At a Glance
Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith [a.k.a. J.K. Rowling].
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
I’m on the board of the Healing Hand Foundation. It’s a charity that supports Natives and veterans in Southeast Alaska to meet their copay requirements for the Indian Health Service arm down here.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
I go straight to the gym. I work out after work. It’s the way I relieve stress.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
The Great Barrier Reef. I love to scuba dive.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
None! [he laughs] I don’t want to clean up after a domesticated wild animal!
At a Glance
Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith [a.k.a. J.K. Rowling].
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
I’m on the board of the Healing Hand Foundation. It’s a charity that supports Natives and veterans in Southeast Alaska to meet their copay requirements for the Indian Health Service arm down here.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
I go straight to the gym. I work out after work. It’s the way I relieve stress.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
The Great Barrier Reef. I love to scuba dive.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
None! [he laughs] I don’t want to clean up after a domesticated wild animal!
Off the Cuff
oming from Wasilla, the career of a professional surfer didn’t make sense to McHugh Pierre, much as he wished it could. Instead, he followed another dream. He studied journalism at UAA and worked in TV news. Covering public issues led to an interest in government, so he joined the communications office of then-Governor Frank Murkowski. After running his own public relations firm, Quantum Communications, Pierre was hired by the urban Native corporation for Juneau, Goldbelt, Inc., in 2015. Within five years he was elevated to CEO. Now he oversees 1,500 employees across various business sectors.
Goldbelt is heavily invested in tourism, operating the only aerial tramway in Southeast Alaska, which carries visitors 1,800 feet up into the rainforest. When asked if tourists would come to Juneau without intensive marketing, Pierre simply indicates the view from his porch in Douglas, looking across Gastineau Channel to cruise ships docked under a welcoming sunny sky. Totally rad, surfers might say.
McHugh Pierre: I really like to seek adventure. I love to downhill ski. I love to ride my motorcycle.
AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?
Pierre: No there isn’t… [but] Every day I work on being thankful for the day that I’m given. I don’t know that that’s a skill.
AB: What is the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Pierre: The most daring thing in the eyes of everybody is skydiving… More importantly, the most daring thing to me is speaking truth to power. Anytime you’re in a position where you have to speak the truth to an authority who may not want to hear it, but you’re obligated to do that—that’s a daring thing. I’ve found myself in a position to do that on a number of occasions, and I’m proud to say I’ve always stood up and done the right thing.
AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
Pierre: The Island Pub [in Douglas].
AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?
Pierre: Michael Jackson [Thriller era].
Pierre: I really enjoy dressing up and wearing nice clothes… I probably have a more extravagant wardrobe than most Alaskan men.
AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute?
Pierre: My best attribute is my positive attitude. I love every day, and I’m very serious when I wake up with enthusiasm and excitement. I would also say that’s my worst attribute because a lot of people aren’t really excited Monday morning when I come in cheery and whistling and smiling, and I think it’s the best day of the week. That definitely has to be tempered and applied appropriately. My buddies give me a hard time; they say I have toxic positivity. I like to say it’s unhinged optimism. 
To see where Goldbelt ranks among the Top 49ers, choose this article.