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-to-day 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.

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.ád 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 in public health administration from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Grubitz joined Tlingit & Haida’s Public Safety Division in 2020.

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.

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.

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.

A promotion for a twenty-year 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 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.

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.

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.