A new Executive Director is taking the helm at an Anchorage-based nonprofit that supports adults with developmental disabilities or mental illness. Assets, Inc. selected Gina Bastian to oversee day-to-day operations while working on strategic growth. Bastian comes to Assets from the Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. She previously served on the Assets board.

Building upon its grand opening last summer, The Wildbirch Hotel in Downtown Anchorage welcomed two new members to its leadership team.

Patrick Faas has been named General Manager. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Faas moved to the United States at 21. He brings more than thirty-five years of leadership experience across luxury resorts, boutique hotels, and high-volume properties in the United States and the Caribbean.

A lifelong Alaskan, Susynn Snyder brings more than a decade of experience in hospitality and events as Director of Experience. In this role, Snyder curates on-property programming while developing concierge services through the Adventure Desk. She previously held key roles at Williwaw Social, Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse, and Flattop Pizza + Pool.

The largest private-sector employer in the state has a new boss. Providence Alaska selected Deborah Berini, president of SSM Health DePaul Hospital in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, as CEO. Like Providence, SSM Health is a nonprofit Catholic health system. Berini is a graduate of Drury College (now Drury University) in Missouri with a master’s degree in health administration from Washington University School of Medicine. Her partner’s family is from Alaska, so Berini has made regular visits to the state.

Three lawyers at the Anchorage office of Stoel Rives were elevated to Partner.

Shannon Bleicher, a natural resources attorney in the Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources practice group, co-chairs the Alaska Bar Association’s Arctic Law Section. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Creighton University in Nebraska, a master’s degree in negotiation and conflict resolution from the university’s Werner Institute, and a JD from its School of Law.

Whitney Brown is a litigator who chairs the firm’s Appellate Critical Motions Group. She returned to Stoel Rives after clerking for US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Chicago and a JD at UCLA School of Law. Brown is also president of the Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers.

Connor Smith is an attorney in the Litigation practice group, representing clients in the commercial fishing, energy, mining, oil and gas, and Alaska Native corporation sectors. Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from California Polytechnic State University and a JD from Seattle University School of Law. Smith clerked for Alaska Supreme Court Justice Craig Stowers.

The Anchorage law firm of Landye Bennett Blumstein (LBB) brought in three Associate Attorneys.

Kyla Lucey focuses on business law, real estate, and environment and natural resources. She graduated from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. During law school, she published articles about international human rights and interned with the Alaska Department of Law. After graduation, she clerked for Alaska Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman.

Michael Partrick practices business law at LBB and focuses on estate planning, real estate, tax, and civil litigation. He graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law, where he was the student director of the business planning practicum and an editor of the University of Wyoming’s Law Review. Partrick previously clerked for Alaska Superior Court Judge Ian Wheeles.

Jed Ullrich is a lifelong Alaskan whose great-grandparents homesteaded before statehood. He was an LBB Summer Associate in 2024, and he returns as an Associate Attorney with a focus on Alaska Native law, environment and natural resources, labor and employment, and municipal law. Ullrich earned his JD from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2025 and, as of January, was sworn in to the Alaska Bar Association.

The only “Big Four” accounting firm with a presence in Alaska, KPMG, promoted three professionals at its Anchorage office.

Al Asuncion is now Tax Manager. Asuncion joined KPMG in 2022 and has experience in tax compliance with Alaska Native corporations, and he has worked with the technology and media sectors. A graduate of UAA, Asuncion holds a master’s degree in business taxation and data analytics from the University of Southern California.

Joye Sumner becomes Audit Manager. Sumner brings five years of accounting experience with Alaska Native corporations and retail organizations, and she has worked in greenhouse gas assurance. She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UAA and master’s degree in accounting from Gonzaga University.

Tyler VanAusdal is promoted to Audit Manager. VanAusdal joined KPMG in 2020 and provides audit services to government agencies and Alaska Native corporations, and he has experience in construction, government contracting, and investments. VanAusdal earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Brigham Young University.

Connor Hajdukovich can remove the “interim” tag from the title he carried since last October as Executive Director of the Resource Development Council for Alaska. Hajdukovich had been leading RDC since the departure of his predecessor, Leila Kimbrell. A graduate of UAF, Hajdukovich previously served as a senior consultant advising the US Department of Defense on legislative and policy initiatives, and he worked as a military legislative aide for US Senator Dan Sullivan.