Either a good bottle of wine or a good bourbon.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Slovenia to do some hiking [for his 25th wedding anniversary next year].
What book is currently on your nightstand?
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. It’s based in Northern Italy and Slovenia, where we’re planning to go.
What do you do in your free time?
As much as I can with family, but I really enjoy playing hockey.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
A bald eagle. I’m a big Philadelphia Eagles fan.
Either a good bottle of wine or a good bourbon.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Slovenia to do some hiking [for his 25th wedding anniversary next year].
What book is currently on your nightstand?
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. It’s based in Northern Italy and Slovenia, where we’re planning to go.
What do you do in your free time?
As much as I can with family, but I really enjoy playing hockey.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
A bald eagle. I’m a big Philadelphia Eagles fan.
Off the Cuff
eading one of Alaska’s most prosperous Native corporations might’ve seemed obvious for Jason Metrokin. He holds shares of Bristol Bay Native Corporation (inherited from his grandfather), while his father was president at Koniag regional corporation. Yet Metrokin applied his studies in business and marketing at National Bank of Alaska at first. “I didn’t pursue this as a career per se,” he admits, “but it was maybe a logical (unplanned) career move.”
When he became Bristol Bay CEO in 2009, Metrokin learned to appreciate the variety that comes with the job. He explains, “Engaging with the CEO of the Seattle Kraken one day, talking to school kids in the village of Manokotak the next, engaging in a new acquisition opportunity, or talking to employees in Jacksonville, Florida. Or moose hunting with the board chairman.”
Jason Metrokin: Benny’s Food Wagon [in Midtown Anchorage]. As a kid, their tacos, burritos, rice, and beans were the best in town, so it really brings me back to my childhood.
AB: What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Metrokin: My wife would appreciate me kissing her after work. Saying hello to the family and the dog. But I also enjoy watching sports [he laughs].
AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?
Metrokin: I love to fly fish. I’m not an expert. There is a cast (if you’re familiar) called the double haul. It’s a tricky cast that has a lot to do with timing, but it really allows you to get distance.
AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform in concert?
Metrokin: The Who.
AB: What charity or cause are you passionate about?
Metrokin: Children’s programs: Camp Fire, Healthy Futures, and Covenant House.
AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute?
Metrokin: Maybe I’ll start with my worst: I’m bad at saying no to things. I’m trying to get better… I would say my best attribute is being a good judge of character.
AB: What are you superstitious about?
Metrokin: Gosh. I don’t know that I’ve ever been asked that question before. I know there are superstitions… I’m just stitious—a little stitious.
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Metrokin: On a hunting trip in Bristol Bay with my board chairman, I shot a moose. It was down for a period of time and got back up! It ran me over and got blood all over me before I shot it a second time… My wife refers to it as the Zombie Moose.
