Alaska Public Media (AKPM) chose a Midwestern broadcasting executive for the new position of Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Administration. In this role, Dorothy McGrath works with CEO and President Ed Ulman and the organization’s executive management on strategic initiatives, cross-departmental projects, and capacity-building objectives. McGrath also provides administrative coordination for all divisions of AKPM while providing direct supervisory responsibility for human resources and business services. McGrath is a 33-year veteran of public broadcasting, most recently serving on the senior management team for Milwaukee PBS. She began her career in the production department at Nebraska Public Media and worked at KMOS-TV in the Kansas City, Missouri area. In Milwaukee, she led the local production and logistics support efforts during the PBS NewsHour’s production of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

KNBA, the Anchorage-based radio station owned by Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, added two veteran journalists to its broadcast newsroom.

Rhonda McBride comes aboard as News Director, bringing more than thirty years of experience covering rural issues and Alaska Native culture, language, and history. She has also reported on state and local government, fisheries, Alaska Native corporations, and the oil industry. She moderated the first US Senate debate north of the Arctic Circle during the 2016 election. McBride’s work has been recognized both nationally and locally, through the Alaska Press Club, the Northwest Pacific Emmys, the Society of Professional Journalists, and more. In May 2022, she was inducted into the Alaska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.

Jill Fratis, the new News Producer for KNBA, previously was station manager of KUHB in St. Paul. She has experience in both early childhood and technical education and as a tribal government service coordinator and wellness advocate for the Aleut Community of St. Paul.

McKinley Management added three new positions to its executive team.

Jill McLeod comes aboard as General Counsel. McLeod was previously a partner at the international law firm of Dorsey & Whitney, where she managed the firm’s Anchorage office and was a member of the firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice group. Prior to joining Dorsey, McLeod served as in-house counsel for ConocoPhillips in Anchorage, providing expert legal advice to the company’s Alaska North Slope asset group.

Ian Walser is McKinley Management’s new Chief Financial Officer. He was previously vice president, controller and compliance for Alaska Growth Capital, which changed hands in September from Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) to become McKinley’s fourth business unit. Walser had been ASRC’s state tax manager. As a CPA, Walser also has experience in corporate and tax accounting, and he also spent time in public accounting at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The new Chief of Staff, Shareen Crosby, works closely with McKinley’s executive team to develop Alaska business opportunities and provide project management, research, and writing support. “Shareen’s role is designed to help optimize our executive team and support our business development process,” says CEO Rob Gillam. Crosby has been published as a restaurant critic and worked for the last seven years as chief of staff to state Senator Natasha von Imhof.

Coffman Engineers brought Josh Crowe into its structural department as a Senior Structural Engineer. He joins Coffman as the firm’s project demands increase. Crowe is already working on a significant seismic evaluation and retrofit of a multi-story building. Crowe has twenty-one years of experience in construction administration and marine and structural engineering. He is a licensed civil and structural engineer in the state of Alaska and is knowledgeable in both steel and concrete design and construction methods. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and master’s in structural engineering from Marquette University. Crowe has worked in project engineering, project management, building information modeling, and strategy development. His construction administration projects have included rural runways and urban road construction. His background also includes materials testing, grade inspection, and field engineering. After earning his master’s degree, his focus shifted to rehabilitation and structural design.

PND Engineers promoted four senior engineers to Principals at its Anchorage and Juneau offices.

Alexandra West Jefferies joined PND in 2011 as a civil engineer after working for the firm as an intern. Jefferies earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UAA, where she became the first UAA student to earn a US patent for her hydrokinetic fish grinding system. Raised on the Kenai Peninsula, Jefferies has excelled at PND as one of the company’s preeminent hydraulic and hydrologic specialists.

Corey Roche joined PND in 2012 as a civil and structural engineer. Roche earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UAA. Prior to his engineering career, Roche worked as a certified welder and heavy equipment operator for six years in rural Alaska. Roche provides structural design, planning, inspection, and construction administration services for PND on bridges, docks, marinas, roads, and other site-civil-related projects.

Tyler Bradshaw joined PND in 2009 as a civil engineer. Bradshaw earned his engineering degree from Colorado State University after serving in the US Air Force in Iraq. Bradshaw has fifteen years of professional experience in project management, water/wastewater engineering, and civil design, with a focus on coastal utility systems and harbors. Bradshaw has designed, inspected, and administered construction for water, sewer, and fire suppression systems on more than twenty harbor and pier projects throughout Alaska.

Sean Sjostedt joined PND in 2011 as a civil engineer after earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho with an emphasis in geotechnical engineering. Sjostedt specializes in geotechnical explorations and design, planning, and civil design in support of buildings, roadways, and marine/waterfront infrastructure, particularly in Southeast Alaska. Prior to his engineering career, Sjostedt worked in the commercial fishing and heavy civil construction industries in Cordova.

Heading into his second term, Governor Mike Dunleavy appointed new cabinet heads for the Alaska Departments of Natural Resources and Health.

The governor appointed oil industry attorney John Boyle to lead the Department of Natural Resources. Boyle studied management and finance at Brigham Young University and then earned his JD at Brigham Young’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. He moved to Alaska in 2010 to serve a judicial clerkship in Fairbanks. He then moved to Utqiaġvik to work as an assistant borough attorney and later chief advisor to the Mayor and Director of the North Slope Borough’s Government and External Affairs department. In 2016, Boyle took a job with BP as director of government affairs before joining Oil Search (now Santos) as government affairs manager.

The new Commissioner of the Department of Health has held the position in an acting capacity since November. Heidi Hedberg was the Director of Public Health when she took over for Adam Crum, who was named to lead the Department of Revenue. Hedberg moved to Alaska from Seattle in 1995 and earned a bachelor’s degree from Alaska Pacific University. She worked with various nonprofit organizations before being hired by the state in 2009. She also chairs the Governor’s Advisory Council on Opioid Remediation and serves on the Governor’s Council on Homelessness and State Emergency Response Commission.

A former chief of staff to the governor is the new Executive Director of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA). The board of directors of the state-backed corporation appointed Randy Ruaro to the position, replacing Alan Weitzner, who resigned in November. Ruaro most recently served as Governor Mike Dunleavy’s chief of staff, managing the governor’s office and providing administrative oversight to state agencies. He has previous executive leadership experience with former governors Frank Murkowski, Sarah Palin, and Sean Parnell and in the legislative branch. Ruaro holds a degree from Willamette University College of Law. As an attorney, he worked on access issues, permitting, and state land rights for Alaska and for AIDEA projects.