drenched.

Infrastructure

Electrical engineers are the backbone of many infrastructure designs. Nicholai Smith, principal electrical engineer at Coffman Engineers, says his team delivers innovating solutions by remaining flexible and creative to meet project goals effectively. Depending on the project, electrical engineers at Coffman Engineers can either support a team or lead one.

In a multidisciplinary project, electrical engineers work with their counterparts to design systems that result in proper

illumination, controls, automation, communication, and security. Smith describes these as projects where electrical systems are essential but not the main purpose. When electrical engineers lead a team, this is for a project where electrical design is the primary purpose, such as power generation, distribution systems, sensor controls, and new communication lines.

“Those projects where electrical engineers lead are generally more infrastructure related,” says Smith. “A quarter to a third of our projects focus more on electrical engineering designs.”

Electrical engineers from Coffman have played a significant role, for example, in replacing shipping pumps on North Slope pipelines. Shipping pumps transport drilling fluids to the suction tank and produced fluids to the storage facility. Smith says much of the original infrastructure on that project was aging out, and the entire offstream electrical source needed to be replaced. Coffman Engineers upgraded the system to a 25,000-volt feeder motor control center that provided 600 horsepower to the pumps.

Smith says electrical engineering projects run the gamut. For instance, a project in Cook Inlet required an electrical connection for a mobile drilling rig using cabling that weighed ten pounds per linear foot. Coffman Engineers worked with the client to design a custom spooling unit for better cable management.

Electrical engineers have also worked with clients on partial inline testing to identify the health of a cable and predict failure rates within five years. Other services include preliminary investigation, feasibility studies, load and energy studies, project design, construction drawings, specifications, construction observations, systems commissioning, and outgoing consultation.

“Our level of involvement in a project depends on if a facility already has an electrical system in place,” says Smith. “If it does, we mainly focus on providing electrical services for our other disciplines. If electrical service is sparse or doesn’t exist, then we have a heavy involvement in building what is needed to make that happen.”

Smith says projects in emerging fields like liquified natural gas can present challenges when industry practices are not fully mature. Coffman Engineers worked with liquified natural gas facilities for many years before industry standards were developed, thus many older designs are being updated. Smith says work in emerging fields is a matter of correctly modeling the electrical and mechanical components for proper power load and then developing a load shed system that keeps a facility operating when power generation is in high demand.

Sustainability

Elizabeth Johnston, lead electrical engineer for Design Alaska, says few people recognize the electrical engineering contained within a particular facility. Even she rarely categorizes a design as extremely noteworthy; electrical engineering is just something her team does.

However, Design Alaska’s electrical engineering department regularly applies its experience in all phases of design, including high- and low-voltage

distribution, interior and exterior lighting, interior power distribution systems, fire alarms, security, and building communication systems.

“Electrical Engineers make the building fun,” says Johnston. “Architects make the building look good; structural engineers make it stand up. Electrical engineers power it, illuminate it with functional and sometimes decorative lighting, and connect it to communications systems.”

One example is the renovation at Fairbanks City Hall for a childcare facility. Although the building was once an elementary school, the facility's age is not ideal for classroom-age children. The space on the first floor needed additional restrooms, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, and improved steam heating. From an electrical engineering standpoint, the design deals with rewiring for dimmable lighting, installing tamper-proof outlets, and addressing fire hazards.

“In projects more architectural in nature, electrical engineers are the last discipline to provide project input,” says Johnston. Alaska

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However, buildings with a sustainability component require a different level of electrical design.

Sustainability is vital for the Eielson Visitor Center in Denali National Park and Preserve. Located 66 miles inside the park, the National Park Service in 2008 built a modern, low-profile building that blends with the landscape. Entirely off the grid, the visitor center relies heavily on renewable energy. Solar panels were integrated into the roof, and later a solar water heater and a small hydroelectric system were installed.

Johnston says the solar system is aging, and some panels are detaching due to snow shedding from the roof. Denali Park sees an average of 100 inches of snow annually, so keeping panels clean is challenging. To tackle these issues, electrical engineers designed a more robust, efficient system that fit the low-level profile of the visitor center.

“There is plenty of space to put solar panels,” says Johnston. “We could put them near the building, but it's preferable for people to see

nature and mountains rather than solar panels. Integrating them into the roof meant not all the panels were facing an ideal direction and were difficult to maintain without ad ditional equipment.”

In the end, electrical engineers worked with a structural engineer to figure out how to attach panels to the side of the building. Johnston says that’s the benefit of working as a team: a single person isn’t responsible for developing all the solutions.

Though no electrical engineer can predict the future of systems design, each has their own ideas of where it might be headed. Maxie expects video surveillance to continue to play an increasing role in security. Smith says automation and cybersecurity will continue to influence the development of infrastructure. And Johnston says technologies like 3D mapping and drone aircraft will allow electrical engineers to accurately model spaces where they create new designs.

Design Alaska

Streamlining the Waste Stream

Anchorage’s new central transfer station

By Terri Marshall

In Anchorage, solid waste ends up at the regional landfill off Hiland Road. This includes ash and grit from the wastewater treatment plant as well as industrial and household refuse. Rather than drive to Eagle River, though, commercial haulers and individuals have the option of dumping in Midtown.

The city-owned Solid Waste Services (SWS) maintains a Central Transfer Station off Old Seward Highway, between International Airport

Road and Dowling Road. The exact address flipped to the other side of East 56th Avenue last fall with the completion of a replacement facility. Opened September 8, 2023, the Central Transfer Station is expected to extend the life of the Anchorage Regional Landfill from approximately 2065 until 2085.

"Anchorage’s former transfer station was built in the 1970s when the city’s population was roughly half of what it is today,” says Kelli Toth, acting

director of SWS. “The former facility also needed some safety upgrades, et cetera, so instead of retrofitting and cramming more into a smaller space— which wasn’t a viable solution—a new station was constructed.”

The new SWS Central Transfer Station provides additional space for processing refuse as well as more systems for diverting waste away from the dump. The $114 million edifice is a tool for extending the useful life of the landfill by an extra twenty years.

Waste transfer stations are where collected trash is temporarily held and sorted before being taken to a permanent repository. Residents and businesses may also bring hazardous waste and other solid waste to designated locations for special processing.

Transfer stations often operate hand-in-hand with material recovery facilities, which allows them to remove recyclable items from the waste stream. Depending on the type of waste, the items will potentially land at one of the following locations: landfill, incinerator or other wasteto-energy plants, hazardous waste facility, or a recycling center for shipme nt to a reprocessor.

Efficiently designed transfer stations feature a tunnel or drivethrough area below the tipping floor. Transfer trucks drive into the tunnel, and after the garbage is tipped out, heavy front-end loaders push the garbage into the trucks. This saves money on transportation costs and

Ken Graham | Davis Constructors & Engineers

eliminates excessive truck traffic through the community.

Design Considerations

The Central Transfer Station covers 26 acres and includes space for SWS administrative offices, residential and commercial waste disposal, and fleet operation. The architect and engineering firm of Tetra Tech was chosen to develop the design.

Tetra Tech designs specialized materials recovery facilities for municipal, commercial, and industrial clients that transfer, transport, and process various solid waste and material types. Leveraging the combined experience on more than 225 recycling, material recovery, cocomposting, transfer, and maintenance projects, Tetra Tech began by considering the unique challenges in the Municipality of Anchorage.

Of note, the Anchorage facility was developed on a geotechnically challenged parcel which required surcharging before the start of construction. Other things taken

into consideration during the design process were the high volume of commercial and residential users the Anchorage transfer station supports by providing a one-stop solution for waste. Facility planning included site feasibility and fatal flaw analysis, site review and selection, concept site layout and operations plans, concept building, equipment layout and operations plans, and financial and operational analyses.

Construction Phase

Anchorage-based Davis Constructors & Engineers was chosen to build the site’s seven buildings and 97,000-square-foot threelevel tipping facility.

“We were brought into the Central Transfer Station project before the design was completed to provide pricing and schedule projections, shape the campus, and address the size of the buildings,” says Jed Shandy, project manager at Davis Constructors & Engineers. “One of the initial challenges for this and every large campus project is budgeting. For this project, we were

able to use three pre-engineered metal buildings, which are manufactured and assembled quickly, leading to significant savings.”

Additional design innovations and material selections further aided in reducing costs. Notably, among the pre-engineered metal buildings, one is the largest clear span in Alaska and likely the largest nationwide. Preengineered clear-span steel buildings are self-supporting, keeping the area between the outside columns clear of obstructions.

By incorporating insulated metal panels for thermal resistance and maintaining stable indoor temperatures, capstone microturbines that convert a high percentage of fuel into electricity, solar panels, and electrical charging stations, Davis Constructors ensured that the Central Transfer Station was more sustainable.

Controlling garbage smells is always a concern, as well. “We put in fans on the roof of the tipping floors that feature six air changes per hour, which push the trash smell up into the atmosphere and

Few pre-engineered metal buildings anywhere in the world have a span as wide as the roof over the tipping floor at Anchorage's new Central Transfer Station.

Ken Graham | Davis Constructors & Engineers

away from areas where residents would smell it,” says Shandy.

With an additional focus on user friendliness for Anchorage residents and collection agencies, the new facility accommodates SWS collection vehicles, third-party commercial collection vehicles, contractor vehicles, and private sector vehicles to provide convenient waste management for solid waste, recyclable materials, household hazardous waste, and white goods (i.e., household appliances) with a strong emphasis on material diversion and reuse options.

Davis Constructors recently received two Parker, Smith and Feek Excellence in Construction Awards in recognition of the firm’s work on the SWS Central Transfer Station for Meeting the Challenge of a Job Over $15 Million –Vertical Building and Sustainability.

Benefits to Residents

For the new facility, one goal was to make diversion of materials more convenient than ever. The traffic pattern design separates the users and results in less wait time for everyone. Residential, commercial, and household hazardous waste for reuse, metal appliances recycling, and repurposing each have a designated entrance and exit. For those arriving at the Central Transfer Station to pay a bill, speak with customer service, or check out the observation deck overlooking the tipping floor, a separate entrance is also provided.

For residential drop-offs—including recycling, compost, and garbage— the process is fast and simple. Enter through the residential entrance and follow the road to the drop-off point. Carts designated for composting and recycling will be in place for drop off. Then toss garbage over the public wall onto the tipping floor.

At the public wall, comingled recyclables such as cardboard, paper, steel cans, aluminum cans, and #1 and #2 plastic bottles are accepted. Composting (kitchen scraps only) is accepted through October. The compost will be collected and sent to a farm in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

Additional Services

For household hazardous waste, things have really improved. The

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original station used a World War II train car as the collection office for these items. Today, residents pull under a carport and wait for the attendant to help dispose of their household hazardous waste, much like a full-service gas station.

Household hazardous waste includes metal appliances like stoves, water heaters, washers, dryers, scrap metal, and refrigerators that may contain chemicals that must be removed before recycling. Note that refrigerators must be empty of food, naturally, and the doors must be removed prior to drop-off. The household hazardous waste drop-off is easily accessible from the residential entrance, with as little fuss as possible.

The Central Transfer Station also features a Reuse Station. Toth says, “People often bring items like household cleaning products, paint, epoxy, motor oil, and others that aren’t empty. They just drop them off to get them out from under the sink, out of the shed, or out of the garage.”

If the containers are in good condition, they are placed on a shelf and Anchorage residents can come in

and pick up whatever they need. “It’s Anchorage’s best-kept secret, and we need to do a better job letting people know about this free resource,” says Toth. Residents can bring up to forty pounds of materials per household per day to the reuse station without being charged a drop-off fee. Picking up materials from the Reuse Station is also free.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Construction of new landfills requires extensive planning and comes at a price tag in the millions. Finding the land to construct new landfills presents additional problems. Yet no landfill lasts forever.

The United States produces an estimated 268 million tons of waste each year, with a projected 140 million tons going into landfills. Reducing waste helps extend the life of landfills, postponing the hassle of building a new one.

Using products more than once saves money and reduces the use of the resources needed to produce new products. And recycling has been steadily gaining momentum in

Alaska for decades. Most communities throughout the state have some form of recycling program. For example, Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling works with cargo shippers to backhaul recyclables at an affordable rate so the exported material can be sold in the Lower 48.

The team at SWS is continuing efforts to improve the environment. “We’re working on establishing a pilot commercial organics collections program,” explains Toth. “We have several breweries, coffee roasters, and other organic generators in Anchorage that we are working with to determine ways to dispose of the organics without adding them to the landfill, where greenhouse gas emissions from these organics cause additional environmental problems.”

The new transfer station creates the capacity at the former site across the street to handle organics—that is, if this SWS initiative is accepted and supported by stakeholders.

Toth says, “It is exciting to see so many local businesses actively seeking disposal alternatives, and we are excited to see how the pilot works.”

The construction of the new Central Transfer Station frees up the old station across 56th Avenue to convert into a Materials Recovery Facility, diverting organics and possibly plastics from the landfill as early as this year.

Graham | Davis Constructors & Engineers

Delivering high-quality engineering and industrial hygiene solutions

For NORTECH, Inc. , the phrase “Engineering Solutions to Keep Alaska Beautiful and Alaskans Safe” is more than just a slogan. This embodies the essence of the value the firm generates throughout the state. NORTECH, Inc. provides environmental engineering, industrial hygiene, and hazardous materials management solutions that help organizations maintain functional, safe, and healthy conditions.

NORTECH, Inc. has been serving public- and privatesector clients since 1979, when it was originally founded by John Hargesheimer, PE, CIH, currently a senior consultant. Led today by Peter Beardsley, PE, and Jason Ginter, PMP, the company has offices in Fairbanks, Juneau, and Anchorage and a multidisciplinary staff fulfilling its mission: “providing the highest-quality environmental engineering and industrial hygiene solutions.”

FOCUS ON POLLUTION PREVENTION

While environmental remediation is a core service, NORTECH, Inc. also focuses on helping clients avoid expensive, catastrophic spills. Its certified

tank inspectors provide a broad range of pollution prevention services. “We can develop plans for tank replacement and provide professional services that support the continued storage of petroleum products at commercial facilities,” says Beardsley, the Principal-inCharge of NORTECH, Inc.

The professional engineers and certified industrial hygienists at NORTECH, Inc. excel at translating complex technical information into understandable concepts for multiple audiences. They also customize innovative solutions for challenging projects. For example, in Juneau, the firm used a robotic system to inspect diesel tanks, avoiding the need to have them drained and cleaned first.

As another inventive project, NORTECH, Inc. assisted the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement with revising its spill-cleanup models. This data—which had not been updated since the ‘90s—is crucial for pollution prevention planning. “We researched most of the major contingency plans on the North Slope and interviewed many of the long-term operators and agencies,” Beardsley explains. "We reviewed the

state and federal clean up guidance documents and assembled that into a webbased calculator.”

ENHANCING CLIENT SOLUTIONS

NORTECH ’s professional team includes environmental and civil engineers, chemists, industrial hygienists, and environmental specialists who collaborate to ensure clients receive cost-effective and sustainable solutions. Having decades of experience with projects in more than 200 communities, they understand the challenges of Alaska’s environment and are well qualified to meet clients’ project needs and evolving regulatory requirements. “We focus on always trying to increase our institutional knowledge and develop instate talent so that we can be a strong presence in the environmental engineering field,” says Haley Michael,

PE, who manages the firm’s Anchorage office.

Recently, NORTECH, Inc. remodeled the Anchorage office to enhance its capabilities. The renovation allows staff to manage equipment and collaborate more effectively, improving workflow and efficiency. “It will make the office more functional so that we can service our clients better,” Michael says.

Throughout Alaska, NORTECH ’s clients can count on receiving pragmatic outcomes derived from diverse expertise and perspectives. “In each of the areas that NORTECH, Inc. does business, we bring engineering experience that provides professional interpretation and insight,” Beardsley says. “This results in the highest quality solutions.”

In the end, the value is in more than just technical analysis; it’s in safeguarding Alaska’s beauty and its people.

Put on a Pretty Face

Anchorage’s Great Streets

Façade

Improvement Loan Program

By Katie Pesznecker

Se cret shoppers scouted Anchorage in the winter and summer of 2022. Posing as tourists or prospective residents, they evaluated the city for its attractions, amenities, ease of movement, and customer service.

Arizona-based consulting firm Roger Brooks International compiled the findings as the Anchorage Destination Assessment. The clandestine visitors had plenty of suggestions for improvement. The report included recommendations for better signage, more logical traffic patterns, and general municipal beautification.

To implement the recommendations, Mayor Dave Bronson empaneled the Project Anchorage Task Force. The group assigned priorities to changes that could be made right away. One of those low-hanging fruits is the Great Streets Façade Improvement Loan Program, now concluding its first year.

“That was what the façade program sprung out of,” says Mike Robbins, executive director of the Anchorage Community Development Authority (ACDA). “We latched on and said, ‘We can do this.’ We felt it was really important for Downtown that we add some dimension and help the small businesses downtown revitalize themselves. Our mission is to create economic activity. That’s our job.”

The concept is relatively straightforward: a more visually interesting, vibrant, welcoming city creates an atmosphere beloved by residents and tourists alike, and the economy will be better off as a result

“When you look down your streets, you shouldn’t see flat buildings,” says Robbins. “You should see character. You should see dimension. And one way to do that is to improve the façades of businesses. The idea was [that] we know if we can make Anchorage a more appealing place for the people who live here, it will be more appealing to people who visit.”

ACDA, a municipal corporation, partnered with the Small Businesses Development Center at UAA to facilitate the Great Streets Façade program. It provides low-interest loans up to $25,000 to improve the appearance of building façades, with the goal of further stimulating private investment. Examples of qualifying work include exterior painting, re-siding, professional cleaning,

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A pink eyesore when it was known as the McKay Building, the renovation of the McKinley Tower Apartments overcompensated into blandness. The owner plans to jazz up the exterior with some art.

restoration of exterior finishes, window and door repair or replacement, and installation or repair of exterior signage and lighting.

ACDA has focused a great deal of its energy on Downtown over the years, so including the city’s central business district in this project was “a no-brainer,” Robbins says, but the program has a wider scope. “Downtown is important, but so is the rest of Anchorage. The mayor wanted us to not lose focus on Downtown but add focus to the rest of the city.”

Thus, ACDA cast a wider net to also include businesses in Midtown and Muldoon. Robbins says Muldoon is a visible and important “in-between corridor. You come right off the highway and people zoom through it.” But visually, its main thoroughfare hasn’t changed much in years, if not decades.

Midtown has also emerged as an important economic area, with an eclectic vibrancy and many small, privately owned businesses, Robbins says. But, like Muldoon, it is also a static area in parts, with older, flat building fronts that could use sprucing up.

Loan Terms

Through the Great Streets Façade Improvement Loan Program, a business owner can borrow up to $25,000 per unit at 5 percent interest and has up to sixty months (or five years) of low monthly payments. A building owner may borrow up to $100,000 per unit under the same terms.

Business and building owners can combine funding to perform intended façade improvements. Program participants receive 75 percent of the loan up front, and the remaining 25 percent is paid when the project is complete.

A business property cannot have any open permits, and a qualifying business must be operating for at least two years, be a federally legal business (sorry, cannabis shops), and be in a commercial building.

Qualifying work includes painting, siding, masonry repairs and tucks, canopy or awning installation or repair, and removal of barriers to access the building from outside for people with disabilities.

“One of the neat things about the program is we also pay for design time,” Robbins says. “If you own a small business in one of these areas and you’d like to refresh your business or building and don’t quite know what to do, we pay for the first couple hours with the designer to get that process started. You can use your approved loan to pay for design time to finish the project if you want to. We have a list of designers who agreed to donate some time.”

Also covered under the loan program are exterior lighting, signage installation and repair, living or “green façade” walls, and murals.

“We’re really proud of that one,” Robbins says. “They basically took a warehouse and they lit the whole side of it with birch trees. The artist from Girdwood designed it—it’s fantastic!”

Other work supported by the program that is forthcoming includes funding for a total exterior overhaul at a combined bingo and daycare facility at Arctic Boulevard and Northern Lights.

“They haven’t finished design, and we haven’t finalized it, but they will basically be redoing the whole façade,” Robbins says. “Our funding spurred them to spend their money on the work. When they submitted their application, they said, ‘You were the catalyst that pushed this over for us and made us say, let’s do this.’”

Because the loan program started late in 2023, the only project finished before winter was the mural on Silverado Way.

Murals are one of the easier pieces of work to design and install, Robbins says. A project in development is planned for one of Downtown’s most iconic structures, the McKinley Tower Apartments, long known as the McKay Building, a historic highrise on East Fourth Avenue designed in 1950. Notoriously pink until it was refurbished in 1998, the fourteen-story building has sported a more humdrum exterior since then.

“Can you imagine that?” Robbins says. “I’m not saying the McKay Building isn’t a great building, but it’s been the same color for a long time, and the owner is going to put this art on the side of the building that’s going to be incredible.”

Completed and Planned

The first project under the program was recently completed in Midtown at a warehouse on Silverado Way, facing C Street, just north of Dowling Road, that is owned by Zelener Group.

What was a drab, tan exterior wall of a blocky warehouse was transformed by a paneled mural by Girdwood artist Dawn Gerety. Warm tones of red, tangerine, peach, and olive reveal a creative display of birch trees, with a stunning backlit presentation after sunset.

Another planned mural would display the Chugach Range on the old Roscoe’s Catfish and Barbecue on Sixth Avenue. “That whole side will be an artist rendering," Robbins says. "Very contemporary and cool.”

Robbins notes that some downtown bars are seeking funding for exterior improvements that “make the building not feel so blank. We’re pretty excited about it. I think you’ll start to see those improvements as we roll into the spring.”

Proposed mural on Sixth Avenue.

Anchorage Community Development Authority

Anchorage Community Development Authority

Keeping Up with the Neighbors

Program guidelines have been updated since its inception to increase the potential loan amounts.

“Our goal was to push the money out,” Robbins says. “After talking to people who applied, we realized [that] if we increase the size of the loans, the money would get pushed out sooner.”

ACDA anticipates a flurry of activity this spring, with more loan applications and more funded projects coming to fruition.

Originally, ACDA and UAA both contributed $500,000 for a combined loan pool of $1 million. After the first round of loans are disbursed, both entities are prepared to contribute $1 million more to double the potential impact, Robbins says.

“The funding at that point will start to be self-sustaining because as the loans get paid back, we can reinvest it in the program so more people can take advantage of it,” he says.

Another regenerative aspect is that, as businesses improve themselves, they motivate neighbors to do the same.

“As you fix up one business in the area, what always happens is that ‘keeping up with the Joneses,’” Robbins says. “You don’t want that business to look good and yours to look marginal next to it. People will say, ‘Wow, that looks great,’ and talk and develop that momentum. Our job at ACDA is to cause action and stimulate. The small business owners are the backbone of our economy, and we need to make sure they get the support they need.”

Virtuous Cycle

The Great Streets Façade Improvement Loan Program promises a double benefit because, while it allows business and property owners to beautify their properties, it also creates work opportunities for trades and artists. Funds are selfgenerated, too, Robbins says. ACDA receives dollars from its downtown parking revenue and reinvests those funds in the community.

“Not only does this generate jobs, it stimulates business, and it makes people feel better about Anchorage because businesses are fixing themselves up,” he says. “When you go into a city with activity, you feel

good about it. Roger Brooks said [to] focus on the people who live here, not the people who want to come here, because if the people who live here enjoy Anchorage, the people who come here will enjoy Anchorage.”

The cyclical and constant practice of revitalizing Anchorage is ACDA’s mission. While the Great Streets Façade Improvement Loan Program is just one project in play toward that effort, it’s a visible and important one, and a campaign that excites Robbins.

If it succeeds, he can enthusiastically express what that looks like down the road.

“It looks like several million dollars invested, loaned, and paid back,” Robbins says. “It looks like help for small businesses in the city—maybe twentyfive or fifty building owners. I want to be able to drive down the street in Midtown, Muldoon, and Downtown and say, ‘Yes, that was one of our buildings, that was one of our businesses.’ That’s the vision for ten years from now.”

Powder Reserve West

Be fore Anchorage was a city, the Dena’ina Athabascan people called the area home. One of their eight local villages was Idlughet, situated near the glacier-fed Idluytnu river. Today, both the village and the river are named Eklutna.

The city grew up around the Eklutna people’s fish camps and hunting grounds. The unification of the Greater Anchorage Area Borough into a single municipality in 1975 tied the Eklutna village even closer to the city, one more link in a chain of suburbs along the Glenn Highway through Eagle River and Chugiak.

Eklutna, Inc. rescues

Anchorage housing with Eagle River development

By Alexandra Kay

A freeway interchange built near Fire Lake in the ‘90s surmounted the highway as a barrier to westward development. While a Fred Meyer supermarket opened at one side of the interchange, a residential subdivision sprouted across the highway, off a feeder street called Eklutna Park Drive. At the end of the street, the Eklutna village corporation, Eklutna, Inc., operates a gravel pit, just one of the many commercial ventures by Eklutna, Inc. as the largest landowner in Anchorage.

Among the village corporation’s more than 100,000 acres is undeveloped land on the opposite side of Eklutna Park Drive. The wooded tract overlooking Lower Fire Lake backs onto a subdivision near Chugiak High School. Eklutna has its eye on turning the property into the newest bedroom community in Eagle River.

But it couldn’t happen until a change of circumstances led to a mutually beneficial arrangement between Eklutna and city hall.

Amending the Settlement

In October 2023, Eklutna and the Municipality of Anchorage (MoA) signed an Amended Methane Gas Settlement Agreement. The amendment calls for Eklutna and MoA to work together to create a residential subdivision called Powder Reserve West. The plan calls for the development to be completed in phases, with the first phase including a minimum of twenty reside ntial housing units.

The original settlement agreement in 2017 involved a different tract of land referred to as Powder

Eklutna, Inc.

Reserve. The 2023 amendment was filed after Eklutna acquired a neighboring parcel of land from the Alaska Railroad in 2021.

“We just acquired the property about three years ago and have been talking about shifting focus to this new parcel so we could expand the footprint of the development to include more commercial and perhaps some public facilities and to look at reducing the cost to the public on water and sewer,” says Kyle Smith, director of land assets at Eklutna, Inc. “The municipality was going to have to spend more money to bring that facility online, but Powder Reserve West is a project where you have a lot of the infrastructure right next door, and it will allow both us and the municipality to move quicker."

Because the city-owned Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility has a role in installing new water and sewer infrastructure to reach the new homes, the 2017 agreement needed refinement.

Smith says, “The new, amended agreement puts the gates in place for us to hit as we go through the development process for Powder Reserve West.”

Treasure from Trash

Methane has nothing to do with the housing development, except as a sort of bargaining chip. The gas doesn’t come from the property; it’s a byproduct of garbage decomposition at the Anchorage Regional Landfill. The city sold landfill methane as fuel to Doyon Utilities, earning millions of dollars. Eklutna, it turns out, was entitled to a share of that bounty.

When the village corporation received its land conveyance through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Eklutna and the municipality struck the 1982 North Anchorage Land Agreement. Anchorage would split revenue earned from developments on “public interest land” 50-50 with Eklutna.

In 2013, Eklutna filed a lawsuit claiming that landfill methane was such a development. The suit was settled in January 2017 with MoA paying Eklutna $5.75 million, and some of the money was attached to the future development of the Powder Reserve residential subdivision, including of two housing projects.

In the settlement, Eklutna agreed to speed up construction on two housing

Operating

projects in the Eagle River area, Powder Acres and Powder Hills (the Powder Reserve residential subdivision). Once Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility completed the construction of water lines to the area, Eklutna had three years to complete the Powder Acres lots and five years to complete the Powder Hills lots. If Eklutna failed to complete the lots, it would have to pay $2 million back to the municipality and waive its rights to share revenue on 1,000 acres of MoA-designated land. Eklutna also released its claim to two other parcels of land in the agreement.

The Alaska Housing Spiral

According to a recent study by Anchorage consulting firm Agnew::Beck, Alaska needs an estimated 27,500 new housing units over the next decade, yet recent permitting covers barely one-fifth of that rate. In 2022, just 578 new housing units were authorized for construction statewide. Too few homes available make the remaining supply less affordable.

In 2022, rents in Alaska jumped by more than 7 percent on average,

the highest increase in more than a decade, according to MoA figures. And housing prices rose 43 percent from January 2020 to May 2023, “putting homeownership further out of reach.” Without places to live at affordable price points, workers are discouraged from moving to, or staying in, the state.

“Housing is tight, and we’re not able to bring it on quickly enough to attract talent and people who want to come to Anchorage, and it’s becoming a bigger concern,” says Smith. “Housing stock is dated and expensive, and it’s hard to find something that accommodates larger families.”

In a vicious spiral, a housing crunch feeds into a labor shortage, which is a further obstacle to finding enough construction workers to build more homes. That is, if Anchorage had enough prime locations to put them.

“Housing is one of the key parts of expanding our economy, and we [in Anchorage] don’t have a lot of land for that,” Smith says. “I think we’re one of the few communities that have lost population in the last few years. Housing is probably a part of that.”

By clearing up the methane revenue dispute, Eklutna is ready to move ahead with developing Anchorage’s largest subdivision in more than a decade, with hundreds of singlefamily homes. While the planning process just started, the project could equal nearly the entire city’s worth of new home construction each year. Thus, Powder Reserve West will help to alleviate at least some of the hous ing shortage stress.

Subdivision Vision

With the project in the permitting stage, Eklutna is currently preparing an application for rezoning the area. This includes pulling together a wetland delineation study, an economic viability report, and the Phase 1 environmental site assessment, according to Smith, who says the rezone plan will be presented to the local community council once it’s complete. “We’re paying engineers to pull together our concept of what the community will look like. This hasn’t been done in Anchorage f or a decade or two.”

Seen from a drone aircraft, the North Eagle River interchange with the Glenn Highway is in the upper left. The vantage point, looking southeast toward Mt. Gordon Lyon, is directly above the planned Powder Ridge West residential development.

Eklunta, Inc.

The rezone application needs to be submitted to MoA by mid-October of this year. Then, after the rezone is approved, Eklutna has a year to submit its plat for approval, laying out lot boundaries and street alignments.

“Once recorded, we can start building the subdivision,” says Smith, who notes that the specifics of the phases will be put together once Eklutna knows what’s been approved with zoning, but the goal is to move more quickly than the timelines laid out in the agreement.

“I would expect the first group of houses to be something similar to what we’ve done in the past, a residential subdivision of single-family homes. We have a lot of experience with that,” says Smith.

The master plan also calls for a slice of commercial development beside the southbound Glenn Highway off-ramp at North Eagle River. Depending on which tenants set up shop, residents could run some errands without crossing the highway, improving livability for the new neighborhood and for the subdivision south of Eklutna Park Lane.

Smith says, “We think there’s a fit for some commercial, as well, to make it more of a walkable community. People wouldn’t necessarily have to drive back into Eagle River to go to the grocery store or a restaurant, but analysis will tell us that.”

Funding for the development will come from a few different sources, says Smith, including the $2 million allocated by MoA as part of the settlement agreement. There will also be sewer improvements in the area, with money coming from the US Environmental Protection Agency. “The rest of the project will be selffunded by Eklutna and others as we get loans and use our own capital to build the single-family housing and then work with folks on commercial projects or multi-family housing in the future,” Smith says.

The Future Is North

“We really want to partner with the municipality and find solutions that really work best for the community and that have amenities for the community,” says Smith, who notes that the project

Ihas opportunities for trails and connections to nearby parklands the likes of which Anchorage hasn’t seen before. “But that’s really our preliminary vision, and we’re only four months into the planning.”

City hall is looking forward to the Powder Reserve development, too, as a way to boost the fortunes of all of Anchorage. "We need more housing now," says a statement from Mayor Dave Bronson's office. "The amended methane gas settlement agreement will bring over 1,100 housing lots to the market in Eagle River."

Smith believes Eklutna is a big part of Anchorage’s future. “We’ve been talking about Eklutna being the key to housing and revitalization in Anchorage, and if we do it correctly, it could connect into our Powder Reserve area as well,” says Smith. “It could be bigger. Beyond that, we have thousands of acres for potential residential, commercial, and industrial development throughout northern Anchorage, and we really feel that where Anchorage goes with development really is to the north.”

It’s All in Your Hands

don’t think I’m going out on a limb when I say print is here to stay. I’ll admit that I may be a little biased because I am fortunate to work for the best B2B print publication in Alaska. Some of you may be reading this in our exceptional digital edition (digital. akbizmag.com), but many of you are holding our physical, print magazine in your hands to browse this issue.

Combining print magazine advertising with digital options is powerful, and research shows it. Alaska Business continues to evolve, offering creative ways for clients to target their message through a combination of print advertising, responsive digital ads, Spotlight Digital Profiles (akbizmag.com/spotlights/), the weekly Monitor, (digital.akbizmag. com/media-kit-2024/#newsletters) and Industry (akbizmag.com/industry/) banner ads on our website. We also have live event sponsorship opportunities and use social media to connect our readers with us, other businesses, and with you.

According to Top Media Advertising, getting high-quality print design in front of

the right audience will do much more than plastering your social feeds with content.

• Combining magazine advertising and digital ads will make online campaigns 400% more effective.

• With print advertising, you get a higher chance of undivided attention. You’re fighting for milliseconds of a fleeting impression in the digital world.

• Print advertising is a trusted way to boost brand recognizability and it can amp up the effectiveness of your digital campaign.

• A substantial benefit of magazine advertisements is that they offer a specifically targeted audience.

• Magazine advertisements allow for a spotlight on your product or service and have few limits on creativity.

Tonya Powers, Director of Marketing Production at Print Solutions, writes in Adweek that “print can play a strong role in any multichannel campaign. And in many cases,

it can outperform digital channels because, as recent research indicates, the human brain does a lot better with information that’s presented in a physical format.”

Ask your Alaska Business account manager to show you how to get your brand in front of our audience with our print and digital options. It’s all in your hands.

Christine Merki has worked in Anchorage media for more than twenty years. Her sales and marketing skills help clients connect with their target audience and meet their annual goals. She unapologetically lures clients in with her homemade raspberry jam and enjoys pickleball, hot yoga, and Pilates.

CHRISTINE MERKI

907-257-2911 | cmerki@akbizmag.com

Kodiak Marketplace

A new shopping center stimulates the city

By Mikel Insalaco

Op ting to replace the old with the new can profoundly impact the community's fabric. So it is with Kodiak, one of Alaska’s oldest cities, and a new shopping center. The transformation is driven by Kodiak Area Native Association (KANA), which is mainly responsible for healthcare on the archipelago. Through the new Kodiak Marketplace, KANA took a big leap into commercial real estate, a venture that is energizing the whole community through strategic redevelopment.

The structure that would become the Kodiak Marketplace was originally built after the 1964 earthquake as a Kraft Foods store. This development was significant for Kodiak, often likened by elders to "big city" advancements.

In the late ‘70s, Alaska Commercial Company acquired and remodeled the building, operating it until a decade ago. This location provided

essential grocery and food security and introduced significant advancements to the community, including a Burger King franchise that marked a notable evolution in the community's commercial landscape.

In 2014, KANA acquired the property with the aim of significantly contributing to the revitalization of downtown Kodiak while aligning with its overarching goals as a healthcare organization. The old building was demolished in 2021, clearing the property for an ambitious redevelopment.

The community's need for a centralized space that could act as a nucleus for social interaction, community engagement, and economic initiatives was apparent. Understanding the potential of such a space to greatly enhance the cohesion and vitality of the downtown area, KANA envisioned creating not just a place for

commerce but a hub for cultural and communal gatherings. This initiative was geared towards establishing a vibrant center that would foster a deep sense of belonging and unity among Kodiak residents.

Marketplace Objectives

Nearly a decade ago, upon acquiring the building that would evolve into the Kodiak Marketplace, KANA's objectives were straightforward: to create a central hub for community gatherings and to bolster local businesses. To realize this vision, KANA enlisted Nvision Architecture for the design and Cornerstone General Contractors for construction. Adjacent to the property during construction was Cornerstone's Kodiak office, placing the work constantly within its gaze.

Paul Baril, owner and principal architect at Nvision Architecture, led the

design

team. To serve the project’s broad objective, the building was made with small businesses and improved pedestrian navigation in mind.

of materials, textures, and colors used throughout the building was inspired by local context, the maritime environment of Kodiak, and the local cultural heritage of the Native people of the Koniag region,” Baril says.

The design also reflects deliberate efforts to honor Kodiak's rich maritime heritage, an element confidently integrated into the architectural design. “The overall design and the exploration

To evoke Kodiak's seafaring identity, Baril points to the ground-floor interior design. "The materials used on the firstlevel retail corridor were significantly influenced by maritime elements, with

one of

the main goals being to create a space that resembles a boardwalk or public pier, yet with a sophisticated flair,” he says. This led to the selection of rustic yet colorful materials for the storefronts and the incorporation of wooden piers wrapped with heavy nylon rope, as well as marine block and tackle under the open-air staircase. These elements serve not only as thematic decoration but also meet safety requirements.

From the beginning, the Marketplace's design seamlessly integrated with

the surrounding cityscape while boosting pedestrian connectivity. This led to the inclusion of a paved and partially covered alley within the marketplace's layout. This alley does more than just elevate the aesthetic appeal of the area; it serves a vital practical function by facilitating smooth and direct pedestrian movement across the block, effectively connecting busy shops to the picturesque harbor. Additionally, the Marketplace introduces a passthrough entrance and exit as part of the goal to improve pedestrian navigatio n and accessibility.

On the building’s balconies, visitors can sit on benches and look down at the St. Paul boat harbor.

These details mirror a larger commitment focused on community programming, positioning the Marketplace not only as a hub of commerce but also as a catalyst for enhanced pedestrian flow and social interaction.

A Place to Meet

Before the Kodiak Marketplace came into existence, the Kodiak community faced significant limitations due to the absence of a convention center or any traditional large-

scale meeting spaces. This gap in infrastructure restricted the ability to organize extensive gatherings, such as large-scale community dialogues or industry conferences or conventions, impeding opportunities for communal engagement and professional growth. To transcend these barriers, the venue is equipped with the latest audiovisual technology and has flexible capacity options to accommodate a diverse array of events and functions. This would, in turn, bolster the community's capacity to convene, exchange ideas, and foster col lective advancement.

One goal of the Marketplace is to provide local businesses with affordable and accessible retail spaces. The 63,000-square-foot building seeks to lower the hurdles for small businesses and startups, giving them a platform to expand.

One of the first businesses to announce that it would open in the Marketplace was Bearfoot Bakery. Before hanging a shingle at a mall storefront, co-owners Crystal and Chad Burnside had no retail shop, despite being in business for almost twenty years. The couple set up tables at farmers markets to sell bread, bagels, croissants, and donuts baked

in equipment that filled more than two rooms in their house.

The Marketplace aims to be instrumental in creating a dynamic, bustling hub that attracts more foot traffic to downtown Kodiak. This surge in visitors is expected to benefit not just the businesses operating within the Marketplace but also those in its vicinity, generating a beneficial ripple effect that bolsters the overall economic landscape.

Health and Heritage

Before its transformation, the lot that now houses the Kodiak Marketplace played a crucial role as a community health resource. In a novel collaboration between the US Department of Defense's Innovative Readiness Training program and KANA, the former grocery store was adapted to offer comprehensive healthcare services at no cost to the Kodiak community. This initiative, leveraging the building's downtown location, highlights the transition of the space from a commercial entity to a foundational element of community welfare.

Extending that earlier vision, the Kodiak Marketplace has transformed into a vibrant hub for showcasing

Cornerstone General Contractors preconstruction manager Justin McVaney (right) and senior project manager Jonathan Hornak (left) are seen discussing completed work with a carpenter.

Mikel Insalaco

indigenous artistry and traditions by hosting local artisans and cultural events. Incorporating amenities like the Alutiiq Museum's gift shop within the Marketplace underscores a commitment to preserving cultural heritage. By allocating spaces for indigenous artists, the Marketplace not only contributes to the local economy but also provides artists with an opportunity to share their heritage with a wider audience.

Feedback from the Kodiak community regarding the Marketplace has been positive, according to KANA staff.

“This building coming back and being an anchor seemed to be the revitalization of downtown that we’ve all been hoping for—it’s exceeded all expectations,” says The Islander Bookshop owner Melissa Haffeman, whose small business was one of the first tenants.

The Marketplace's success in hosting a comprehensive mix of services and spaces—from a conference center with meeting areas and offices for KANA and a post office to an array of shops and services catering to diverse interests—has solidified its status as a community hub. This multifaceted approach has not only supported local businesses but also enriched the lives of Kodiak's residents.

A partially covered alley serves as a pedestrian connection between Kodiak's waterfront and the indoor shopping center.

Mikel Insalaco

SAFETY CORNER

Emphasis Programs

Enforcement strategies by national and local safety offices

By Sean Dewalt

Re sources are limited for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforcement, so the agency has implemented National Emphasis Programs (NEPs) as a temporary focus on particular hazards and high-hazard industries. Existing and potential NEPs are evaluated using inspection data, injury and illness data, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports, peer-reviewed literature, analysis of inspection findings, and other available information sources.

At a more granular level, Local Emphasis Programs (LEPs) are enforcement strategies designed and implemented at the regional office and/ or area office levels. These programs are intended to address hazards or industries that pose a particular risk to workers in that office's jurisdiction. The emphasis programs may be implemented by a single area office or at the regional level (Regional Emphasis Programs) and applied to all area offices within the region. These LEPs are accompanied by outreach intended to

make employers in the area aware of the program as well as the hazards that the programs are designed to reduce or eliminate. This outreach may be in the form of informational mailings, training at local trade shows, or speeches at meetings of industry groups or labor organizations.

State Implements OSHA Programs

Since June 7, 2023, the Alaska Occupational Safety and Health (AKOSH) has adopted and implemented three new emphasis programs under its program directives.

That June NEP on falls (CPL 03-22025) was implemented “to ensure uniform implementation of the National Emphasis Program (NEP) to reduce or eliminate injuries and fatalities associated with falls while working at heights in all industries.” On September 22, 2023, AKOSH unveiled another NEP pertaining to warehousing, transportation warehousing, and distribution center operations; mail/ postal processing and distribution

centers; parcel delivery/courier services; and certain high injury rate retail establishments focused on “workplace hazards common to those industries, including powered industrial vehicle operations, material handling/storage, walking-working surfaces, means of egress, and fire protection.”

Eight days later, on September 30, 2023, an emphasis program to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses among Alaskan workers in the construction industry was implemented. This LEP focuses on the “hazards of fall from elevation, caught-in/between, struck-by, electrocution, exposure to crystalline silica, high noise, hazardous chemicals and ergonomics.” This directive applies to all construction worksites in Alaska that are under AKOSH jurisdiction.

There are currently ten AKOSH compliance safety and health officers in Alaska tasked with carrying out inspections for these newly implemented emphasis programs. Additionally, there are also ten AKOSH consultants. The Consultation

Sean Dewalt

and Training Section provides free and confidential assistance to help employers recognize, evaluate workplace hazards, and implement adequate controls. Separate from enforcement, consultants do not issue citations or penalties. This is a great way for companies to have safety professionals assist the business in reducing risk to workers without cost.

Construction Concentration

The latest numbers from Associated General Contractors states there are roughly 2,540 construction industry employers in Alaska that together employ more than 23,000 workers. Because of the nature of construction and associated hazards, advanced targeting of employers is not practical for AKOSH; therefore, the inspections will rely on AKOSH enforcement officers’ field observations, formal and non-formal complaints, and referrals from other outside sources. Due to the nature of many construction sites being highly visible, these jobsites are susceptible to an enforcement inspection with zero advance notice.

The construction industry accounts for 20 percent of worker deaths in America. The exposures that construction workers encounter on construction sites are well documented. OSHA has concentrated efforts of enforcement, outreach, and education on the “Focus Four” exposures in construction. These four areas of specific concern are falls, caught-in-between, struck by an object, and electrocution.

On construction jobsites, fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 395 of the 1,069 construction fatalities recorded in 2022. One way that companies can address falls from heights is to conduct a “Safety StandDown.” This is a planned work stoppage to have a safety meeting or another safety activity such as safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans, or discussing job-specific hazards. Managers are encouraged to plan a stand-down that works best for their workplace anytime. The annual OSHA “National Safety Stand Down To Prevent Falls in Construction” is May 6 - 10, 2024. Anyone can participate in these

proactive activities, and it is another good way to address hazards in the construction industry.

Electrocution hazards are sometimes invisible. Electrical hazards training for all affected employees should be conducted on-site prior to commencing work, and only qualified electrical professionals should perform electrical work. Grounding, accidental contact with energized lines, exposed panels, and proper extension cord use are just a few of the hazards workers face. OSHA recommends training workers on the acronym BE SAFE (Burns, Electrocution, Shock, Arc Flash/Blast, Fire, Explosives). Acronyms often help people to remember a safer approach to job tasks and help to better assess risks.

OSHA has concentrated efforts of enforcement, outreach, and education on the “Focus Four” exposures in construction. These four areas of specific concern are falls, caught-in-between, struck by an object, and electrocution.

When working around equipment, tool and process-specific trainings are vital to avoid caught-in-between. These are injuries resulting from a person being squeezed, caught, crushed, pinched, or compressed between two or more objects, or between parts of an object. Some examples of controls to help prevent these injuries include guards on equipment, proper use of tools that include a pre-work inspection for deficiencies, a good understanding of kinetic and potential energy, and the potential for cave-ins during trenching. Job hazard analyses of these tasks can provide a good way for workers to see what steps can be taken to mitigate the caught-in-between hazards.

Situational awareness and good communication are the keys to working around mobile equipment, powered industrial trucks, and vehicles. To help

reduce the chances of being struck by an object, tool, or equipment, always be aware of your surroundings. When working around heavy equipment, ensure the operator can see you by making eye contact. Operators should be formally trained and knowledgeable about the capabilities and limitations of the equipment they are operating and conduct daily inspections. Never work under suspended loads. An administrative control such as a “10feet rule” where no employee is allowed within a 10-foot radius of the suspended load in case of equipment malfunction or an accidental drop can help reduce the potential of worker injury. And if a load is suspended more than 15 feet high, increase that radius to compensate for the added height.

Best Practices Start Now

These local and national emphasis programs are all currently in effect. With the upcoming construction season, it is good practice to re-evaluate the exposures and controls for jobsites. Dusting off the required written safety plans, tailgate talks, and operating procedures are just the beginning. Best practices start with employee training and a solid conveyance of the safety expectations that the company requires. Encourage a proactive safety culture by promoting safety observations and job hazard analyses. Conduct periodic on-site safety inspections using inhouse safety staff, outside assistance from the AKOSH consultation, or your insurance company’s loss control professionals. And if OSHA knocks on your door, have a written and prepared response plan to address the inspection, and know your rights and responsibilities.

Always remember: safety is the key to protecting Alaska’s greatest resource, the Alaskan worker.

Sean Dewalt is a Senior Loss Control Consultant for Umialik Insurance Company in Anchorage. Dewalt has been working in safety and risk management in Alaska since 2000. This column is intended to be informational and is not intended to be construed as legal advice.

INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS

ENSTAR

Subzero temperatures in Southcentral on January 31 strained ENSTAR’s natural gas delivery system. The utility recorded its largest oneday demand for gas, moving 268 million cubic feet (MMcf) to 150,000 customers. The previous record, set about seven years earlier, was 254 MMcf, and ENSTAR’s average January delivery is about 160 MMcf per day. The cold snap coincided with problems at two storage wells that reduced gas supply. However, ENSTAR President John Sims says different parties came together to make sure the system was stable. For 2025, though, Sims warns that current supply contracts are not enough to meet ENSTAR’s anticipated demand. enstarnaturalgas.com

GeoAlaska

A noncompetitive state permit expands the acreage on Augustine Island for GeoAlaska to prospect for volcanic heat. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources concluded in January that a two-year permit on 7,205 acres would be in the state’s interest, and GeoAlaska was the only applicant. Based on magnetic and gravity data collected last year on the island southwest of Homer, the company identified a “sweet spot” for hydrothermal potential, a target of this summer’s exploration in cooperation with Alaska Drilling & Completions. geoalaska.wixsite.com/geoalaska

Amazon

Couriers in aqua-colored jackets are fanning out from the Amazon ground delivery station near Midtown Anchorage. The online retailer renovated the former Sears warehouse at Dowling Road and Old Seward Highway, ramping up operations during the winter. The company hired more than 100 fulltime and part-time workers, and additional Amazon Flex contractors are engaged to carry some packages. An Amazon spokesperson says the new hub will enable the fastest

delivery service to customers in Anchorage. The renovation of the 66,000-square-foot warehouse cost an estimated $26 million. The company credits improvements to Dowling Road as helping to make the location more viable. amazon.com

OBI Seafoods

Like other major seafood processors that are scaling back their Alaska plants, OBI Seafoods is idling its Larsen Bay facility on the west side of Kodiak Island for the summer. The company will still buy salmon from the area’s fishermen, but it will rely on its facility in the city of Kodiak instead. OBI Seafoods CEO John Hanrahan says the decision follows a forecast for a weak harvest of pink salmon and other tough market conditions. He says the Kodiak plant is better suited to respond more flexibly to salmon markets than the Larsen Bay plant. A small team will remain at Larsen Bay to help service the fleet. obiseafoods.com

Global Credit Union

Established in 1948 as a co-op for US Air Force personnel in Alaska, Global Credit Union reinforced its connection to the military by opening a new branch at Eielson Air Force Base. The 300-square-foot kiosk inside the Base Exchange Shopping Center is the first of its kind: a little smaller than a supermarket storefront while still offering the full range of credit union services and convenient on-base access. globalcu.org

Geneva Woods

The parent company of Geneva Woods pharmacies is closing its two Alaska locations. CVS Health Corp shut down the Wasilla location off Seward Meridian Road in March, and the Anchorage location on International Airport Road is slated for closure in October. That location is the largest mediset pharmacy in Alaska, organizing prescription packages for elderly and disabled patients. Wasilla patients are being

transferred to the CVS pharmacy at the nearby Target store. genevawoods.com

Coastwise Engineering

Seattle-based nautical architecture firm Elliott Bay Design Group acquired the Alaska assets of Coastwise Corporation in February. The strategic partnership brings the Anchorage company into the group as Coastwise Engineering. Owner and principal engineer Patrick Eberhardt says joining the larger group lets his employees take on more challenging projects. coastwise.com

SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium

As part of an effort to enhance overall compensation, SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) is setting the minimum salary for all direct-hire employees at $25 per hour. The raise affects new hires and current team members who earn below the new minimum. “This pay increase reflects SEARHC's commitment to providing competitive compensation and builds on our comprehensive incentives and benefits packages to recruit and retain top talent,” says Scott Jungwirth, vice president of human resources for the nonprofit operator of twenty-seven facilities in Southeast, including hospitals in Sitka and Wrangell. searhc.org

Charter College

The Anchorage campus of Charter College is adding a fourth blended medical program, an associate degree in diagnostic medical sonography. The program is meant to equip graduates at the entry level to fulfill sonography needs and demonstrate a commitment to professional care for patients. Classes start June 17, including hands-on labs and immersive clinical rotations. chartercollege.edu/locations/ alaska/anchorage-ak

RIGHT MOVES

Thompson & Co.

Thompson & Co. Public Relations (T&C) launched a new corporate entity that formally combines with sister agency Blueprint Alaska. The company led by T&C owner and CEO Jennifer Thompson and Blueprint Alaska President Sarah Erkmann Ward also gains a third leadership partner, in addition to several executive promotions.

· Heather Handyside joins the firm as T&C’s President and COO. Handyside was most recently chief communications officer at GCI. Handyside earned a bachelor's degree in international relations from American University in Washington, DC. She worked for the Municipality of Anchorage as director of emergency management and homeland security and as deputy municipal manager.

· Kailee Stickler is promoted to Senior Vice President. Stickler joined the T&C team immediately after graduating from UAA, and she spent the last seven years developing the agency’s digital services, now T&C’s fastest-growing division. In her new role, she oversees all aspects of the digital department, in addition to providing strategy oversight for the agency and its staff.

· Ariel Walsh Amand is T&C’s new Chief Administrative Officer, focusing on day-today operations in accounting, employee benefits, and employee and client onboarding. With fourteen years of agency

experience, Walsh Amand is integral to overseeing and managing the finances for the agency and client budgets.

· Emily McLaughlin is promoted to Vice President, overseeing and executing client strategy, agency growth, and company culture. McLaughlin joined T&C as an intern ten years ago, after graduating from UAA with a degree in journalism and public communications.

· Kelsey Baker is also promoted to Vice President. In her seven years at T&C, Baker has supported clients through strategizing and creating compelling content, conceptualizing and executing unique events, and managing accounts across multiple industries.

· Ashleigh Carson is another new Vice President, receiving a quick promotion shortly after becoming a senior account manager. Carson joined the agency in 2017 after working for ten years in newsrooms. In her new role, Carson continues building media relationships on the national and local level for clients in tourism, banking, and more.

Tlingit & Haida

The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) tapped a new executive and promoted a couple staffers to management positions.

· Charlene Robertson is Tlingit & Haida’s CFO, taking over for Karen Taug—a fellow member of the Raven moiety, L’uknax.ádi

clan, and Daginaa Hít house—who came out of retirement last summer to hold the CFO position temporarily. Born in Juneau and raised in Sitka, Robertson earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Boise State University and a MBA from Northwest Nazarene University. She most recently served as controller for Bristol Bay Alaska Tourism. Robertson works at Tlingit & Haida’s administrative office in Anchorage.

· Daaljíni, the lead instructor for the Tribe’s Haa Yóo

X̱ʼatángi Kúdi Language Immersion Nest since 2019, is now Tlingit Immersion Manager. In that role, Daaljíni develops and implements the Lingít immersion curriculum in early childhood education programs throughout Southeast. Daaljíni, whose English name is Mary Cruise, is Tlingit and Southern Tuchone of the Ch’áak’ (Eagle) moiety and the Yanwaasháa Kaagwaantan clan. She grew up in the Haines area. Daaljíni holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education from UAS.

· Tlingit & Haida’s new Public Safety Manager is Sabrina Grubitz, promoted from her previous role as Emergency Operations Coordinator. As manager, Grubitz oversees the Office of Emergency Management within the tribe’s Public Safety Division. She serves as a liaison with all governments involved in emergency management and supervises community volunteers and employees.

Grubitz is Kaagwaantaan from the Eagle Nest House. She holds a bachelor’s degree

Committed to the Alaska Spirit

RIGHT MOVES IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY NORTHERN AIR CARGO

Handyside

Stickler

Walsh Amand

Carson

Daalj íni

McLaughlin

Grubitz Baker

Robertson

in public health administration from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Grubitz joined Tlingit & Haida’s Public Safety Division in 2020.

Alaska Heart and Vascular Institute

· Dr. Jasleen Tiwana joined the team at Alaska Heart and Vascular Institute (AHVI) as Interventional Cardiologist, specializing in the treatment of complex coronary artery disease. Tiwana earned a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from the University of Washington and her MD from the University of Washington School of Medicine. She holds additional certification in adult comprehensive echocardiography from the National Board of Echocardiography.

Landye Bennett Blumstein

· The law firm of Landye Bennett Blumstein brought Jackson Morawski aboard as an Associate Attorney. Morawski earned a bachelor’s degree in Asian studies from the University of Oregon and his JD and Business Law certificate from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Prior to joining the firm, Morawski clerked for Alaska Superior Court Judges Rachel Ahrens in Valdez and Bride Seifert in Homer. Morawski is licensed to practice in Alaska and Oregon.

State of Alaska

· The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities promoted Daniel "Danny" Gibson to be the Director of the Division of Facility Services. Gibson previously served as Operations Manager for the division, which manages

1,800 State of Alaska facilities.

“While we often take the heat, light, and water systems for granted, it’s actually a challenge to keep 1,800 facilities going in Alaska’s harsh environments,” Gibson says. Gibson attended UAF and lives in Fairbanks. As director, he oversees a staff of more than 150 personnel.

NMS

· A promotion for a twentyyear veteran of NMS puts her in a position to pioneer innovation in food service operations. As Senior Director of Change Management, Robin Wade spearheads efforts to revolutionize NMS offerings using automation, robotics, and self-service. Previously director of operations at NMS, a subsidiary of NANA Regional Corporation holding company NANA North, Wade obtained certificates in dietary management from Florida State University and from the Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals. She has specialized in managing food service in hospitals, assisted living facilities, and senior centers.

RSA Engineering

· RSA Engineering in Anchorage promoted Adam Wilson to the position of Vice President and Principal Mechanical Engineer. In his new role, Wilson leads the mechanical engineering department. Wilson has been with RSA for more than nineteen years and has led more than 400 projects. A professional engineer licensed in Alaska and two other states, Wilson is also a LEED AP and a Certified

Energy Auditor. He earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at Colorado State University.

Coffman Engineers

· Adding to his laurels as a past winner of the Mount Marathon and Crow Pass Crossing footraces, Scott Patterson at Coffman Engineers achieved his Alaska Professional Engineering (PE) license in mechanical engineering. Patterson joined Coffman in 2012 as an intern while ski racing in college. At Coffman, Patterson has worked on all types of energy-related facilities, analytics for pipeline integrity testing, and cryogenic hydrogen systems. He adds PE to his career accolades, including winning the Crow Pass Crossing seven times and the Mount Marathon race in 2017. On skis, he’s been to the Olympic Games twice, in 2018 and 2022, as part of the US men’s cross-country team.

Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation

· Lisa Slaba, a Project Manager with Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation (FEDC), earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification through the Project Management Institute. PMP is a trademark standard that recognizes skill in motivating teams, using agile approaches, and highlighting the impact of a project toward strategic goals. Slaba earned a bachelor’s degree in management from Wayland Baptist University. At FEDC, her portfolio includes issues relating to the military, mining, and the Young Professionals Council.

Tiwana

Morawski

Patterson

Wilson

Gibson

Slaba

Wade

ALASKA TRENDS

Nearly fifty years ago, the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) was established as an independent public corporation, tasked by the state government with supporting the development of energy projects. AEA gained a new tool in 2008, when the Alaska legislature created the Renewable Energy Fund (REF) and the associated Renewable Energy Grant Recommendation Program.

A temporary program at first, REF’s five-year sunset date was extended in 2012 and then, last year, repealed entirely, cementing the program as a permanent component of Alaska’s energy infrastructure toolkit.

With its future now boundless, AEA looked back on REF’s past. The authority commissioned BW Research Partnership to examine the program’s economic, community, and environmental impacts. Some of those results are discussed in this month’s article “Energizing Renewables” by Dimitra Lavrakas, along with other public financing that helps Alaskans plug into solar power or other sustainable sources.

BW Research calculated the economic impacts of REF investments. The report concludes that twelve jobs were created and $217,375 in net energy costs were avoided per million dollars invested by the REF program. Most grants, according to the report, paid for new infrastructure: 60 percent went toward that purpose, whereas approximately 11 percent were for retrofits and 24 percent were for feasibility assessment of a project that ultimately was not built.

This edition of Alaska Trends illustrates some of the report’s other findings. The study is important to gauge whether REF is doing its job, even as the legislature appropriated $17 million last year to pay for eighteen more AEArecommended projects.

REF Technologies Funded

• ~47% - Wind Energy

• 13% - Biomass, Landfill, or Wood Processing

• 13% - Hydropower

• 10% - Heat Recovery Systems

• 4% - Geothermal and Heat Pumps

• 3% - Solar Energy

• 11% - Other

REF Jobs Created, by Industry

• 53% - Construction

• 7% - Utilities

• 7% - Professional Services

• 6% - Healthcare

• 6% - Retail Trade

• 5% - Manufacturing

• 3% - Hospitality

• 3% - Fire

• 1% - Agriculture

• 1% - Wholesale Trade

• 1% - Transport

• 1% - Entertainment

• 4% - Other

Source: Alaska Renewable Energy Fund: Impact and Evaluation Report 2023

Wind Projects

Accounted for the second highest share of diesel gallons displaced through 2022.

• ~15 million cumulative

• ~1.3 thousand annual

Hydro Projects

Have the largest share of annual diesel gallons displaced with ~70% from 2014 - 2022.

From 2015 - 2022, two-thirds of natural gas was displaced on an annual basis.

Emissions & Pollutants

~1 million tonnes of CO2 were mitigated cumulatively through 2022.

Up to $43 million in avoided costs associated with PM2.5 pollutant reduction.

Funds invested in the REF program resulted in $2.1 million in benefits returned to residents and the economy.

• 2,931 new jobs

• $237 million in labor income

• $399 million in value added

What book is currently on your nightstand?

A Thousand Trails Home: Living with Caribou by Seth Kantner.

What charity or cause are you passionate about?

My wife and I are really focused on supporting kids at risk. We’re both really attuned to and close to Covenant House and Clare House.

What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?

[He laughs] We usually walk the dog. We have a cockapoo, Phoebe.

What vacation spot is on your bucket list? The Lodge at St. Edward State Park [a hiking spot just north of Seattle].

If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?

I don’t know. Maybe a wolf.

Monica Whitt

OFF THE CUFF

Rob Gillam

Upstairs at the Anchorage Museum, the Arctic Studies Center is the Smithsonian Institution’s toehold in Alaska. Inside its Gillam Archaeology Laboratory and Art Space, center director Aron Crowell prepares for a visitor by laying out artifacts he and his teams collected in Yakutat, Klukwan, and Kodiak: a cooking pot, projectile points, a Russian musket ball.

The visitor is Rob Gillam. His name is on the wall as part of the Robert B. Gillam family, the lab’s primary benefactor in 2010 when the museum expanded. Gillam, the CEO of financial services firm McKinley Management, sustains the family’s work at the museum.

Gillam became fascinated with archaeology while studying business at The Wharton School, with its bountiful libraries and museums. He didn’t become a field researcher—“Wish I was brave enough to do it,” he says—but he spends as much time in the Bush as if he were.

“There aren’t many options where you can have one foot on Wall Street and one foot in the wilderness,” he says. “I’d rather be in Dillingham than Davos.”

Crowell invites Gillam to handle the artifacts. That tactile experience is the lab’s most important function, Gillam believes: children are welcome to learn directly from the objects and their makers.

Alaska Business: What do you do in your free time?

Rob Gillam: I’m a “wilderness guy,” so I love the wilderness.

AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?

Gillam: I read a lot; I like to learn all manner of things, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s a skill.

AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?

Gillam: I once did a packrafting trip down the Upper Mulchatna which was substantially above my skill set. Daring or dumb, I’m not sure which.

AB: What are you superstitious about?

Gillam: I’m definitely a man of habit; I don’t know if that’s a superstition… I grew up in the business with a gentleman who was really a big believer that you always park in the same parking spot. That was his superstition.

AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant?

Gillam: We really like Laile Fairbairn’s restaurants, whether it’s Crush, Spenard Roadhouse, or South.

AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?

Gillam: We just came back from a Garth Brooks concert, which was great. Gonna have to say, we might do Garth Brooks again.

AB: What’s your greatest extravagance?

Gillam: I’ve traveled an awful lot of places all around the world, and I think we’re pretty blessed to live in this country and in this state. The extravagance is the life that we’re blessed to lead here in the United States and in Alaska.

AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute?

Gillam: In reverse order: I’m not a process person, so process is probably my least favorite thing and my lowest level of skill. Vision, direction, big picture—much more interested, much better at that.

Stacia Gillam

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