This very magazine is beefing up its bullpen with a few new hires.

James Barnhill comes aboard as Full-Charge Bookkeeper, responsible for accounts receivable, accounts payable, and payroll. Originally from the Yukon River village of Galena, Barnhill is an eleven-year veteran of the US Marine Corps. His experience with military training was handy in his previous position just outside of Camp Pendleton: for four years, he was principal of West Coast Baptist School, a private K-12 school with thirty students in Oceanside, California. Down the coast in La Jolla, he attended National University and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Barnhill enjoys carpentry and hockey.

Fulvia Lowe is the new Graphic Design and Production Manager, responsible for crafting ads and marketing materials. Originally from Lombardy, Italy, her family emigrated to the United States in 1985. Since then, she’s traveled the world, including a road trip from Alaska to the south end of Patagonia, Argentina. Lowe earned a degree in public policy from Montana Tech before switching to graphic design. “My zest for life shows in my personality along with being a creative visionary with the spark to keep things imaginative and artistic,” she says.

Scott Rhode recently joined the team as Editor and Staff Writer, where he helps take pressure off the managing editor, polishes articles submitted by freelance authors, and compiles the flashiest feature in Alaska Business: Right Moves! Monthly deadlines are a change from the hourly grind of News Radio 650 KENI, where listeners heard his voice from 1996 until 2020. Rhode grew up in Eagle River and earned a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree from UAA. He can sometimes be seen on stage in community theater productions.

Tune in to the new Host of Hometown, Alaska on Alaska Public Media (AKPM). Justin Ezell Williams joins the rotation with current hosts Kathleen McCoy and Dr. E.J.R. David. Williams is best known for his social media brand Justin’s Alaska Eats, which explores the economic and anthropological aspects of local foods. Williams was born and raised in Anchorage and studied art and sociology at UAA. AKPM Chief Content Officer Linda Wei says Williams’ background and interests “will reveal engaging and illuminating conversations.” Hometown, Alaska airs Mondays at 10 a.m., repeating at 8 p.m., on KSKA 91.1.

Former state legislator John Aġnaqłuk Lincoln is the choice of NANA Regional Corporation’s board of directors to take over as President and CEO. Lincoln replaces Chief Operating Officer Bill Monet, who had led the corporation on an interim basis. Lincoln has worked a combined eighteen years for NANA and the regional nonprofit Maniilaq Association, most recently as NANA’s vice president for external affairs. In 2018, Lincoln was appointed to fill a vacancy in the state House of Representatives and served until his term expired earlier this year. Lincoln graduated from Kotzebue High School as class valedictorian and earned a bachelor’s degree in management science and public policy from Stanford University. Lincoln was named a Top Forty Under 40 leader by the Alaska Journal of Commerce for 2021.

The interim President and CEO of Southcentral Foundation (SCF) can keep the position for the long term. The board of directors decided to stick with April Kyle, who has led SCF since August 2020, previously serving as vice president of the behavioral services division. A shareholder of Cook Inlet Region Incorporated (CIRI), Kyle began working for CIRI’s healthcare nonprofit two decades ago. She received a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington.

The new Executive Director of Alaska Native Education and Outreach at UAA is Michele Yatchmeneff, the current assistant director of the university’s Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP). Yatchmeneff, an Unangaxˇ who grew up in the Aleutian Islands, was an ANSEP student herself before earning her bachelor’s in civil engineering, master’s in engineering management, and doctorate in engineering education. “I found that, in addition to academic college readiness, ANSEP provides a sense of community and emotional support that prepares students for higher education,” she says. In this new role, Yatchmeneff will work across the entire UAA community.

Katmai Conservancy hired Guy Runco as its first Executive Director. The conservancy is the official nonprofit partner of Katmai National Park and Preserve, which fits with Runco’s experience in the nonprofit sector, specifically in wildlife conservation, fundraising, and outreach. Most recently, he served as executive director of the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage.

The US Army Corps of Engineers–Alaska District tapped Tracy Wickham as Chief of its contracting division. He takes responsibility for the Corps’ contracting mission in Alaska. In a typical year, this workload involves about $400 million in new contract awards; $1 billion in ongoing construction, engineering, and service contracts; and another $1 billion in planning. Prior to his arrival in Alaska, Wickham served as chief of the contracting division for the Portland District since 2015. Wickham earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa and holds an MBA from Babson College in Massachusetts.

Marta Kumle recently joined R&M Consultants as a Senior Hydrographer, expanding the firm’s services to hydrographic surveys, previously possible only by teaming with consultants. Kumle has a bachelor’s degree in Oceanography and a masters of GIS and sustainability management, both from the University of Washington. Kumle worked at the Alaska Ocean Observing System, surveyed for underwater pipelines and cables, and has Antarctic experience as a marine technician aboard the research vessels Laurence M. Gould and Nathaniel B. Palmer. Kumle also volunteers as a ski patroller at Arctic Valley.

Launch Alaska welcomes Penny Gage as Managing Director to head up its Tech Deployment Track program, helping companies worldwide deploy energy, transportation, water, and food technologies in the Last Frontier. Gage, whose Tlingit name is X´waséeya, is a member of the Sitka Tribe. She has a bachelor’s degree from UAF and a master’s in foreign service from Georgetown University. Gage is on the board of the Anchorage Museum and was recognized by the Alaska Journal of Commerce in 2019 as one of the Top Forty Under 40.

The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska hired Heidi Davis as Staff Attorney for the Office of the President. Davis provides legal counsel and representation to Tlingit & Haida in the areas of contracts, employment, federal-tribal relations, federal-state relations, and tribal jurisdiction. Davis graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and political science, then went to UALR School of Law for her juris doctor degree. Originally from the Raven Coho clan in Kake, Davis was raised in Sitka and Juneau. She enjoys exploring tide pools and going on hikes in Juneau.

The Alaska Oil & Gas Association (AOGA) named Dawn L. Crater as its new Regulatory and Legal Affairs Manager. Crater comes to the industry group from the state government, where she worked in the Department of Natural Resources as Director of Appeals and Policy Implementation. At AOGA, Crater will evaluate government actions and coordinate the association’s response to them. Crater has a bachelor’s degree in Earth science from UC-Berkeley and a JD from Golden Gate University School of Law.

Professional Growth Systems (PGS) is adding another Business Consultant to their roster. Erin Bellotte brings experience in manufacturing operations, process improvement, organizational strategy, and employee development to her new position on the Kenai Peninsula. Bellotte earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Valparaiso University and her MBA at Indiana State University. She met her husband, an Alaskan, while managing scholarships and fellowships at the University of North Texas.