n late October I was invited to visit Catholic Social Services as it hosted a small ceremony and reception to announce that Wells Fargo Housing Foundation had donated $100,000 to the Path to Independence program, “an initiative to quickly house individuals and families experiencing homelessness while working to ensure they remain housed and find long-term financial independence,” to quote myself in the November 1 edition of the Alaska Business Monitor.

I worked this event into my schedule for several reasons: Alaska Business, through our magazine and website, does occasionally spotlight philanthropic efforts, and this one in particular—which touched on housing issues (an ongoing problem for individuals and businesses alike) in Alaska—highlighted the way in which Alaska’s organizations are working together to solve problems to benefit the community. I saw it as a positive story about partnership, communication, housing, and business in Alaska. And it was.

hristine Ness is a fire protection engineer and project manager at PDC Engineers in the company’s Anchorage office. She earned a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Bradley University in Illinois and studied fire protection engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachussetts. She earned her Alaska FPE PE in May of 2014, and today uses her expertise in facility life safety hazard analysis and fire suppression and detection systems design to keep facilities and people safe throughout Alaska and beyond. Nominated by the Alaska Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction, Ness was named the 2018 Engineer of the Year during E-Week last February. Alaska Business is pleased to share a little more about this exceptional woman and her vital work below.

e are proud to once again present a glimpse at this year’s Engineering Excellence Project of the Year Awards. The winners of this esteemed award will be announced during Engineer’s Week 2019 occurring February 17 through 23. Congratulations to all the nominees.

The facility’s design begins with a high performance building envelope, specifically designed for the Southcentral Alaska climate. Window placement, skylights, glass walls, and sophisticated lighting and lighting controls create a high energy vibrant feel in a place where natural sunlight is scarce much of the school year.

hen it comes to office design, taste is subjective. But one thing that most business owners, architects, and interior designers tend to agree on is that today’s offices need to be adaptable.

“Office space has become more fluid and agile over the years; for example, while a formal conference room may still be a requirement, it might now feature divider walls that allow the bigger space to be divided into two spaces,” says Stantec Associate Jessica Cederberg. “The furniture is also mobile; it may be stackable and movable, which makes it easier to adjust for larger or smaller groups.”

laska companies vying for oil and gas company contracts to fabricate custom objects and supply materials to the state’s most dominant industry faced increased competition from the Lower 48 after the oil market took a dive several years ago. “The oil market dictates a lot of what happens on the North Slope. Over the last several years, we saw a lot of projects get put on hold or canceled altogether,” says Jim Wohlers, general manager for GBR Oilfield Services.

“With the drop in demand came the willingness of some of the larger, out-of-state companies to take on work at much lower rates. Over the past six months, we have seen a gradual increase in projects and work on the North Slope. In addition, over the past several years, we have seen a steady increase in the importance of safety across the field,” he says.

elicopter services fill a specific need in Alaska’s extraction industries. The mining and oil and gas industries rely on rotary-winged aircraft for everything from site testing to crew changeovers in the vast, remote areas in which these industries operate.

With many of the large, legacy helicopter operators based Outside leaving the state to seek higher returns in the last ten years, Alaska’s helicopter services are now dominated by mid- and small-sized operators, explains Chris Maynard, the vice president and director of sales for Pathfinder Aviation.

hile some living in the Lower 48 may think Anchorage is at the end of the world, in reality the city is located right in the middle of the world. At least, so far as the aviation business is concerned. The commercial aviation industry has extensive air cargo operations that they perform at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on a daily basis.

Situated at the top of the world and near equidistance between Europe, Asia, and North America, the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is less than ten hours by air to 95 percent of major global markets. It serves as the primary link between cities in Asia and North America, as approximately 80 percent of all cargo flights operating across the Pacific make a “technical stop” at Anchorage to refuel, change crews, and (in some cases) to transfer cargo. It is why major integrator airlines like FedEx, UPS, and DHL all have a significant presence at the airport in support of their growing international cargo operations.

hina is the world’s largest importer of natural resource commodities, and Alaska is a major American producer and exporter of many of those commodities, so the growing commercial ties between the Middle Kingdom and the Great Land make for a natural, mutually beneficial trading partnership. And, indeed, the dramatic growth of China as an economic powerhouse has fueled continued expansion of Alaska’s international trade economy and has been the headline story for the state’s export community for the past two decades.

tate-sponsored investment funds, better known as sovereign wealth funds, continue to rise in economic clout as their assets under management continues to grow and they deploy funds into a broader range of investments. While these government-controlled investment vehicles vary considerably in size and scope, as well as by their particular investment strategies and policies, they are a significant force in the financial markets and their impact can be felt in all corners of the world, including Alaska.

hat comes to mind when someone hears the word “India”? A large country located very far from Alaska. A very populous country home to millions of poor farm workers. At the same time, India also home to millions of highly skilled IT professionals. Many college students encounter professors from India who teach a spread of subjects at major American universities. And last but not least, the Taj Mahal is a major travel destination for many Western tourists. The above statements paint a multifaceted image of India.

s the world increasingly turns its eyes northward to the potential of the Arctic, Alaska finds itself uniquely positioned to play a leading role to serve as a gateway and forward base of operations for commercial development in the region. More so than any other state, Alaska has the opportunity to benefit from the economic activity that transpires in the American Arctic. The Arctic opportunity is literally in Alaska’s backyard.

Geography doesn’t always deal the best hand; it can, after all, be a curse or a blessing. For Alaska, perched at the top of the world, its location has often worked to its advantage.

n 2016 the University of Alaska (UA) launched Strategic Pathways, a plan to “maximize value to Alaska through excellent, accessible, and cost-effective higher education.” An early draft was published in February 2016, and three years later UA has made significant strides in pursuing its goals.

mall business owners around the state provide local meat options, whether through raising animals in Alaska or processing game meats and fish sourced in the Last Frontier. Below is a range of butchers, wholesalers, and game processors to help you get your meat fix.

The cost for fish processing is by pound or by can, and options include smoked, vacuum packing, canned, jerky, or frozen. Processing game is also priced per pound and can include moose, buffalo, caribou, goat, sheep, deer, or pig. indianvalleymeats.com

Quality Matters is an international, US-based nonprofit organization that is recognized as a leader in quality assurance for online education. The Online Learner Support Certification recognizes programs that provide all the critical student and academic services needed for learner success and that use learner feedback to continuously improve those services.

The Quality Matters review team was particularly impressed with the tech support available and the high satisfaction ratings it got from online students, the programs in place to help students succeed academically, and the variety of ways UAF accepts student feedback, among other things.

ill Popp has spent more than forty years in both the Alaska private and public sectors. As President and CEO of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) since 2007, he plans the strategic direction in marketing Anchorage and Alaska to companies and global industries considering Anchorage as a place in which to conduct business and assists local businesses seeking to expand both within Anchorage and Alaska as well as Lower 48 and international markets. Popp is currently chair of the 49th State Angel Fund Business Advisory Committee. And he’s the latest Alaska Business Off the Cuff participant.