Andrew Guy
President & CEO
Calista Corporation
GROWTH EQUITY SUSTAINABILITY
September 2022
SEPTEMBER 2022 | VOLUME 38 | NUMBER 9 | AKBIZMAG.COM

Contents

Features

Skating Uphill

Alaska college hockey programs embrace independence while aiming for stability
By Brad Joyal

In Any Event

How to plan without missing the mark
By Crystal Biringer

Data Castles

Next-gen firewalls and managed IT security
By Tracy Barbour

Destination Denali

Premier Alaska Tours pivots from concierge to host
By Katie Pesznecker

Closing the Loop

Recycling still strong in the Interior despite a setback
By Rachael Kvapil

Roadside Refreshment

A tour of out-of-town eateries
By Amy Newman

A Light Touch

ConocoPhillips Alaska shrinks its footprint with an eye to sustainability
By Vanessa Orr
ConocoPhillips Alaska
A Light Touch

On the Hook!

A roster of sports fish in Alaska’s Interior
By Alexandra Kay
Andy Gryska | ADF&G

On the Hook!

A roster of sports fish in Alaska’s Interior
By Alexandra Kay
Andy Gryska | ADF&G
Fisher

Skating Uphill

Alaska college hockey programs embrace independence while aiming for stability
By Brad Joyal

In Any Event

How to plan without missing the mark
By Crystal Biringer

Data Castles

Next-gen firewalls and managed IT security
By Tracy Barbour

Destination Denali

Premier Alaska Tours pivots from concierge to host
By Katie Pesznecker

Closing the Loop

Recycling still strong in the Interior despite a setback
By Rachael Kvapil

Roadside Refreshment

A tour of out-of-town eateries
By Amy Newman

A Light Touch

ConocoPhillips Alaska shrinks its footprint with an eye to sustainability
By Vanessa Orr
ConocoPhillips Alaska
A Light Touch
Special Section: ALASKA NATIVE

About The Cover

From December of 2017 to October 2020, Calista Corporation’s number of shareholders grew from 13,300 to more than 33,000. This is because Calista shareholders voted to expand enrollment, accepting applications from descendants of original shareholders as well as Alaska Natives who were eligible to enroll in 1971 but did not.

According to Calista President and CEO Andrew Guy, who is the subject of our cover this month, the corporation and its shareholders have “always been family oriented” and shareholders didn’t want to “leave such a big part of our families out of Calista.”

As Guy tells it, the corporation’s shareholders center him in his position: they give him purpose, drive him to work hard, and are also what he enjoys most about his job. The value of others was instilled in him at a young age. He recalls, “When I was a kid growing up, the directive we were given by our parents and elders was to go out and get a Western education on top of our traditional education so that we could bring that knowledge back to help our families and our people.”

Photo by Janna Hardy
Alaska Business (ISSN 8756-4092) is published monthly by Alaska Business Publishing Co., Inc. 501 W. Northern Lights Boulevard, Suite 100, Anchorage, Alaska 99503-2577; Telephone: (907) 276-4373. © 2022 Alaska Business Publishing Co. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Alaska Business accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials; they will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. One-year subscription is $39.95 and includes twelve issues (print + digital) and the annual Power List. Single issues of the Power List are $15 each. Single issues of Alaska Business are $4.99 each; $5.99 for the July & October issues. Send subscription orders and address changes to circulation@akbizmag.com. To o. To order back issues ($9.99 each including postage) visit simplecirc.com/back_issues/alaska-business.

From the Editor

In my office in Midtown Anchorage I have a limited but important library. Most of it is the managing editor’s archive, which has almost every issue we have published since our inception. The few that are missing I plan to pilfer from the larger Alaska Business Publishing Co. archive in the future after it has been fully digitized—except for one issue. Despite checking everyone’s offices (sometimes with their permission), I’ve never been able to locate an individual copy of one of our older magazines: February 1988. We have a copy that’s bound into a larger volume, which is incredibly fortunate, but that little piece of our history is gone, and the archive in my office will remain one issue short for as long as it exists.
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Volume 38, #9
Editorial Staff
Managing Editor
Tasha Anderson
907-257-2907
tanderson@akbizmag.com
Editor/Staff Writer
Scott Rhode
907-257-2902
srhode@akbizmag.com
Social Media
Carter Damaska
907-257-2910
enews@akbizmag.com
Editorial Assistant
Emily Olsen
907-257-2914
emily@akbizmag.com
PRODUCTION Staff
Art Director
Monica Sterchi-Lowman
907-257-2916
design@akbizmag.com
Design & Art Production
Fulvia Lowe
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Website Manager
Taylor Sanders
webmanager@akbizmag.com
Photo Contributor
Kerry Tasker
BUSINESS STAFF
President
Billie Martin
VP & General Manager
Jason Martin
907-257-2905
jason@akbizmag.com
VP Sales & Marketing
Charles Bell
907-257-2909
cbell@akbizmag.com
Senior Account Manager
Janis J. Plume
907-257-2917
janis@akbizmag.com
Senior Account Manager
Christine Merki
907-257-2911
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Full-Charge Bookkeeper
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907-257-2901
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CONTACT
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Education
Sam Wasson | UAA
Skating Uphill
Alaska college hockey programs embrace independence while aiming for stability
By Brad Joyal
T

he news became official on the last Friday of June 2019. The college hockey landscape would never be the same, and the UAA and UAF hockey programs were caught in the crossfire. Officials from both universities were surprised—stunned, really—to learn that seven of the ten schools they partnered with as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association were leaving the WCHA with hopes of creating their own conference without UAA, UAF, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the third WCHA men’s hockey team that was left behind.

Preserving cultures and enhancing communities, represented by Schwabe.
We don’t just settle on knowing your industry.
We live it.

Spotting trends and navigating turbulent waters can’t happen from behind a desk. The insights come when we put on our hard hats and meet our clients where they are.

Preserving cultures and enhancing communities, represented by Schwabe.
We don’t just settle on knowing your industry.
We live it.

Spotting trends and navigating turbulent waters can’t happen from behind a desk. The insights come when we put on our hard hats and meet our clients where they are.

Puffins
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt P.C.
420 L Street, Suite 400
Anchorage, AK 99501
(907) 339-7125
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt P.C.
420 L Street, Suite 400
Anchorage, AK 99501
(907) 339-7125

COMMUNITY
MATTERS.

Our community’s greatest resource is our people.

With a mission to unleash the full potential of every neighbor, United Way of Anchorage unites caring people to give, volunteer, and take action to remove barriers to opportunity and help local families access the building blocks of well-being – education, financial stability, and health.

How can you help?

Be a part of United Way’s Community Campaign.
When families are strong, our whole community is stronger and more vibrant.
Connect with us today to get started, 907.263.3800.

John Sims, President
ENSTAR Natural Gas Company
United Way Community Campaign Chair

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Professional Services
Orzel Photography
In Any Event
How to plan without missing the mark
By Crystal Biringer
W

hether it’s a baby shower or the Super Bowl, it’s still an event. All events may be different, but what do they have in common? And how can you be sure you have your bases covered?

First things first: if you think because you have planned one event you’ve planned them all, you are sadly in for a rude awakening. At Toast of the Town we have been producing events for a combined forty-plus years, and our experience is that no two are alike. Each has its own distinct identity, look, and feel, which is what makes them something to remember. Your event’s identity is important to understand and have fully fleshed out at the beginning of your planning process. Nailing down what the highest value of your event is and who that value targets as attendees is essential.

Telecom & Tech
Data Castles
Next-gen firewalls and managed IT security
By Tracy Barbour
A

s a growing company with locations across a wide geographical area, Alaska Rubber Group (ARG) thrives on employing top-of-the-line technology. The Anchorage-based business has made a huge, successful push with digital transformation over the past few years. Having a solid and secure IT infrastructure allows ARG to give customers access to services when, where, and how they need them. It also enables the company’s remote employees to connect and communicate consistently across teams scattered throughout Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.

Our Decades of Experience in Alaska Empower Your Future

The consultants in USI’s Anchorage & Sitka offices deliver custom commercial insurance brokerage solutions to address the unique challenges Alaska-based businesses face, so you can plan for tomorrow.

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Call Anchorage: 907.272.0114 Sitka: 907.747.8625 or visit usi.com

Employee Benefits | Property & Casualty
Programs | Personal Risk | Retirement Consulting

© 2022 USI Insurance Services. All rights reserved.

Alaska businesses that want to grow their employees look to UAF.

Undergraduate Patty McCall works with Fisheries Professor Trent Sutton, right, and master’s candidate Nick Smith collecting live samples from the Chena River for their research on the life dynamics of Arctic brook lampreys.

New online degrees in Fisheries and Social Work

Support professional growth and improve employee retention by offering educational opportunities. UAF eCampus has 52 flexible and fully online programs. Contact us about a 10% partner discount.

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Contact Teresa Thompson to get started:
tathompson2@alaska.edu
907.455.2090

UA is an AA/EO Employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.

Alaska businesses that want to grow their employees look to UAF.

Undergraduate Patty McCall works with Fisheries Professor Trent Sutton, right, and master’s candidate Nick Smith collecting live samples from the Chena River for their research on the life dynamics of Arctic brook lampreys.

New online degrees in Fisheries and Social Work

Support professional growth and improve employee retention by offering educational opportunities. UAF eCampus has 52 flexible and fully online programs. Contact us about a 10% partner discount.

Contact Teresa Thompson to get started:
tathompson2@alaska.edu
907.455.2090

UAF eCampus logo

UA is an AA/EO Employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.

Fisheries
On the Hook!
A roster of sports fish in Alaska’s Interior
By Alexandra Kay
a woman smiles holding a large fish while in the middle of a body of water

Resolve Marine Alaska

Resolve Marine Alaska

On the Hook!
A roster of sports fish in Alaska’s Interior
By Alexandra Kay
H

omer has its halibut, the Kenai its kings, Bristol Bay is famous for its sockeye, and Southeast harvests herring. Far from Alaska’s 6,640 miles of coastline, though, anglers find plenty of opportunities for sport fishing. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) counts an average of nearly 102,000 resident angler days each year in the Arctic/Yukon/Kuskokwim region, plus more than 44,000 non-resident angler days. And they’re not snagging salmon—at least, they have plenty of other options. Region III, which encompasses about 80 percent of the state, is home to thirty-seven freshwater and brackish water fish species, of which several are targeted as sport fish.

Our People.
Our Strength.
Jeanie Gusty/Yukon Equipment/Rural Alaska Sales
Our People.
Our Strength.
Jeanie Gusty/Yukon Equipment/Rural Alaska Sales
Jeanie Gusty leaning against a large tractor tire
Jeanie Gusty/Yukon Equipment/Rural Alaska Sales
Our People.
Our Strength.
The foundation of Calista Corporation is our people. We are proud of their dedication and hard work to provide economic opportunities and infrastructure in rural Alaska communities.
Yukon Equipment, Inc. logo
Calista Corporation logo
Yukon Equipment, Inc. logo
Calista Corporation logo
Equipment. Construction. Energy. Federal Contracting. Engineering. Natural Resources. Environmental. Transportation.
Alaska Native
Alaska Native Corporations
T

he Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was signed late in 1971 and paved the way for Alaska Native regional, village, and urban corporations to organize. While 2021 saw the 50th anniversary of the act itself, many of the corporations that were the result of the legislation date their creation anywhere from 1972 to 1974—and a few even later, as some early corporations merged to better meet the needs of their shareholders.

Considering the time and energy devoted to crafting the landmark act, it’s fitting to celebrate it and the corporations for more than one year.

One of the corporations celebrating half a century of operations in 2022 is Calista Corporation, whose land entitlement in the Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta comprises 6.5 million acres, approximately 10 percent of Alaska’s entire land area and roughly equivalent in size to the state of New York. Most of this land is “split estate,” an arrangement in which Calista has rights to the subsurface estate and each of the fifty-six villages in the region has rights to the surface.

Alaska Native

Clark Mishler

Alaska’s Big Twelve
An update on ANCSA regional corporations
By Vanessa Orr
J

une 2022 was a big month for golden anniversaries. All twelve Alaska Native regional corporations marked their 50th birthdays, six months after they celebrated the anniversary of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act that authorized them. The past half-century has seen all twelve—and a few village corporations—grow into the largest Alaskan-owned companies, mostly outpacing the revenue of the richest Lower 48 tribe (the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Minnesota, though it splits earnings among less than 800 members). Heading into the next half century, the corporations are exploring new ways to increase revenue, fill top positions, and ensure that they protect their lands, their shareholders, and their descendants.

woman pointing at map showing man
woman smiling at desk with pen in hand
In everything we do — from oil field services, to land management, we strive to nurture our connection to the land and strengthen our Native way of life. Learn more at www.doyon.com.
Doyon Limited logo
Alaska Native
Say Hello title with two crows

SOURCE: AK Division of Community and Regional Affairs

Yugtun/Central Yup’ik
divider
Central Yup’ik is one of the Yupik languages in the Inuit-Unangan language family. This welcome, Cama-i, quyana tailuci!, literally means “Greetings, thank you for coming!”
Deg Xinag
divider
Deg Xinag is the language of the Deg Hit’an people, one of the Athabascan languages in the Na-Dene language family. This welcome, Ndadz dengit’a?, literally means “Hello, how are you?”
Doogh Qinaq/Holikachuk
divider
Doogh Qinaq (also known as the Holikachuk language) is an Athabascan language in the Na-Dene language family. This welcome, Etla, s’coy, literally means “Hello, my grandchild.”
Häl golan/Hän
divider
Häl golan, also known as the Hän language, is an Athabascan language in the Na-Dene language family. This welcome, Nänjit dähònche?, translates roughly to mean “Hello, how are you?”
Akuzipigestun/St. Lawrence Island Yupik
divider
St. Lawrence Island Yupik, also known as Siberian Yupik, is one of the Yupik languages in the Inuit-Unangan language family. This welcome, Quyaakamsi tagilghiisi, literally means “Thank you all for coming!”
Sugpiaq/Alutiiq
divider
Sugpiaq (Sugt’stun in the Sugpiaq language) or Alutiiq is closely related to the Central Yup’ik language in the Inuit-Unangan language family. This welcome, Cama’i, literally means “Hello, welcome!”
Alaska Native

Bill Roth | McClatchy-Tribune | Alamy

Bill Roth | McClatchy-Tribune | Alamy
Shining Stars
Village and urban corporations on the rise
By Tasha Anderson
I

n addition to twelve regional corporations, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) allocated lands and funds to more than 200 village corporations. As with their regional counterparts, the village corporations are mandated to make a profit and use it to benefit their shareholders and villages. It’s no surprise that, among hundreds of corporations, no two have chosen the exact same path to meet that mandate. Below are highlights and updates for a handful of the village and urban corporations.

Alaska Native
One City, Two Capitals
The living treasure of Juneau’s Northwest Coast art
By Scott Rhode

Carter Damaska | Alaska Business

“W

e used to say—this is something we used to say—that we don’t have a word for art,” says Rosita Worl, emphasizing her own Tlingit heritage. Even though she has a PhD in anthropology, the president of Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) was surprised when she learned the Tlingit language can in fact convey the concept.

It happened at a council of traditional scholars. Worl recalls, “Our meetings are all held in Tlingit and we have simultaneous translation, and the translator came running out and said, ‘What is that word, At.nané?’ It was actually the chair, Ken Grant, who said, ‘It refers to an iconic event between a supernatural being and a human being.’”

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907.561.1011
Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge
Togiak Multipurpose Dock
Arctic Strategic Transportation and Resources Project
ANTHC Child Development Center
Yukon River Bank Stabilization Bulkhead
Chefornak Engineering Support
anchorageak | palmerak | juneauak
Simply the BEST.
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Barges, Employees, Service, and Tugboats
Cook Inlet Tug & Barge has been Alaska’s number one marine transportation company since 1924. Our committment to the Alaskan community is second to none.
Learn more at www.cookinlettug.com
Call: (907) 248-0179
Alaska Native
Preserving Alaska Native Languages
The state of Indigenous languages in Alaska
By Richard Perry

Calista Corporation

A

laska Native people have faced social and cultural harm that includes epidemics, dislocations, language loss, boarding schools, and more. For decades, communities in every region of Alaska have held culture camps to preserve and restore their cultural heritage and language. The need for these opportunities has grown greater as Elders, who are community experts in language and customary practices, have passed away.

Language is a core foundation for Indigenous cultural identity and heritage, so the loss of Indigenous Elders has been extremely troubling, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The damage to Indigenous communities and language revitalization efforts has been devastating. In Kodiak, for example, from 2020 to early 2022, half of the first-language speakers of Kodiak Alutiiq passed away, leaving no speakers of the northern Kodiak dialect and approximately seventeen speakers of the southern dialect.

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DORSEY ATTORNEYS HAVE SERVED AS TRUSTED COUNSEL TO ALASKA NATIVE CORPORATIONS AND OTHER CLIENTS FOR OVER 25 YEARS
With over two decades of history in the Anchorage community, Dorsey & Whitney provides full-service legal counsel to clients in the Alaska market and beyond. Backed up by the resources of an international law firm with over 550 attorneys across 20 offices, we offer global reach, local resources, and productive relationships. All with a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses, the risks they face, and the goals that drive them. Making us a wise choice for smart businesses everywhere.
Top Ranked Law Firm in Alaska; Client Service A-Team
wise counsel
DORSEY ATTORNEYS HAVE SERVED AS TRUSTED COUNSEL TO ALASKA NATIVE CORPORATIONS AND OTHER CLIENTS FOR OVER 25 YEARS
With over two decades of history in the Anchorage community, Dorsey & Whitney provides full-service legal counsel to clients in the Alaska market and beyond. Backed up by the resources of an international law firm with over 550 attorneys across 20 offices, we offer global reach, local resources, and productive relationships. All with a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses, the risks they face, and the goals that drive them. Making us a wise choice for smart businesses everywhere.
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ALASKA NATIVE

Marine Mammal Huntress

A tale of a Native woman on an epic quest

By Hope Roberts

Surreel Saltwaters

W

hen times are hard I tell myself, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” I am a Tlingit-Gwich’in-Koyukon Alaska Native woman who owns a deep-sea fishing charter, Surreel Saltwaters. After twenty years in the Operating Engineers union, thanks to Local 3 in Hilo, Hawai’i, I have been built to work in an industry dominated by Caucasian males.

I have never felt accepted by many social arenas as a Native woman, and like my parents and their parents, I have been challenged.

ALASKA NATIVE
Solid Foundations
Construction is a reliable business for Alaska Native corporations
By Rindi White
Calista
A

laska Native corporations are tied to the land in a very tangible sense. All twelve of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) regional corporations own companies that move the earth, lay foundations, erect structures, or provide construction materials. Construction is just one flake in a blizzard of business activities, but it is an important one. There are millions of dollars to be made in private sector building projects, plus billions more in public works.

Material Flow and Conveyor Systems Inc.
Toll Free
877-868-3569
Phone
907-868-4725
Fax
907-868-4726
6112 Petersburg St.
Anchorage, AK 99507
Visit Our Website:
www.materialflow.com

local brokerage | statewide connections

Contact us for a consultation or to be added to our Newsletter

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907-244-2112
bsialaska.com

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3841 W. Dimond Blvd., Anchorage, Alaska 99502

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ESI manufactures custom equipment

Available for rent

Your source for rent or sale of earth moving equipment
For over 15 years, ESI has designed, engineered, and manufactured equipment that withstands the test of Arctic temperatures. Providing reliable, high-performance machinery to customers in Alaska and around the world is what we do best. So, what’s your next project? Shop or rent the largest selection of JCB and locally manufactured industrial worksite equipment in Alaska at ESI.
Anchorage (907) 341-2250
Fairbanks (907) 458-9049
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Oil & Gas
ConocoPhillips Alaska

A Light Touch

ConocoPhillips Alaska shrinks its footprint with an eye to sustainability
By Vanessa Orr
C

onocoPhillips set some major milestones in 2022, producing its first oil from the Fiord West Kuparuk reservoir and setting a new drilling record from a land-based rig. The company’s optimization of new technologies and commitment to sustainable development has enabled it to reduce its footprint in the environment by extending drilling from fewer well pads, providing increased revenue and employment opportunities in the state.

The company has even bigger plans, including continued investment in Alaska and a goal of achieving net zero on its operational emissions by 2050. But there are challenges as well, according to Erec Isaacson, president of ConocoPhillips Alaska.

Prepare For Alaska’s Future

The federal infrastucture bill will transformational for our state. Prepare with online programs:

  • Master of Security and Disaster Management
  • Bachelors of Applied Management
  • Associates of Applied Business
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Contact Teresa Thompson to get started:
tathompson2@alaska.edu
907.455.2090

UA is an AA/EO Employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.

Two workers

Prepare For Alaska’s Future

The federal infrastucture bill will transformational for our state. Prepare with online programs:

  • Master of Security and Disaster Management
  • Bachelors of Applied Management
  • Associates of Applied Business
UAF eCampus logo

Contact Teresa Thompson to get started:
tathompson2@alaska.edu
907.455.2090

UA is an AA/EO Employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.

TOURISM
Destination Denali
Premier Alaska Tours pivots from concierge to host
By Katie Pesznecker
Premier Alaska Tours
P

remier Alaska Tours built its business on providing Lower 48 and international tour companies an Alaska-based army of employees, vehicles, and expertise. Because Premier markets almost entirely to the national and international wholesale market versus the individual traveler, many Alaskans have never heard of them. That’s about to change: Premier is stepping up in a big way with an ambitious development at Denali National Park & Preserve.

The planned development will unfold across 50 acres on the shoreline of Otto Lake, just outside Healy, west of the Parks Highway. From the site’s 1,788-foot elevation, the lodge-like boathouse and 300-room hotel will offer views of mountain scenery and, in the winter, blazing displays of aurora. Rounding out the complex: paved vehicle access, boardwalks for nature strolls, an on-site restaurant, employee housing, a bus maintenance facility, and more.

Environmental
Closing the Loop
Recycling still strong in the Interior despite a setback
By Rachael Kvapil
pile of old used computer hardware
“T

he community wants a recycling program,” says Matt Pearson, recycling manager for the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB). “There has been a long-time push from community members for a centralized location where they could bring materials and electronics.”

Pearson says people have many reasons for recycling, from stewardship of resources to reversing climate change. For the FNSB, the reason is more quantifiable. Each borough resident produces around 5.8 pounds of trash per person per day, above the national average of 4.4 pounds. Without recycling, every waste product ends up in the FNSB landfill on Sanduri Street in southwest Fairbanks, decreasing the lifespan of the 250-acre facility. As it stands, the landfill is designed to last until 2070. Once it’s filled, the borough will need additional acreage for a new dump site.

construction worker
PROVIDING ALASKA
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS
Our teams have 70 years of experience developing innovative waste management, recycling, industrial and emergency response services. We are dedicated to offering customers sustainable solutions to meet their environmental needs.
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PROVIDING ALASKA SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS
Our teams have 70 years of experience developing innovative waste management, recycling, industrial and emergency response services. We are dedicated to offering customers sustainable solutions to meet their environmental needs.
US Ecology logo
Anchorage
Fairbanks
Kenai
Moose Creek
Palmer
Prudhoe Bay
(833) 246-3367
Small Business
Roadside Refreshment
A tour of out-of-town eateries
By Amy Newman
F

rom top-notch burger joints to upscale fare, fresh seafood to fusion cuisine, Alaskans have no shortage of fantastic dining options—even outside of cities and larger towns. From roadside diners to intimate taverns and small cafés nestled in the woods, these small, locally owned restaurants along Alaska’s road system provide a dining experience so big, they are a destination unto themselves.

Long Rifle Lodge, Glacier View
The sight of Matanuska Glacier from the Glenn Highway is enough of an excuse to drive almost two hours out of Anchorage. The Long Rifle Lodge in Glacier View, serving food to match the spectacular scenery, is an excuse to stay for a while.

The
window
into
what’s
possible.

We’ll meet you where you are to help you see where you can go. CU1 is your window into what’s next.

cu1.org / 907.339.9485 Insured by NCUA
Credit Union 1
Inside Alaska Business
Enstar
One Canadian company is taking over Enstar Natural Gas from another. Calgary-based TriSummit Utilities agreed to acquire Alaska’s largest energy utility from fellow Alberta firm AltaGas in a transaction valued at US $800,000. In 2012, AltaGas paid $1.2 billion for Enstar’s previous holding company, Michigan-based Semco Energy (which included a Michigan gas utility). When the deal closes in early 2023, TriSummit says Enstar’s management and operations in Anchorage will be unchanged.
enstarnaturalgas.com
Sitnasuak Native Corporation
A subsidiary of the Alaska Native corporation for Nome is integrating its military uniform supply chain by acquiring a South Carolina company that prints camouflage fabric. Sitnasuak Native Corporation’s defense contractor, SNC Technical Services, is one of the largest American producers of uniforms and tactical gear for the US armed forces. Since 2017, its key supplier of government-authorized camouflage patterns has been Bennettsville Printing. Now SNC Technical Services is taking over Bennettsville Printing. The company will continue to operate under the same name and business structure.
snc.org
Economic Indicators
ANS Crude Oil Production
482,360 barrels
7.2% change from previous month
7/28/2022
Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources
ANS West Coast Crude Oil Prices
$108.77 per barrel
-4.5% change from previous month
7/29/2022
Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Statewide Employment
362,900 labor force
4.6% unemployment
6/1/2022, Adjusted seasonally.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Right Moves
Bureau of Land Management
Steve Cohn headshot
Cohn

The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) named Steven Cohn as the new Director of the Alaska State Office in Anchorage, responsible for managing 70 million surface acres and 220 million acres of federal subsurface mineral estate. Cohn’s career in federal service began with BLM more than two decades ago. He is returning to BLM from The Nature Conservancy, where he was the Alaska state director since 2018. Cohn holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University and advanced degrees from the University of California at Berkeley Rausser College of Natural Resources.

Mat-Su Senior Services
Brandi Burchett headshot
Burchett
Brandi Burchett has been selected as the new CEO of Mat-Su Senior Services, the largest nonprofit senior campus in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Burchett moved from North Carolina to Wasilla in 2019, leaving the role of vice president of behavioral health services at a federally qualified health center. Burchett earned a master’s degree in counseling from Webster University. This year, Burchett is completing an MBA from the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina.

Alaska Trends

C

ollege sports are big business. The heftiest public employee salary in forty states goes to a college football coach. In its annual analysis, USA Today found the fifty highest paid state employees nationwide in 2021 were coaches of college football or basketball, all making seven figures. Looking at the top three in each state, more than half of the 150 coach football.

Alaska is unusual, not having any college football programs, so a different public employee drew the state’s top paycheck: $371,475 for the executive director of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (abruptly dismissed last December, which some critics compared to firing a football coach during a winning season–but that’s a whole other story). An investment officer with the Permanent Fund was #3, and in between was a state prison psychiatrist at #2, which tracks with other states. In most places where football coaches aren’t in the top spot, the biggest public paycheck goes to an MD, either in a public health agency or medical school. Other than Alaska, the only exceptions are Rhode Island, where the state university president is paid the most, and Delaware, where the biggest paycheck goes to… the veterinarian for the Thoroughbred Racing Commission. Sports!

At a Glance

What book is currently on your nightstand?
I review books for the University of Alaska and other academic presses, so… I can’t tell you.

What charity or cause are you passionate about?
I really support traditional Native games. It does such great things for our Native youth and others.

What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
[She laughs] First thing I do is run and cook a pot of rice. Rice goes with everything.

What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Rome.

If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
[She laughs] Probably a mountain goat. Not only have they great horns but they also have great wool.

Rosita Kaaháni Worl headshot

At a Glance

What book is currently on your nightstand?
I review books for the University of Alaska and other academic presses, so… I can’t tell you.

What charity or cause are you passionate about?
I really support traditional Native games. It does such great things for our Native youth and others.

What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
[She laughs] First thing I do is run and cook a pot of rice. Rice goes with everything.

What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Rome.

If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
[She laughs] Probably a mountain goat. Not only have they great horns but they also have great wool.

© Sydney Akagi

Off the Cuff

Rosita Kaaháni Worl
R

osita Worl’s Tlingit name, Kaaháni, means “woman who stands in the place of a man.” During her life, Worl has made the place where she stands her own.

As an enthusiast for cultural survival with an eye toward changing institutions, Worl studied anthropology at Alaska Methodist University (now Alaska Pacific University) and then earned her master’s degree and doctorate from Harvard. She now leads Sealaska Heritage Institute, a nonprofit arm of the regional Native corporation for Southeast, preserving and promoting the traditions of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people.

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Thanks for reading our September 2022 issue!