think really, since the 1960s or even before that, it has just been growth, growth, growth, growth—with maybe a little lull in the ’80s,” says Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Director Alex Strawn. “Generally speaking, growth is all that we know out here in the Valley, and we have no indication that it’s going to slow down anytime soon.”

The number of stories written over the past forty years featuring some version of “Mat-Su is Alaska’s Fastest-Growing Community” could fill a book. However, with the abundance of buildable land, a strong economy, and proximity to Anchorage for higher-paying jobs, shopping, and more, the trend isn’t likely to stop.

ssues that typically trouble most Alaskans are multiplied in the state’s more remote villages. Up-to-date infrastructure, access to housing, and affordable groceries cannot be simply taken for granted.

Residents of the North Slope Borough have these obstacles against them, but they also have allies on their side. The borough is home to the state’s richest homegrown business, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. The eight village corporations in the region are also forces to be reckoned with, particularly in the Slope’s largest and northernmost community. Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) is taking steps to make life easier for its shareholders as well as other Slope residents.

“With 4,400 employees nationwide and 3,000 employees in the Lower 48, UIC does quite a bit of work out of state, though that is still for the benefit of our shareholders and our home,” says UIC Chief Administrative Officer and Deputy General Counsel Richard Camilleri.

he US Department of Defense (DOD) developed the The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) to enhance cybersecurity across its Defense Industrial Base (DIB). It was introduced in 2019 as a response to growing cyber threats and breaches targeting contractors handling sensitive DOD information, particularly Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). At its core, CMMC aims to safeguard the DIB from threats while ensuring contractors meet cybersecurity standards before securing DOD contracts. Full implementation has begun, with the final phases expected to be implemented as soon as this spring.

With the final stages of implementation on the horizon, organizations need to act now to avoid falling behind the competition that is also vying for CMMC contracts. Navigating the CMMC framework requires a comprehensive understanding of its requirements, scope, and objectives. Organizations must assess their current security posture and align it with the framework’s standards, ensuring that policies, procedures, and controls are effectively implemented and maintained.

n recent years, the value of Alaska’s overseas exports has risen to record levels, now topping $6 billion annually. With seafood, minerals, and metals as the state’s leading export categories, these shipments are destined for the state’s primary export markets. These buyers are predominantly situated in the Asia-Pacific region of the world. Among these markets, China has been, and remains, the largest customer of Alaska exports for more than a decade.

Indeed, the rise of China to global economic prominence, and its growing need for natural resources to support that rapid growth, has translated directly into success for Alaska exports and the state’s economy generally. Many thousands of jobs across the state, for example, are tied to the export of commodities and services to China and other important markets.

he tropics don’t have an economic development council. That is, the region of the Earth between 23° north and south latitude is not treated as having a unified identity simply because it straddles the equator. Temperate latitudes, where most of the human population lives, have no special investment opportunities or regional cooperations. The Arctic stands apart in that respect, with nations touching the high latitudes and reaching toward the North Pole envisioning a shared future for this segment of the planet.

That vision encompasses renewable energy, fossil fuel energy, and infrastructure development like ConocoPhillips’ industrial road network across the Kuparuk River Unit. The uniqueness shapes the construction and engineering methods and materials for living in an extreme environment. The circumpolar frontier presents challenges for global security and openings for international cooperation. And more people will see the Arctic firsthand as maritime tourism increases.

This section is a tour of development in the Arctic, the only latitude with its own attitude.

laska sits atop many travelers’ bucket lists, and most fulfill their dream of visiting the 49th state with a cruise. A 2024 McKinley Research Group study prepared for the Alaska Travel Industry Association found that 2.6 million people visited Alaska during the 2023 summer travel season, and two-thirds of them, or 1.7 million, arrived via cruise ship. Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway were the top ports of call, with each of the Southeast cities welcoming 70 percent or more of that year’s cruise visitors.

In recent years, cruise ship aficionados and travelers looking to explore some of the world’s most remote regions have begun boarding ships that chart a course farther north, beyond the Arctic Circle. They venture into an area that encompasses the northernmost parts of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, Greenland, Russia, and Iceland.

efore he was a US senator, before he moved to Alaska, and even before he earned his undergraduate degree from UCLA, a 21-year-old Ted Stevens flew transport aircraft over the Himalayan mountains in support of the Flying Tigers, volunteer fighter pilots assisting China’s resistance against Imperial Japan. Global security was his first career and remained an area of interest for the next half century. By 1989, Stevens was a contender for Secretary of Defense.

Now, fifteen years after his passing, Stevens’ legacy continues with a namesake institution at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

The Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies (TSC) educates and collaborates with civilian and military practitioners from the United States and from Allied and partnered nations to build understanding and advance security solutions for the Arctic region. The center is the sixth and newest for the US Department of Defense (DOD).

n a landmark investment, the US Department of Energy (DOE) committed $54.8 million to provide clean energy access to Northwest Alaska’s remote communities. The Northwest Arctic Borough (NAB) made the grant request in conjunction with NANA Regional Corporation, Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC), Kotzebue Electric Association, and Renewable Energy Alaska Project. Combined with matching funds and other contributions—including a $5 million match to other funds contributed by NANA—the NAB will have $68.5 million for the initiative. The project aims to offset approximately 350,000 gallons of fuel oil annually and save regional residents $2 million in electricity and heating costs. The federal and local investment aims to address the unique energy challenges faced by the region’s remote villages while at the same time advancing energy independence and climate resilience.

Accepting the grant in February 2024, NANA CEO and President John Lincoln said, “This award is an incredible win for NANA shareholders and residents in Northwest Alaska. The cost of energy in our region creates a burden on families and suppresses economic development. By exploring other energy sources with our regional partners, we are building a stronger tomorrow with more opportunities for our shareholders.”

uilding in the Arctic requires a stable foundation. However, cold-weather designers, architects, and builders face numerous challenges in this area, ranging from permafrost and frost heaves to a dearth of proper building materials.

“In a lot of communities, like the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and Bethel area, you can’t find gravel to save yourself, so you have to work with poorer quality materials like native silts and sands,” says Steven Halcomb, principal geotechnical engineer at Devise Engineering. “This causes all kinds of challenges, both in construction and in the long-term stability of infrastructure.”

The company, which specializes in structural and geotechnical engineering, has worked in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, North Slope, Fairbanks, Canada, and Russia.

hen people discuss the pioneers in the oil and gas industry, they generally point to companies like ARCO, Exxon, and bp, which initiated oil exploration and development in Alaska in the late ‘60s. However, as oil fields age, a new type of pioneer is coming to the forefront, one that can extend the life of an oil field and enhance its production beyond what was previously expected. Hilcorp has celebrated ten years of operating the Milne Point Unit and celebrating a significant oil production increase since taking partial ownership in 2014. Now, as full owners, the company attributes its North Slope success to a well-tuned strategy and innovative applications.

he logistics required to optimize mine production and meet targeted deadlines are substantial and require external support across several sectors. From providing equipment to managing water, mining projects have specific needs often fulfilled by experts and specialists. There are numerous companies available to meet the needs of Alaska mining projects, from setting up field camps to providing equipment, supplies, and transportation. With so many moving parts to manage—in addition to the challenges of transporting supplies to extremely remote locations in a timely manner—mines often rely on third-party logistics managers to coordinate these needs.

efore the ‘90s, brick and mortar stores sold only two things: bricks and mortar. With the advent of the World Wide Web and the electronic commerce that the internet enabled, the adjective became necessary to describe what had been the only kind of stores, give or take a mail-order catalog, since stores were invented.

Ecommerce has permanently transformed the global market. It empowers people to use computers, tablets, smartphones, and other smart devices to purchase virtually anything—from everyday necessities to custom items and hard-to-find collectibles.

Brick-and-mortar businesses are leveraging the power of the internet to reach new markets, streamline operations, and enhance customer experiences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ecommerce saw a significant bump in activity—and the trend is destined to continue. According to the US Census Bureau, ecommerce sales were 15.6 percent of the country’s total retail sales in 2023. The bureau projected this percentage to increase to 20.6 percent by 2027. Current US ecommerce sales are approximately $300 billion, with Amazon.com accounting for 40 percent of this.

n a sea of flannel, denim, hard hats, and fluorescent vests, Maggy Desmond-Layral’s pink Merrell trail shoes raised eyebrows. One subcontractor took her aside.

“I remember he was like, ‘Do you need me to show you where things are?’ He was a little surprised when I handed him one of my cards and said, ‘Great. I need your numbers on the 14th, though,’” recalls Desmond-Layral, who was, in fact, paying a pre-bid visit to the site on behalf of Western Mechanical, Inc.

Her pink Merrells weren’t the only thing that stood out on the construction site at the time. Simply being female, and in charge, was an aberration.

ver heard of the Vomit Comet? It’s the aircraft astronauts use to train for weightlessness. The plane climbs and dives to give passengers about thirty seconds of weightlessness with each cycle. The experience helps the astronauts prepare for the disorientation caused by the loss of gravity.

Like astronauts, employees who don’t receive sufficient feedback are operating in a disorienting environment. They might not get nauseated, but it doesn’t mean they enjoy the ride.

Managers can change that. Research from Gallup shows that employees who receive regular, meaningful feedback are far more engaged at work. If a manager wants to perform better, contribute to company performance, and help their employees thrive at work, they must become comfortable providing clear, actionable, and timely feedback.

The Alaska Gasline Development Corporation named Texas-based Glenfarne Group as the company interested in taking over the $44 billion Alaska LNG Project. The agreement would cover an 800-mile pipeline from the North Slope to an LNG export facility in Nikiski. Glenfarne has a separate agreement with ENSTAR Natural Gas to advance import infrastructure in the same facility. Founded in 2011, Glenfarne has primary offices in Houston and New York. The company develops, owns, and operates energy infrastructure, such as the Texas LNG Project slated to export gas by 2028 from Brownsville, Texas.

glenfarnegroup.com

The most-read news website and newspaper in Alaska is getting new leadership. David Hulen, a thirty-eight-year veteran of the Anchorage Daily News and its editor since 2015, is retiring effective March 15. Managing editor Vicky Ho becomes interim editor during the search for a permanent successor. Meanwhile, publisher Andy Pennington is departing to become regional president and publisher for Adams Publishing Group in Southern Wisconsin. Pennington has overseen operations since 2018, and he will continue to consult while owner and president Ryan Binkley steps up as publisher. Also, Kea Cuaresma is promoted from chief revenue officer to vice president of revenue and community engagement, overseeing sales, subscriptions, events, and community relations. Binkley says the changes in leadership “signal an inflection point in the history of the ADN. I think when we look back on the beginning of 2025 it will mark the start of a new phase, and it’s one that I’m very excited about.”

adn.com