Alaska Business September 2020

OIL & GAS: RIG ROUND-UP | UNITING RAILBELT UTILITIES | ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

SPOTLIGHT

DROPPING IN ON BRIAN ADAMS

September 2020

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CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOLUME 37 | NUMBER 9 | AKBIZMAG.COM

FE AT UR E S 80 CONSTRUCTION Off the Beaten Path

Navigating construction planning outside of the road system

10 FINANCE Closing Time

94 MINING

By Tracy Barbour

Digging Deep for Clean Energy

18 HEALTHCARE

By Isaac Stone Simonelli

Attracting potential buyers to your business

Healthcare 2.0

Advanced medical technology supports Alaskans’ health

By Isaac Stone Simonelli

An Alaska solution to America’s foreign mineral dependency

Millrock Exploration Corporation

Bettisworth North Architects

By Julie Stricker

24 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES The Whole Package

Companies use unique employee benefits to keep staff healthier and happier

By Tracy Barbour

88 OIL & GAS

Oil Rig Round-up A look at Doyon’s ‘Beast’ and other North Slope engineering feats

By Julie Stricker

102 ENERGY

The Railbelt Reimagined Navigating an energy landscape that works for Alaska

By Danny Kreilkamp 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. © 2020 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 & December issues. Send subscription orders and address changes to circulation@akbizmag.com.

To order back issues ($9.99 each including postage) visit simplecirc.com/back_issues/alaska-business.

4 | September 2020

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CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOLUME 37 | NUMBER 9 | AKBIZMAG.COM

A L A S K A N AT I V E S P E C I A L S E C T I O N 40 MOLLY OF DENALI Honored for authenticity, inclusion

By Vanessa Orr

46 WE LEARN WHEN WE LISTEN Alaska’s Native corporations share the wisdom of their Elders Compiled by Tasha Anderson

52 A FAIR COUNT

Alaska’s mixed relationship with the Census

By Amy Newman

58 ACQUIRING MORE THAN A BUSINESS

Alaska Native corporations take holistic approach to growth

By Vanessa Orr

66 THE HOME STRETCH

As land transfers promised in the ‘70s wind down, difficult conveyances remain

By Sam Friedman

2018 Emmy Winner

Ash Adams

72 ALASKA NATIVE DIRECTORY

TRUE NORTH The Story of ASRC

42 "IN THE SPOTLIGHT"

From the parks of Girdwood to the cover of TIME magazine—dropping in with Brian Adams

By Danny Kreilkamp

ABOUT THE COVER

32 SPREADING THE WORD

For more than 45 years, ASRC’s mission has been to actively manage its businesses,

ASRC

Alaska its lands andNative resources,corporations its investments, and its relationships to enhance Iñupiaq cultural and economic freedom – with continuity, responsibility, and integrity. And this is only the start. harness the power of media Strengthening Alaska Through Our Values since 1972 to share history, culture

By VanessaA Orr PRODUCTION

OF ASRC EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

If you happened to pick up this magazine expecting articles on the latest trends in fashion and art… you could be forgiven. Photographed by Ash Adams, the September cover of Alaska Business features the striking portrait of an artist whose work is no stranger to covers: photographer and hometown-hero Brian Adams.

In celebration of our Alaska Native special section and an overarching theme of Alaska Natives in the media, we invited the artists to collaborate—and the result is something special. For more footage from the shoot, and more on Brian Adams’ journey to becoming one of the most sought-after photographers in town, make sure to check out In the Spotlight.

Photography by Ash Adams

QUICK READS 108 INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS 6 | September 2020

110 RIGHT MOVES

112 ALASKA TRENDS

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FROM THE EDITOR

Being Counted T

his year will go down in history for many things—a worldwide pandemic, a presidential election, a total shift in how we live our daily lives… so it could be easily forgiven if one were to forget that 2020 is also a Census year. Required by the US Constitution, legislators have been using data collected during the surveying process for 230 years to determine congressional representation and to inform how more than $675 billion in federal funding is distributed to communities nationwide.

Alaska is renowned for many things, but our response to the census is not one of them; when it comes to filling out our census forms, we rank dead last in the nation. And of the Alaska population, it is often the state’s Native people who are counted the least.

Late last year census officials held a consultation with the Alaska Federation of Natives that included nearly 140 tribal participants representing 58 tribes, villages, and Alaska Native corporations. The problem they faced was an estimated 8 percent undercount that occurred in Alaska in 2010 (when the last Census was taken). The reasons why Alaska Native people continue to be underrepresented are familiar to most Alaskans: no road systems, often no numbered addresses, and multi-family households who may not want to interact with the government or share their private data (this is Alaska… that independent spirit runs deep).

The solution included face-to-face visits from local enumerators who can speak the local languages and in-person committee meetings. And (for first time in Census history) respondents can submit the survey online, by phone, or by mail. With the plan in place, Census officials said in January that the Bureau was “on track to complete the largest, most effective Census ever.” Of course, then COVID-19 happened and we all know where we are now.

In our annual Alaska Native special section, we examine how Alaska Native organizations are spreading awareness through the media and how Census-takers adjusted course to make sure every Alaskan resident is counted. And it’s not just Census awareness that has placed a spotlight on Alaska Natives—regional and village corporations are increasingly sharing their stories and cultural history through mass media channels.

Helping to lead the charge is Brian Adams, our cover model and the award-winning Alaska Native documentarian behind the books I am Inuit and I am Alaskan. Adams, an incomparable photographer in his own right, requested Ash Adams as his photographer, and we were only too happy to comply and join an esteemed list of publications shot by Ash, including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and TIME. Speaking of time, I urge you to take some out of the day and read about how these and other incredible Alaska Native voices are telling their stories, one award-winning project at a time.

VOLUME 37, #9 EDITORIAL STAFF Managing Editor Kathryn Mackenzie 257-2907 editor@akbizmag.com

Associate/Web Editor Tasha Anderson 257-2902 tanderson@akbizmag.com

Digital and Social Media Specialist Arie Henry 257-2910 ahenry@akbizmag.com

Staff Writer Danny Kreilkamp danny@akbizmag.com

Art Director Monica Sterchi-Lowman 257-2916 design@akbizmag.com

Art Production Linda Shogren 257-2912 production@akbizmag.com

Photo Contributor Kerry Tasker

BUSINESS STAFF President Billie Martin VP & General Manager Jason Martin 257-2905 jason@akbizmag.com

VP Sales & Marketing Charles Bell 257-2909 cbell@akbizmag.com

Senior Account Manager Janis J. Plume 257-2917 janis@akbizmag.com

Advertising Account Manager Christine Merki 257-2911 cmerki@akbizmag.com

Accounting Manager Ana Lavagnino 257-2901 accounts@akbizmag.com

Customer Service Representative Emily Olsen 257-2914 emily@akbizmag.com

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FINANCE

Closing Time Attracting potential buyers to your business

By Tracy Barbour

S

elling a business is a complex transaction with many moving parts and intricate details shaped by the needs of the different parties involved.

It requires meticulous planning, from cleaning up inadequate books and tax records to sprucing up a business location or even increasing sales and reducing expenses to justify a higher asking price.

These, and other strategies, can make it easier for business owners to attract potential buyers.

One of the most common reasons owners sell their business is retirement— especially if the company is profitable.

Other situations that precipitate a sale are new opportunities, burnout, financial reasons, divorce, health problems, and death. Regardless of the rationale, experts say the deal should be a win-win for the buyer and seller.

Using Advisors to Facilitate the Deal Alaska is home to an array of financial, legal, and business experts who can facilitate the sales transaction for sellers and buyers, including bankers, merger and acquisition consultants, and law firms. A bank can be a great place to start for those looking to sell or purchase a business, says Adam Baxter, a 10 | September 2020

vice president and commercial loan officer with Northrim Bank. Bankers are uniquely connected to the community, so they can be a great source to put sellers in contact with investors or buyers. They can also refer sellers to advisors such as certified public accountants (CPAs) and brokers who buy and sell businesses for a living. “Banks are a great resource for all things,” Baxter says. “It’s a good place to start a conversation.”

A bank can also add value by connecting business owners with professionals who evaluate companies—plus it can offer upfront guidance on how the company will be evaluated.

Essentially, a banker can act as a sort of partner who helps negotiate and structure the deal.

“We can look at financial statements and tell them what is possible or not possible,” Baxter says. “We can help a customer get something that works for both parties but also works in their best interest.”

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September 2020 | 11

“Having that financial metric to show that the company is profitable is key. In addition, it would be really helpful if a seller could confirm what the business has been doing in the past and that it has room for expansion and growth.”

Andrea Canfield, Senior Associate, Stoel Rives

Baxter recommends starting the conversation with a banker and CPA. “The CPA firm is going to be able to provide a lot of expertise as far as the financial viability of the business and the best way to do things from a tax perspective,” he says.

First National Bank Alaska provides a variety of financing options for potential buyers, according to Shin Suzuki, a vice president and commercial lending unit manager at First National. This includes conventional bank financing, SBAguaranteed programs, Alaska Industrial Development & Export Authority participations, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Loan Guarantee program, as well as escrow services for the transactions and commercial and industrial financing for the future operations.

As a lender, First National typically works with the borrower or buyer to provide a range of services. By reviewing the nature of the transaction, Suzuki says, the bank consults with the borrower to find the best possible loan structure to achieve their financing and operational goals. It also discusses the customer’s future

succession plans. “Whether selling their company to employees, family members, and/or unrelated entities, we assist our customers in the early stage of succession planning and provide customized solutions to meet their unique needs,” he says.

Law firm Stoel Rives also serves as a partner for buyers and sellers. The Portland, Oregon-based company has the broad expertise to offer general guidance on deal matters as well as specialized expertise in various areas, according to Andrea Canfield, an Anchorage-based associate in the firm’s corporate group. “We’re able to represent both the buyers and sellers because we’re a full-service law firm, and we offer a wide array of specialty experience for the parties,” says Canfield, who specializes in mergers and acquisitions.

As the “deal” attorney, Canfield manages the overall purchase transaction. This involves everything from offering guidance on the deal’s structure (whether it’s an equity or asset purchase) to the purchase price (whether fixed or adjustable) and

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general due diligence advice. For sellers, Stoel Rives can help with the collection of and response to due diligence requests. For buyers, the firm can assist with the examination of due diligence materials and other aspects of the deal.

“We go beyond just general deal guidance; we also offer specialty advice in areas such as government contracting, labor and employment, and tax,” says Canfield, who was recently inducted into the National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 for Alaska and received the 2020 Chambers USA “Associates to Watch” ranking. “For example, if we represent a buyer entity and the target corporation is an S corporation, we have tax attorneys available who can advise the buyer on the tax matters relating to acquiring an S corp.”

Canfield says using a full-service law firm can be especially beneficial for a small business in a unique industry or one that operates a business regulated by federal law. “It’s best to get a fullservice law firm because then you don’t have to deal with hiring multiple

advisors and paying those advisors on different fee schedules,” she says. “Try to look for a firm that can handle the entire purchase.”

Alaska Mergers & Acquisitions represents a specialized resource for sellers who want to attract buyers and buyers looking to purchase a business. The company provides business evaluation, marketing, and sale negotiation, statewide and nationally.

As managing member of Alaska Mergers & Acquisitions, Matthew Fink advises buyers and sellers in all aspects of the closing process to assure a successful transaction. “Usually the buyer and seller both have their own attorney and CPA,” he says. “The CPAs will verify the numbers, and the attorneys will make sure the contract is fair and equitable.”

When helping sellers, Fink typically conducts a three-year cash flow analysis of the business and uses this information to determine its value.

Then he creates a sales brochure that is ultimately presented to potential buyers. “I try to make a list

of ten potential buyers of who or what companies I should reach out to first,” he explains. “When I find the right buyer, I help to negotiate the transaction from start to finish.”

He adds: “The hardest part is not getting a mutually accepted agreement in place but closing the transaction thereafter. There are always fine details specific to each business sale that come up prior to closing that may have a potential to derail the transaction.

Resolving these challenges fairly for both parties is the key to every successful transaction.”

Basically, Fink views his role as a facilitator for the transaction and feels his conflict-resolution experience is his strongest attribute.

“It has to be a ‘win-win’ for both parties,” he says. “The buyer and seller need to feel like they are getting a fair and reasonable deal.”

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In terms of buyers, Fink says there are two main types: investor buyers and owneroperator buyers.

Owner-operator buyers represent most transactions under $2 million. Usually, once the $2 million threshold is overcome, investor type buyers are more prevalent.

14 | September 2020

to prospective buyers. Baxter says it’s important to keep in mind that a buyer wants to purchase an asset or business that is generating cashflow, has assets that will be a “value add” to the operation, or will be a segue to another market that provides diversity to an existing income stream.

Therefore, it’s paramount for the seller to have well-presented financial records. If the quality of the financials and historical records are subpar, the seller may have to pay to have records produced that are sufficient to a bank or buyer. “If I were a seller, I would make sure I had coherent, wellpresented financial information that’s accurate and represents the business fairly,” Baxter says. “If it’s an assetintensive business, I would make sure I had a list of all my assets, purchase dates, and other pertinent information.

The seller should also have a list of debts, too, because that will be part of the discussion.”

Suzuki expresses similar thoughts about maintaining sufficient financial records. He says, “Keeping good financial records and demonstrating your business’ success in terms of strong cash flow and balance sheet strength will help to attract a future buyer.”

Canfield agrees, “A seller really needs to have a historical record of the business operations being profitable.”

There are also some basic strategies the seller can apply to ensure an optimal outcome for both parties.

For example, the seller can adopt a cooperative approach to the sales process, Canfield says. In fact, she says collaborative deals tend to provide the best outcome for both buyers and sellers.

For instance, the seller should push for the parties to sit down and map out the process and each party’s expectations before drafting the purchase agreement. At the beginning of the transaction, the buyer usually sends a term sheet or letter of intent to the seller that outlines the high-level terms of the deal, including the purchase price, potential closing date, and other important issues. “There are a lot of expectations, however, that can be discussed outside of the term sheet or letter of intent,” Canfield says. “If the parties can discuss expectations

before drafting the transaction documents, all of the other details will kind of fall into place. I always suggest that sellers talk about their expectations with the buyer as soon as possible. That way, the deal will go smoother and the parties tend to be happier in the end.”

When it comes to working with business owners, Fink focuses on selling operation cashflow or EBIDTA. EBIDTA, a business’ earnings before interest, depreciation, taxes, and amortization (occasionally owner’s compensation is included), is important because it helps determine the sales price. “The seller is going to get a multiple of the operation’s cash flow— typically two-and-a-half to five times for smaller businesses, sometimes more for larger ones, depending on the business and industry—when they sell the business,” Fink says. “Determining the actual cashflow from the business operation is important to fairly value the business or company.”

A principle prerequisite for sellers, Fink says, is to make sure their accounting and other numbers are accurate. This means a close inspection of their profit and loss statement, balance sheet, and tax returns, which is something Fink can do. “I basically, forensically, review their books, but I’m not a CPA,” he says.

Many small business owners expense all types of items—to the extent that they can by law, Fink says. And part of his job is to find the potential fluff or discretionary items and re-adjust those numbers back into cashflow. Fink carefully reviews discretionary items and ensures these expenses are an accurate reflection of ordinary expenses for that specific business.

So, for example, Fink may help clients ensure their inventory level is not over or under the median level for any given year. “It’s a matter of keeping inventory to an average level and making adjustments thereafter at or prior to closing,” he says.

In addition, Fink says another essential practice for sellers is to disclose, disclose, disclose.

He explains, “They should disclose all necessary information to back up all their numbers; hidden procedures or accounting practices will only cause problems down the road to closing.”

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“The hardest part is not getting a mutually accepted agreement in place but closing the transaction thereafter.

There are always fine details specific to each business sale that come up prior to closing that may have a potential to derail the transaction. Resolving these challenges fairly for both parties is the key to every successful transaction.”

Matthew Fink, Managing Member Alaska Mergers & Acquisitions

16 | September 2020

Chief Concerns for Buyers In terms of buyers, Fink says there are two main types: investor buyers and owner-operator buyers.

Owner-operator buyers represent most transactions under $2 million.

Usually, once the $2 million threshold is overcome, investor-type buyers are more prevalent.

While these two kinds of buyers will have varying considerations, the viability of the business remains a crucial deciding factor. Prospective buyers look at a company’s potential— its longevity and growth opportunities.

“If a business doesn’t have staying power, future potential, or synergistic value to an existing company, they are not going to sell,” Fink says.

Canfield says a business should also be able to show profitability and sustainability. Buyers, she says, will usually look at the EBIDTA to determine if a business is a worthwhile investment. This information can help them analyze and compare profitability among companies and industries, as it eliminates the effects of financing and capital expenditures.

Typically, buyers will examine the previous fiscal year’s EBITDA. If the business can provide a two- or threeyear look back, that’s even better. “That will show to buyers that the profitability isn’t a fluke; it’s historical and something must be going right with the company,” she says.

“Having that financial metric to show that the company is profitable is key. In addition, it would be really helpful if a seller could confirm what the business has been doing in the past and that it has room for expansion and growth.”

For a small business, Canfield says, buyers typically are looking at the operational perspective. They’ll be looking at the management of the small business and exploring an assortment of revealing questions: Is the management team efficient? Do they work well together? Do they have a good reputation in the community? Is the management team collaborative?

Do they know how the business runs?

Buyers will also assess the back office. They’ll consider compliance relating to accounting practices, benefits programs, taxes, and other key areas. “Buyers want to make sure that

when they purchase your company, they’re not inheriting something that’s problematic,” Canfield says.

Good recordkeeping is also important to buyers, Canfield says.

Potential buyers want to see a strong recordkeeping system replete with accurate balance sheet, statement of income, cash flow, and tax reporting information. And for the operations of the business, there should be records of the owners of the business, disciplinary issues with employees, and past and current litigation. “Buyers are uncomfortable with buying a business with insufficient records. Buyers often think that if you don’t know what’s going on with your business, they will not know either,” she says. “But when the records are readily available and complete, the buyer always feels a little bit more comfortable.”

Expert Advice Canfield recommends that business owners who are interested in selling be proactive. They should begin searching for potential buyers and feel comfortable approaching them first.

“There’s no harm in going out and looking for a buyer,” she says. “That may make the process move a little quicker.

Sellers do not have to wait for a buyer to approach them.”

Baxter says people should make sure they understand upfront what they’re trying to accomplish with the sale and what the legal and tax implications are.

“The most important thing is to get a good team in place—a banker, CPA, and attorney—whether you’re buying or selling,” he says.

Likewise, Suzuki says: “Whether you are a current business owner or a future potential buyer, maintain a good relationship with your business banker and/or loan officer. A good lender should be accessible and have the local knowledge to help you reach your business goals.”

In addition, small business owners can take advantage of the SBA’s online course: Selling or Exiting Your Business.

The self-paced, thirty-minute training provides an overview of how to sell or close a business, along with topics that include defining a business exit strategy, transferring ownership of a business, steps to closing a business, and preparing a sales agreement.

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

A

H E A LT H C A R E

Healthcare 2.0

Advanced medical technology supports Alaskans’ health

18 | September 2020

Daria Bayandina | iStock

By Isaac Stone Simonelli

laska is not typically known for its cutting-edge medical technology but that’s changing, and quickly, as the state becomes home to more state-of-the-art medical devices and continues to serve as a premier testing ground for one of the more advanced telemedicine systems in the nation.

“Alaska is a place that may have some of the greatest needs for telehealth and the greatest capacity for telehealth. And, I think, some of the greatest environments to test and use telehealth,” Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) CIO Stewart Ferguson says.

ANTHC has the only federally funded National Telehealth Technology Assessment Center (TTAC). Its goals are to test, evaluate, and create betterinformed telehealth technology users.

“We have a telemedicine cart: a physical cart [at more than 200 health clinics throughout the state] that may contain up to thirteen medical devices,” Ferguson says. He explains these carts may have digital cameras, an otoscope (to take images of the eardrum), a tympanometer (to measure flexibility and pressure on the eardrum), a dental camera, an audiometer (for hearing tests), an EKG, and a number of other devices, noting that Alaska historically has one of highest rates of ear disease in the world. “Every one of these devices goes through a thorough review so we can make sure we get the right devices.”

When testing out these devices for telehealth uses, the T TAC team considers diagnostic effectiveness, durability, reliability, ease of use, and price.

“It’s best when it’s easy to use, as that simplifies the training at the many sites throughout Alaska. And it has to be reliable because, if it breaks, it's very expensive to get out to a village to replace or fix it,” Ferguson says.

“We work months at a time to review devices before we'll pick one that we will buy in large volume and deploy throughout Alaska.”

Due to increased demand from the pandemic, one of the most significant advancements in telemedicine is a shift toward providing significant telehealth services not only in clinics and hospitals but also in patients’ homes.

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Evolution of Telemedicine ANTHC and the Alaska Tribal Health System was an early adopter of telehealth, getting on board with the system in the ’90s.

“That was not live audio or video.

We did not have sufficient bandwidth to support that. We relied initially on ‘store-and-forward’ telehealth. You can think of it as a kind of email or texting kind of concept. We've done that for twenty years, and we've done almost half a million encounters,” Ferguson says.

In 2013, the Alaska Tribal Health System moved toward a statewide video conferencing-based telehealth system, providing live audio and video visits in clinics. However, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that escalated the move from offering telehealth services in regional and local facilities into patient homes.

ANTHC went from having zero inhome consultations in February and March to about 6,000 a month starting in April, Ferguson says.

“That's just ANTHC. Statewide, the Alaska Tribal Health System is doing

many thousands of telehealth visits directly into patient homes every month,” Ferguson says.

“We're able to manage the care of the patients in many ways without them having to come back into our facilities. There are many organizations, ours included, that have invested significantly in the technology. This was not something that we just flipped the switch and did easily. We had to find and purchase the right technology—the platforms that we use for this—through rigorous testing and evaluation with our partners, and we listened to our patients.”

TTAC’s rapid review of teleconference solutions on the marketplace in the wake of the pandemic resulted in the company’s preference for a now household name: Zoom.

Zoom was “definitely better” when it came to managing the connectivity challenges associated with satellitebased communication, as well as providing the best possible image and audio file transfers for the fewest number of bytes, Ferguson says.

Due to increased demand from the pandemic, one of the most significant advancements in telemedicine is a shift toward providing significant telehealth services not only in clinics and hospitals but also in patients’ homes.

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“You have the situation where people that have cell plans in the villages are sometimes limited by the number of bytes per month they can use before they get into overcharges or slowdowns,” Ferguson notes.

ANTHC is also using telehealth to better support care for mental health ser vices.

“With the increased stress and challenges COVID has brought us, ANTHC has re-tooled their Crisis Incident Stress Management (CISM) team to deliver services via telehealth.

With support from the Substance

Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, ANTHC has launched treatment recovery interventions [called TRIAGE COVID-19] to address gaps escalated by COVID-19,” ANTHC Director of Behavioral Health Dr. Cody Chipp says.

“TRIAGE offers a call line to provide on-demand brief support and links individuals to care with an ANTHC CISM team member, a behavioral health provider in their own community, or with other behavioral health providers, all via telehealth,” Chipp says.

“To date, we’ve received approximately 200 calls, with about 50 calls needing additional support beyond the initial connection. We are excited to continue this work to support our communities statewide during these challenging times.”

Providence is supporting another effective form of telemedicine—in the ICU. ICU telemedicine allows small hospitals with limited capacity in their critical care unit to work with an organization with high-end ICU specialists who can monitor patient health remotely. Such systems allow staff to potentially intervene earlier if needed and to make decisions if the patient has to be transferred to the next level of care.

The Providence Alaska Medical Center adopted ICU telemedicine about a decade ago.

“Healthcare organizations are large sophisticated organizations, so they'll evaluate technology, processes, equipment, programs, services, just like any other, where you go through a clinical and business evaluation,” says Preston Simmons, chief executive for Providence Health & Services Alaska.

Clinical evaluation reviews establish equipment performance, determining if the technology makes a difference, is a more effective substitute for something that already exists, or creates better value.

“When you look at those aspects from a patient lens: Is it going to provide value to the patient? Is it going to improve outcomes for quality of life… their daily living requirements?”

Simmons asks. “Then you also have to look at it from a business standpoint as an organization: Is it cost-effective?”

Keeping It Local Residents living beyond wellequipped, urban hubs rely more heavily on community-based hospitals or critical access hospitals, which are often connected to one of the larger healthcare providers in the state.

“In Anchorage, in terms of technology, we have [almost] anything the Lower 48 has,” Simmons says, pointing toward Providence’s advanced CyberKnife system, infusion therapy, and linear accelerators used at the Providence Cancer Center.

20 | September 2020

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“CyberKnife is a pretty rare type of technology. You might have one of those in Seattle or [other places in] Washington State, for example. We really try to make sure that the care and technology that's needed for… neurosciences, cancer, heart disease, orthopedics… are provided in the Anchorage community and elsewhere.”

Providing technology that is economically viable in Anchorage or in more remote parts of the state boils down to affordability, which often has to do with population health size, Simmons says.

“As you can imagine, in a market in the Lower 48, you might have millions of people that support a certain type of technology. Here, you have a much smaller population, so it is more expensive to have those technologies up here,” Simmons says. “There is a balance of having a certain type of technology… and having to spread that cost over a smaller population.

But you really need it, because it's a 1,500 -mile flight from Anchorage down into another population center that might have those types of technologies. We have to have them just to be able to support the trauma and those needs.”

Because of the need to balance cost of care and care provided within the state, there are some devices and systems that don’t make sense to maintain in Alaska, such as a cyclotron—a high-tech device used for imaging procedures, Simmons explains.

“We try to keep as much care locally as possible—that's important. We have the only children's hospital in the state and that is heavily, heavily subsidized, because we have all these subspecialists, which typically take millions of population to support,” Simmons says. “We don't have that, but it’s the right thing to do for the children of Alaska. So, we have very sophisticated newborn intensive care units, transport systems, subspecialties, and those types of things. The care provided is commensurate with things you would get down in major children's hospitals.”

“It’s best when it’s easy to use, as that simplifies the training at the many sites throughout Alaska. And, it has to be reliable because if it breaks, it's very expensive to get out to a village to replace it or fix it. We work months at a time to review devices before we'll pick one that we will buy in large volume and deploy throughout Alaska.”

Stewart Ferguson, CIO, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

The Dawn of 2.0 In addition to many of the advanced—and heavily subsidized— technologies Providence offers in Anchorage, Simmons recognizes www.akbizmag.com

Alaska Business

September 2020 | 21

“We try to keep as much care locally as possible— that's important. We have the only children's hospital in the state and that is heavily, heavily subsidized, because we have all these subspecialists, which typically take millions of population to support. We don't have that, but it’s the right thing to do for the children of Alaska. So, we have very sophisticated newborn intensive care units, transport systems, subspecialties, and those types of things. The care provided is commensurate with things you would get down in major children's hospitals.”

Preston Simmons Chief Executive Providence Health & Services Alaska

22 | September 2020

the vital impor tance of telehealth in Alaska.

He says there’s been a long-term investment in telehealth, and funding is really “ramping up.” Part of this digital revolution within healthcare services are technological systems that perhaps are not as flashy as a CyberKnife but more ubiquitously vital—record keeping.

“Traditionally, healthcare has been very acute centric, meaning that a lot of healthcare in many communities is wrapped around the hospital, and ever y thing becomes kind of siloed… what we're moving to at Providence, overall, is something we're calling Healthcare 2.0,” Simmons says.

Healthcare 2.0 is a system of care perspective that digitally enables patients and providers to connect throughout the entire lifecycle of the patient. The multi-million dollar medical record system at the Providence enterprise level connects about 20 million patients and providers across seven states.

“We're actually creating innovations and developing digital applications in partnership with large tech companies, as well as smaller tech companies, and bringing those to market relatively quickly,” Simmons says.

A major benefit of digital systems is the ability to create integrated care pathways.

“What Twistle does, for example, as an automated, high-engagement platform, is it guides the patient through episodes of care,” Simmons says. “It really helps the recovery protocol for patients through education reminders messaging; all of it is HIPAA compliant.”

Pilot projects testing Twistle, run

by Providence, saw a 16.5 percent reduction in overall complications from spinal surgery, a 5 percent reduction in length of stay, more than a 22 percent reduction in appointment cancellations, and a 7 percent increase in satisfaction rates compared to patients who don’t use the application.

“There was a 26 percent reduction in patient calls to the clinic, meaning that they were less confused because they had the information they need,” Simmons says.

Providence has also been investing heavily in building virtual care platforms, such as Providence Express Care, which was rolled out in Alaska last year.

The platform works as a substitution for situations where patients were going to the emergency room for issues that are not considered medical emergencies.

“They’re a higher-touch, lowercost way for patients to get access to primary care,” Simmons says.

Without insurance, the cost of an Express Care visit is $149, while an Express Care Virtual visit is $49 dollars, Simmons says.

“The Express Care Virtual visit you can do on your cell phone. The physician can prescribe medicine... they can look at your throat and those types of things—it's pretty impressive,” Simmons says, noting that there was a surge in Express Care Virtual appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Anchorage three Express Care facilities were transformed into Express Care Virtual.

“It decompressed our emergency department, helped prevent the spread of COVID, and it literally transformed care very rapidly because of the technology innovations that we have made,” Simmons says.

Within a two-week period, the Providence system converted to virtual care platforms for about 8,000 physicians in seven states so they could provide Zoom consultations for their patients, many of whom are expected to permanently adopt the high-touch, virtual experience.

“Those are technology investments in terms of virtual care that we, because of the historical investments we made, were able to turn over and respond to COVID, which now will make a permanent change in terms of how healthcare is provided for years into the future,” Simmons says.

“Those types of advancements in Alaska will be very important to continue to keep care local and do telehealth advancements into the small communities through telecenters, telebehavioural health, and tele-ICUs… It creates better patient satisfaction and value by creating access to care and capacity at a much lower cost.”

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

The Whole Package

Companies use unique employee benefits to keep staff healthier and happier

24 | September 2020

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petervician | iStock

By Tracy Barbour

A

laska businesses across various industries are using unique employee benefits to recruit new talent and help their existing workforce be more productive, healthy, and engaged. Many companies are focusing on inventive ways to promote employee well-being. Some offerings are directly correlated to health, such as onsite or near-site clinics; health fairs and flu shots; or onsite fitness equipment and gym memberships.

There’s also been an increase in companies offering wellness-related education and perks, from exercise and cooking classes to healthier food options available in lunchrooms or during meetings, according to Colleen Savoie, a principal and employee benefits producer at Parker, Smith & Feek. “For example, one of our clients subsidizes healthy options in their cafeteria; less-healthy options are offered at full price,” she says. “Some clients are making changes, such as removing sugary drinks like soda and replacing them with tea or flavored water.”

For many businesses, Savoie says, the definition of wellness has evolved beyond physical health.

These employers are also looking for ways to promote mental and financial wellbeing—especially now with many people worried about COVID-19 and the economy. Apart from offering flexible schedules and resources to facilitate working from home, some companies are looking for novel ways to support employees. Some employers are promoting benefits that were previously offered but overlooked such as the services available through an employee assistance program. These programs typically offer help with personal and family challenges, as well as access to legal and financial counseling.

With Millennials and Generation Z making up a larger part of the workforce, employee benefits are evolving in interesting ways. For instance, pet insurance is becoming more popular as a perk, although not as prominently in Alaska. And more employers are offering student loan repayment as either a direct benefit or as an alternative option to a 401(k).

They’re also supporting employees’ personal values and causes. “We’ve learned that Millennials value a sense of

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Peak-a-Week hiking adventure with Spawn Ideas staff, friends, and family members (and dogs) at the Crow Pass Trail.

Amy Adams

mission, and we see more companies directing charitable contributions to their employees to donate to causes they believe in or providing paid time off to volunteer,” Savoie says.

Parker, Smith & Feek Tests New Benefits As an employee benefits broker and consultant, Parker, Smith & Feek

is in a unique position to test new benefits and programs on its own staff. Over the past two years, the firm has focused a segment of its wellness efforts on work/life integration. As part of that focus, in 2019, the company gave each employee $1,000 to spend on an experience of their choosing.

Some employees used the money to subsidize a family trip while others took

their families to theater or sporting events. Afterward, they shared photos and stories about their experience. “As a result, we were able to get to know each other and our families better,” Savoie says.

This year, Parker, Smith & Feek decided to concentrate on different community causes that its employees support with their time and money. So the company is giving each of its 303 employees one day of paid volunteer time off. The company also gifted every employee $500 to donate to the 501(c)(3) charity of the employee’s choice. “Although our Community Giving program started prior to the pandemic, we recognize the value now more than ever,” Savoie says.

It’s difficult to measure the impact of non-traditional benefits, Savoie says. But she feels that her company’s robust wellness program has contributed to a decrease in the prevalence of chronic conditions and an increase in employee satisfaction.

“Our high employee retention rate is one reflection,” she says. “We also observe a high level of employee

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satisfaction in our annual employee engagement surveys, which are conducted by a third party.”

Employee benefits continue to evolve at Parker, Smith & Feek. “In our current economic climate, employers need to focus their compensation and benefits spend where employees see the most value,” Savoie says. “For us, that means we will get creative and find new ways to help our clients attract and retain great employees.”

Spawn Ideas Offers Creative Benefits Spawn Ideas strives to match its values with the benefits it offers employees.

That’s why the full-service advertising agency is expanding its list of twelve paid holidays to include Juneteenth.

And earlier this year, the firm introduced “PAWternity” leave to give employees two days off if they get a new pet and two days off if they lose a pet. “It lets employees bond with new pets or grieve when one passes,” says President and CEO Karen King. “They love it.”

In addition to earning personal leave (starting with twelve days for the first year) and sick leave (one sick leave day for every two months of full-time work), employees at Spawn Ideas annually receive a $200 activity bonus.

They can use the funds—which are a hit with employees—to pay for statepark passes, ski passes, race-entry fees, or whatever activity they want.

Describing the motivation for giving the financial perk, King says: “We encourage you to be active. Here’s a little money to help out.”

Another popular Spawn Ideas perk is peer-to-peer awards. Peers bestow weekly “Applause” and “Thank You” awards for recognition as well as a monthly “King Salmon” award that gives the winner temporary access to a garage parking space. Spawn Ideas also gives out a rare “Punch Above Your Weight” award to employees who share business ideas that help the agency advance. “These kinds of things really help people to feel valued and think outside the box,” King says.

Other benefits include an in-office kegerator, free snacks, an in-office gym, gym membership at The Alaska Club, half-day summer Fridays, paid time off for volunteering, weekly organized www.akbizmag.com

summer hikes, and family ice fishing.

On top of these perks, Spawn Ideas is an employee-owned business. And its staff are automatically entered into the company’s 401(k) and receive employee stock ownership.

The extensive benefits provided by Spawn Ideas help create a fulfilling workplace and increase employee satisfaction, King says. They make everyone feel more valued and enhance their quality of life. “When you are listening to your people and their ideas, and you are providing these benefits and the type of culture that we do, your people feel part of an organization that is relevant today,” she says.

King says employees of Spawn Ideas express that they are “very satisfied” with workplace culture. And they often describe the company as a very family-friendly workplace—which is not surprising, given Spawn Ideas’ babyfriendly environment. “New parents who come back from maternity or paternity leave can bring their baby back to work with them until the baby crawls,” King explains.

As a testament to its employeefriendly culture, the company was named for eight consecutive years on Outside magazine’s list of 50 Best Places to Work in America. The company earned this distinction from 2012 to 2019, coming in as high as number four on the list.

While Spawn Ideas endeavors to maintain a positive culture, King emphasizes that culture is more than employee benefits and perks. It’s an attitude. She explains: “It’s how we work together, not just what we give to employees… It’s providing a real comfortable, attractive, and progressive place for people to work, led by agency values. It’s the quality of the workplace itself.”

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Spawn Ideas employees doing yoga in Hatchery #1 (a conference room).

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eight employees also have sixteen days of paid time off per year, along with flexible scheduling that allows them to work some hours from home.

Business Insurance Associates also focuses on the well-being of its

employees. As part of its employee wellness program, it provides memberships to The Alaska Club and brings a massage therapist into the office once a week to give chair massages.

Unsurprisingly, the company’s employees love the twenty to thirty minutes they spend each week with the massage therapist, says President Christopher Pobieglo. It’s a chance for them to not only relax and have their body taken care of but also their mind.

They also appreciate the company’s flexible approach to scheduling. “Most of our staff have children, and that flexibility in the schedule is very important,” he says. “I think, overall, the benefits we offer help convey the important message to our staff that we care about them, their families, and their wellness, both physically and mentally.”

The company also offers continuing education, which varies from webinars to in-person conferences and classes.

“Business Insurance Associates has always invested in employee development and education and pays 100 percent of those costs,” says

Pobieglo. “For example, we hired a new account executive this past year and covered the full cost for them to travel to the Lower 48 and attend a weeklong insurance producer school.”

The company’s benefits package is an important part of attracting and maintaining good employees. Not only do the benefits foster professional development and wellness among staff but they also have a positive impact on the company. Pobieglo explains, “We’ve had very little turnover in the past ten years and certainly that’s due, in part, to providing our staff with a competitive compensation program, and an important part of that is the benefits package offered.”

GCI Uses Unique Benefits to Stay Competitive The staff at GCI enjoy a number of nontraditional benefits, including the opportunity to sample some of the company’s newest products. GCI employees can test out and provide monthly feedback on all its products at no cost through its employee product monitoring program.

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GCI employees can also take up to sixteen hours a year off work with pay to give back to the community.

They can use this time to work on any project they find fun, interesting, or worthwhile. “Some teams get several employees together and combine it as a team building, such as building a home with Habitat for Humanity,” says Joe Wahl, GCI’s chief human resources officer.

In addition, on Veteran’s Day GCI executives engage in a unique service project. They serve breakfast to veterans in the community to thank them for their contributions to the country.

GCI also has a “university” where its employees can take technical, leadership, and other self-development courses at no cost to the employee.

The classes can be completed both oncampus and through remote learning for employees’ convenience. “We also augment our training by providing tuition assistance at accredited universities and reimbursement for professional certification exams,” Wahl says.

The company also has recognition

programs to reward employees for doing a great job. For instance, twice a year any employee can nominate someone for its Very Impressive Performer (VIP) awards for going above and beyond their normal duties. “We host an elegant dinner for the employee and their guest and recognize each for their accomplishments and present them with a nice trophy and gift certificate,” he says.

Speaking of recognition, GCI has been recognized for being a top employer three years in a row by its current and former employees. The company has also received positive feedback through its employee engagement surveys. “In fact, our latest engagement survey, where we checked the pulse on how people are doing during the pandemic, resulted in a 74 percent response rate, and 90 percent of our employees gave the highest rating, saying our company leaders are making the right decisions,” Wahl says. “It also showed our productivity is up, and routinely we have a higher retention rate above the Alaskan crossindustry published rates.”

“We’ve learned that Millennials value a sense of mission, and we see more companies directing charitable contributions to their employees to donate to causes they believe in or providing paid time off to volunteer.”

Colleen Savoie Principal and Benefits Producer Parker, Smith & Feek

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“When you are listening to your people and their ideas, and you are providing these benefits and the type of culture that we do, your people feel part of an organization that is relevant today.”

Karen King, President/CEO, Spawn Ideas

As a final thought, Wahl says GCI believes that its success as an organization is determined by its decisions and actions as individuals aligned by shared commitment to certain key values and characteristics.

These elements are translated into employee benefits that result in better outcomes for the staff, customers, and company. “In other words, happy employees are productive employees that lead to well satisfied customers,” he says.

ASTAC: Pension and Wellness Programs Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative (ASTAC) is a company that loves its employees, says Human Resources Manager Megan Clapper.

While few businesses offer a retirement security plan or pension, ASTAC does.

“We provide it as an incentive to help us attract and retain the best employees,” she says.

ASTAC, which is a member-owned telephone utility, also maintains an active wellness program for its eighty employees. As part of the initiative, it provides $100 for employees to purchase a fitness tracker. Each year, they participate in a fitness challenge with an opportunity to win a prize for their efforts. This year’s winner, incidentally, was a technician who 30 | September 2020

worked in Deadhorse and walked to keep busy.

The company operates a Rally wellness program that involves an interactive website where employees can participate in a range of activities.

ASTAC gives its workers a $75 gift card for enrolling in Rally as well as a percentage off their health insurance premium if they submit blood work and complete a health questionnaire.

Employees can earn another $75 by submitting daily checks on their activities through their fitness tracker.

The checks, designed to cover a threeweek period, record the employee’s walking, water drinking, and other healthy habits.

The wellness program is part of ASTAC’s broader efforts to serve its employees. “We wanted to give employees more than the pension,” Clapper says. “We also wanted to make them healthier.”

Each year, the wellness program is getting better, Clapper says. Not only is the program helping employees become healthier, but it’s bringing everyone together. Employees are reaching out more to the human resources department to inquire about and participate in the company’s wellness program. “Normally, I only see employees with onboarding,” she says, “I’ve gotten to be closer with the group.”

Southcentral Foundation Invests in Its Employees At Southcentral Foundation, promoting wellness is at the core of serving its customer-owners in Anchorage and the MatanuskaSusitna Valley. It’s also important for staff at the Alaska Native-owned, nonprofit healthcare organization to maintain healthy lifestyles. That’s why Southcentral Foundation offers a variety of benefits to help its 2,800 employees enhance their physical and mental health. “The organization really cares about employees and wants them to be healthy and successful,” says Dr. Donna Galbreath, senior medical director of quality assurance.

“Southcentral really puts money and effort into their employees in whatever way they want to get help.”

Staff can use Southcentral Foundation’s wellness center to take advantage of free weights and other

exercise equipment as well as exercise classes like Zumba, yoga, and cycling. “They do a lot of classes during lunch hour, so all employees can participate,” Galbreath says.

“Every employee gets a wellness hour once a week.”

Employees can also work to rid themselves of unhealthy habits and other activities in the wellness center, including classes on elder wellness, weight loss, diabetes, tobacco cessation, and healthy cooking. There are also programs on birthing basics, breastfeeding basics, toddler time, and healthy food fun demonstrations.

Southcentral Foundation also provides a life balance program that allows users to address important health issues at their own pace. And for mental healthcare, the organization offers an employee assistance program for staff and their family members. “It deals with all sorts of things: marriage problems, parental programs, substance abuse, legal counseling, or financial counseling—and it’s all confidential,” Galbreath says.

Southcentral Foundation also operates an employee and community assistance program.

Staff who experience an unexpected or immediate hardship can apply to receive funding from the program.

“It’s like a grant—not a loan,” explains Galbreath. “It’s something Southcentral Foundation organizes, but the employees fund it.”

In addition, Southcentral Foundation offers educational opportunities through its development center. The center provides programs to help employees succeed throughout their careers. The organization also supports employees who take college classes— sometimes with paid time off. Galbreath explains: “If you’re taking off just a few hours a week, you can do that and still get paid. It’s a great program.”

Southcentral Foundation has a 98 percent satisfaction rating with its employees and an 11 percent turnover rate.

Employees are “extremely satisfied” with the organization’s benefits as well as its mission and vision, Galbreath says. “We believe in the value of the organization and the work we’re doing,” she says. “It’s such a positive model. You feel like you are doing something and making a difference.”

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H R M AT T E R S

Preventing Builder’s Risk Claims

By Kevin Sayler, Vice President, Risk Control Specialist

B

uilder’s risk insurance is a property policy purchased by building owners, developers, or general contractors to cover a loss of all or part of a building or building materials during construction.

Fire and water are the most common causes of significant losses covered by a builder’s risk policy, and trespassers often are a contributing factor.

Site security Site security is a growing issue in many regions, including Alaska. Advances in technology have led to the development of options beyond the traditional chain link fence and patrolling security guard arrangement. Continuously monitored camera systems installed around the perimeter and interior of a jobsite provide more thorough surveillance than staff on patrol. Many camera systems have the option to allow security firms to speak directly to the intruder, which often results in them leaving the site immediately. Increasingly, construction companies find this more effective than security guards that cannot monitor the entire site continuously.

Fire prevention A key policy for every construction site is a well-run hot work program managed by the general contractor with permits reissued daily. These permits, which include a separate risk assessment for each area, must be issued for activities that produce a flame, spark, or another

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significant heat source. Don’t forget activities that are out of sight, such as torch down roofing, finishing tasks like handrails, and cutting tasks like metal stud installation.

The risk of fire does not end when the hot work task is complete. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that fires can start up to four hours following hot work¹. For this reason, a fire watch should continue after hot work ends for a period of time dependent on the type of task, heat load, and combustibles present.

hoses, and pipes present risk from all directions. A leaking or burst hose during the night inside a building can cause extensive damage by the time it is found in the morning. Controls can include removing hoses at the end of the day, closing valves, and installing monitored water flow alarms.

Although the perils to a building under construction are many, integrating preventive measures during the planning stages and implementing them in the field greatly decreases the likelihood of filing a builder’s risk claim.

ht t p s: // w w w. n f p a . o rg / N e w s-a n d Re s ea rc h / P ublic atio ns-a n d - m e dia / NFPA-Journal/2017/May-June-2017/ Features/Hot-Work

1

When laying out a jobsite, think about fire safety as well. Store flammable gasses and liquids away from the building and high traffic areas, in a location protected from vehicle strikes.

Electrical safety is also important for fire prevention. Using appropriate cords for the electrical load, protecting electrical cords and junction boxes from damage, and implementing GFCI breakers all help prevent fires.

Water damage There are many potential sources of water on a jobsite; groundwater, rain,

Kevin Sayler is a Vice President and Risk Control Specialist for Parker, Smith & Feek. He has over 20 years of experience in the industry, and has been with Parker, Smith & Feek since 2016.

Kevin can be reached at kwsayler@psfinc.com or (425) 709-3614

Nick Hall Photography 2020

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

Spreading the Word Alaska Native corporations harness the power of media to share history, culture

By Vanessa Orr 32 | September 2020

W

hen Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) first aired TV commercials featuring the tagline, “A Place That’s Always Been,” the reaction was surprising. Not only because they received numerous accolades and marketing awards for the campaign but because, at the time, it was rare for Alaska Native corporations to market themselves through the media.

“Prior to us launching the campaign eight years ago, Alaska Native corporations weren’t known for promoting themselves in the public beyond reaching out to our own shareholders,” explains BBNC President and CEO Jason Metrokin.

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

“Some of the elders on our board were concerned that everyone—from the state and federal government, to resource developers, to commercial fishermen and recreational users—had plans for Bristol Bay, so we decided that we needed to create a voice for ourselves,” he adds. “We wanted everyone to understand the value of our culture, our land holdings, and our region.”

In the case of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), its foray into outside media gained attention when the corporation decided to update a cultural orientation video, which led to the airing of the now awardwinning True North, The Story of www.akbizmag.com

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Attorneys Bill Van Ness and Jim Wickwire are interviewed for True North, the Story of ASRC in early 2016.

ASRC

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Creating Award-winning Campaigns Having rebranded a few years prior with a new logo and other marketing components, BBNC was open to the idea of sharing its story through mass media channels.

“We started an ad campaign that included print, television, and ultimately

“Some of the elders on our board were concerned that everyone—from the state and federal government, to resource developers, to commercial fishermen and recreational users— had plans for Bristol Bay, so we decided that we needed to create a voice for ourselves. We wanted everyone to understand the value of our culture, our land holdings, and our region.”

Jason Metrokin, President/CEO, BBNC

social media,” says Metrokin. “Our TV ads’ vivid, simple, disciplined message seemed to attract people the most.

“The tagline is now quoted regularly by our shareholders and has even been said by multiple former governors,” he adds. “Is it a household phrase? I’ll leave that to others to decide.”

One of the more surprising takeaways from the campaign, according to Metrokin, is that those who have seen the TV spots remember more than what was actually said.

“We have a thriving culture, history, and economy in Bristol Bay, but at the time these aired, the proposed Pebble

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ASRC documentary. The film features the history of ASRC and offers viewers an authentic view into the Iñupiat way of life.

“When I began assembling the footage, it became clear to me that we should steer away from a typical educational corporation video and present it as a longer format piece,” says ASRC Senior Director of Communications Ty Hardt. “Our original goal was to educate the public about ASRC’s humble beginnings and how a well-defined vision based on Iñupiat values created a successful for-profit corporation that exists for the longterm benefit of its people. Telling it in a very personalized, inspirational way reinforced our message and brand.”

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

Jacob Adams Sr. “They said that when he was in the room, he was always the smartest attorney there,” says Ty Hardt, who interviewed Adams for the documentary.

ASRC

“I really encourage all Alaska Native corporations—for-profit, nonprofit, and tribes— to harness the power of media… People need to understand our history, our relevance, and the opportunities we provide, and advertising is a good way to do that.”

Jason Metrokin, President/CEO, BBNC

Ty Hardt interviews team members from ASRC’s early days. Pictured left to right: Jim Wickwire, Alan Mintz, Bill Van Ness, Oliver Leavitt, Steve Seward.

ASRC

Mine posed an underlying threat to the region,” he says. “While we never uttered the words Pebble Mine, not even once, when we ask people what they recall, they talk about the mine.”

BBNC’s internal communications team worked with the public relations firm Strategies 360, as well as a 36 | September 2020

number of skilled photographers and videographers.

“Their collective talent knocked it out of the park,” says Metrokin, adding that not a day goes by when he doesn’t hear from people commenting positively on the campaign.

In the past eight years, BBNC’s media

marketing has focused on a variety of themes including courage, balance, culture, and heritage.

“In the early days, we knew we wanted to build upon our brand and impress upon folks who and what we were,” says Metrokin. “Not a lot of people get to come out to Bristol Bay, so we wanted to find a way to bring it to them. Lots of people in the state watch TV, so we thought this was a good way to bring Bristol Bay to Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, and other Alaskan communities.”

BBNC is currently in the process of creating a new campaign that will feature the tagline, “More Than a Corporation.”

“The term ‘corporation’ has a negative connotation to some folks, and we want people to understand that we are about more than profits and the bottom line,” says Metrokin. “We focus on our community, culture, the diversity of our workforce, and being good stewards of our land base. While we are not hiding the fact that we are a for-profit, tax-paying corporation, our entire history has been about supporting our people and all of the residents of Alaska.”

Hardt, who came from a news background before joining ASRC, knew that media could be used to not only convey a message but to reinforce a company’s brand. While putting together a 60-minute documentary instead of an educational video required a lot more work—the final product actually took more than two years to come to fruition—he had the full backing of the corporation as the project came together.

“ASRC’s leadership was absolutely instrumental in making this happen,” he says of filming, which took him to every community on the North Slope as well as to cities in the Lower 48 where ASRC’s subsidiaries are located.

“They had no hesitation about creating a longer format piece.”

The documentary originally aired on KTUU, KTVF, and the Alaska Rural Communication Service. After winning an Emmy from the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2017, it aired statewide. Hardt wrote and directed the video, co-produced with Tara Sweeney, and collaborated

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

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The Story of ASRC

For more than 45 years, ASRC’s mission has been to actively manage its businesses, its lands and resources, its investments, and its relationships to enhance Iñupiaq cultural and economic freedom – with continuity, responsibility, and integrity. And this is only the start.

Strengthening Alaska Through Our Values since 1972

ASRC

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

TRUE NORTH

2018 Emmy Winner

A PRODUCTION OF ASRC EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

with Brilliant Media Strategies in Anchorage and Stage 2 Studios in Colorado, which had produced an Emmy-winning commercial for ASRC two years before.

“It became something really special,” says Hardt of the documentary, which also serves as a time capsule for the corporation.

Hardt interviewed some of the original team members, including Oliver Leavitt, Bill Van Ness, Jim Wickwire, Alan Mintz, Steve Seward, and Jacob Adams Sr., who helped with incorporation in the early '70s.

38 | September 2020

“ They shared stories of back in the day when the earliest decisions were made,” says Hardt. “Here we are fifty years later, and you can see how what they did then made such a big difference.”

He adds that the opportunity to interview Bill Van Ness was really unique, as he was one of the people who helped craft the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and was absolutely committed to ASRC’s mission. “Unfortunately, he has since passed away, and if we hadn’t done that documentary, we wouldn’t have

had that interview,” says Hardt. “We wouldn’t know the stories behind the legacy.”

The documentary also helps ASRC introduce itself to people who may not be familiar with the corporation or Iñupiat values.

“I was in Seattle speaking to a vendor, and she didn’t know anything about ASRC,” says Hardt. “I popped the documentary up on my computer and she watched about 15 minutes of it and became very emotional.

She said that it inspired her because it was the first time that she really understood our values and the people we represent.”

Other Alaska Native corporations, including Cape Fox Corporation in Saxman, are starting to take advantage of the power of media.

In July 2020, Cape Fox received a bronze award in the Branded Content Category in the 41st Telly Awards, which honors excellence in video and television. Its video, about working at Cape Fox, is used to encourage recruitment and for onboarding new employees.

“When I first started at BBNC in 2003, the culture from a communications standpoint was to fly under the radar—it’s not that we were afraid of speaking out or messaging, but we didn’t seek out media or recognition,” says Metrokin, adding that he has fielded numerous inquiries from other Native corporations about how to create a successful campaign. “Fifty years after ANCSA passed, a lot of people still don’t quite know what an Alaska Native corporation is, and we need to share that story.

“I really encourage all Alaska Native corporations—for-profit, nonprofit, and tribes—to harness the power of media,” he adds. “People need to understand our history, our relevance, and the opportunities we provide, and advertising is a good way to do that.”

Editor’s Note: To watch True North, The Story of ASRC, visit www.asrc.com or Vimeo channel https://vimeo.com/276104884. BBNC’s television campaign can be seen at w w w.bbnc.net/news- events-media/ media-publications.

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

ON THE EDGE

OF TOMORROW Our business and operations extend well beyond the borders of our Arctic homeland. See how Bering Straits Native Corporation is On the Edge of Tomorrow at beringstraits.com

WGBH Educational Foundation

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

Molly of Denali

Honored for authenticity, inclusion

By Vanessa Orr

M

olly of Denali, the first nationally distributed children’s series to feature an Indigenous lead character, recently won a 2020 George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting. Since its premiere in July 2019 on PBS Kids, the series has reached some 40 million people, including 700,000 Indigenous and Alaska Native viewers.

The show takes place in the fictional village of Qyah, Alaska, and features Molly and her family, her dog Suki, and her friends Tooey and Trini. Together they like to go fishing, build snow forts, and maintain dog sled teams, among other Alaska pastimes.

“It is not only fun and engaging but a lot of the values incorporated into the show are universal,” says Dewey Kk'ołeyo Hoffman, one of the show’s Alaska Native collaborators. “Concepts like taking care of each other, selfsufficiency, adaptability, and respect for the land and water are things we want to promote.

“It also shows Molly doing things with her family like taking part in traditional Native ceremonies throughout Alaska, showing the importance of connecting and learning from

40 | September 2020

each other,” he adds of the Koyukon/Gwich’in/Dena’ina child living in Alaska’s Interior.

In addition to the television series, audiences also have access to podcasts and games. More than 107 million people have streamed the show, with 4.2 million podcast video streams and more than 17 million games played online via the PBS KIDS Games app.

While the show emphasizes the importance of traditional values, it also blends contemporary aspects of rural life, like the use of technology to aid in communication and travel.

“I like that our show demonstrates how families and communities have adapted and how they are able to use what is available to stay together,” says Kk’ołeyo, adding that it seems to resonate with Indigenous peoples who were forced or chose to move from their family settlements to regional or urban supply centers.

“Over time, many families like mine become less connected to our ancestral homelands. Molly of Denali can hopefully show the places we live today and those we trace back to and encourage others to explore their own family stories,” he says.

One of the reasons behind the success of the show is that it involves Alaska Native voices in all aspects of the production.

Every Indigenous character is voiced by an Indigenous actor, and the project was developed with input from Alaska Native collaborators. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting provided funding for a scriptwriting fellowship for Alaska Native writers, and even the theme song is sung and played

by Indigenous musicians.

According to Kk’ołeyo, this commitment to telling the story from an Alaska Native view started from day one.

“A few years back, there was suddenly an interest in all things Alaskan, including the naming of Denali, which garnered national attention,” he says. “A WGBH Boston team had the idea of setting a show in rural Alaska, and when they approached us here to see if we had any thoughts, we were happy to share.”

Season One writers and producers traveled to Alaska and met with Alaska Native collaborators, which led to some of the stories that viewers see on screen. “People shared across cultures some very personal family histories,” said Kk’ołeyo, “which is one of the reasons why it has such an authentic voice.”

With society’s renewed interest in Indigenous cultures, Kk’ołeyo hopes that more attention will be paid to depicting a more diverse population on children’s TV. “There is a need for more educational content for children, especially shows that non-white children can identify with,” he says, adding that he would also like to see characters of nonbinary gender identity. “Shows need to reflect the people that children see in their communities—not just feature those with privilege who are always asked to tell the story. We need to hear more from those who aren’t usually heard.”

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

In the Spotlight From the parks of Girdwood to the cover of TIME magazine—dropping in with Brian Adams

Ash Adams

By Danny Kreilkamp

42 | September 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

Alaska Business: What piece of work are you most proud of?

Brian Adams: I think for me, personally, the I Am Inuit project was huge.

That was a really big step for me as a photographer, as a professional, as an artist. But it all kind of goes together.

It’s all… connected somehow. You got that first step, that second step, that next step. It all kind of bulks together in a cohesive way. But, getting a photo into National Geographic was a total highlight for me. A huge milestone for me. But to me, I also want my work to be out there for people to see, to see what the times were like in a hundred years from now. I’m really proud of the two books I have out—I Am Inuit and I Am Alaskan. This is what I want to do.

What I want to be. I want to keep doing what I like to do as a photographer, what I appreciate as a photographer, and I want to keep doing this work.

www.akbizmag.com

I Am Inuit is Adams’ latest achievement in sharing Alaska Native culture. After traveling to, conducting interviews with, and documenting the lives of twenty Inuit villages across the Arctic—Adams says this most recent accomplishment is his most important.

Though, the process of realizing this vision required a collaborative effort from a few key organizations.

In 2013, the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) reached out to Adams (the group was impressed with his book I Am Alaskan) about commissioning him for a piece that was partially inspired by the “Humans of New York” project.

Fascinated by the proposal, Adams put together a budget detailing how much such an endeavor might cost. Between flights, hotels, rental cars, designing a museum exhibit, printing a book, and his personal fee—it quickly added up.

“I sent them a quote and it was a little over $100,000. And I didn’t hear from them for three months… and I was like, ‘Well I guess that’s not happening,’” he laughs.

But eventually the ICC informed Adams that Arctic Slope Regional Corporation would be awarding the project its first grant funding in the amount of roughly $30,000. “So, we were able to start the project from there,” Adams says, “and then we partnered with the Anchorage Museum who stepped in for the exhibit, the book, and the travel… it’s all connected somehow.”

I Am Alaskan followed a similar path to publication.

“Greg Kimura, who was at the Alaska Humanities Forum, reached out to me—he’s enjoyed my work for a while,” Adams says. “He saw that I was always just making portraits of people, everybody I could; walking down the street asking somebody to take their portrait. So, I had this huge collection of portraits of Alaskans all over Alaska, a hugely diverse body of images—but I didn’t even know it was a body of work until Greg was like, ‘Hey, you got a book there.’” Adams explains that after the initial funding from the Humanities Forum ran out, the Rasmuson Foundation stepped in to cover the additional printing expenses.

Alaska Business

Alaska Business: What influences have helped shape your art?

Adams: Growing up in Girdwood was really awesome because the community was really tight, very friendly, we all knew each other. And you know, ‘There goes Brian and David—the little skate kids goin’ to the skatepark.’

And growing up in the skatepark was especially fun because you get over fears really fast, you get used to being around older kids really fast; nobody cares how old you are, you’re just all skating. It was a great community to grow up in.

Though, it is very disconnected to Alaska as far as Alaska Native villages. Growing up there, I did feel very disconnected from my family’s culture. When I was in Kivalina for my grandma’s funeral in ’05, that’s when I realized I wanted to spend my career working in villages. And I wanted my personal work and my main bodies of work to be all focused on working within Alaska Native villages.

And I feel like since then, it has been amazing because I’ve been able to use my career to reconnect—or get to know—my own culture. It’s been really rewarding in that sense for me.

On the topic of his education as a photographer—one that shoots almost exclusively in film, barring the occasional quick-turnaround assignment which requires him to rent a digital camera— Adams points to a few serendipitous moments during his formative years.

An alum of “the old" Dimond, Adams spent the entirety of his last semester of high school at the King Career Center (KCC), with mornings in the film and video production department and afternoons in the darkroom. “I had this one counselor that was new and didn’t know at the time that I wasn’t supposed to do an entire day at KCC,” he laughs.

“It was a really cool intensive for me—a full day of visuals for my last semester of high school.”

September 2020 | 43

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

W

ere it not for a chance listing in a newspaper thrown his way nearly two decades ago, Alaska-grown photographer Brian Adams might never have turned his raw talent into the decorated career he’s carved out for himself today. And Alaska would be deprived of one of its most important artists.

“A few months out of high school, my brother was going to work and was frustrated with me, and was all, ‘You need to get a job.’” Adams recalls. “And I was like, ‘Yeah... I know.’ “ So, my brother took the classified papers and tossed them at me, and I thought , ‘ You’ ll never find a job in there!’ ” While some are just beginning to recognize the benefits of sharing their culture through media outlets, Adams has been doing it for nearly fifteen years—and in style, with high-profile features in publications that include National Geographic, Newsweek, and The New York Times.

Alaska Business: You requested Ash Adams shoot the cover, which we’re also very excited about. Are there any other Alaska Native artists you enjoy working with or would like to collaborate with in the future?

Adams: Oh man. Dude. That’s tough.

Howdy (Howdice Brown III) over at Alaska Channel, I really like working with Alaska Channel a lot. Like every time I get on a film crew with those guys, I love working with those guys—I don’t do a lot of collaboration projects.

Adams says the demand for his work through the years has been steady.

“There are so many visuals that are needed now because of what we’re using it all on—whether Facebook or Instagram or whatever—they are definitely hungry for visuals,” he says, noting it can be challenging for companies to amass as much content as possible before they’re able to budget in the next assignment.

But lately, with the pandemic, Adams says things have slowed. Many of the Alaska organizations he freelances for, such as the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) and Alaska Native Medical Center, have been unable to provide regular assignments.

“It’s been dead. Normally when, say, I’d be working for ANTHC, maybe they’d send me to a village to do an assignment, or maybe they’d have me shooting in Anchorage a bunch. But nobody is doing anything right now.

Understandably so—I don’t want to go photograph in a hospital right now.”

When badgered on how his work has influenced a greater demand for Alaska Native media, Adams remains characteristically humble. “I have no clue,” he laughs. “I hope I’m having an influence. Especially with the young Alaska Natives out there. I want to be inspiring them to pick up a camera and say, ‘I can do this too.’”

Ash Adams

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

Following graduation, it was an ad in the classifieds that led to an opportunity with Clark James Mishler Photography as a part-time photographer’s assistant.

“He was my first mentor when I was like eighteen, right out of high school, and he took me on right away,” says Adams. “We worked together for two years… and then I went and freelanced in 2005.”

44 | September 2020

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ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

We Learn When We Listen Alaska’s Native corporations share the wisdom of their Elders Compiled by Tasha Anderson

I

t’s nearly impossible to imagine how Alaska Native leaders must have felt when the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was passed, creating more than 200 corporations across the state of varying resources, assets, and skillsets.

In some ways ANCSA marked a victory in that Alaska Native peoples were awarded (legally, according to the standards of Alaska’s relatively new inhabitants) the rights to some of the lands they have occupied for almost countless years and monetary compensation for those lands now claimed by state and federal entities.

But that small victory also brought abrupt change and challenges to Alaska Native leaders tasked with launching corporations that would be profitable, support their communities and shareholders, make wise use of their lands and resources, build the economic stability of their regions, and preserve a cultural heritage that for decades had been under deliberate attack.

And yet that is what Alaska Native leaders did, leaning on the values that have sustained their people for generations and the knowledge and wisdom of those who came before.

Alaska Native corporation leaders today continue a long tradition of remembering and honoring the past while looking forward for the betterment of their families, neighbors, and communities, often stressing the importance of hearing—and heeding—past Alaska Native leaders and those Elders who lend their wisdom to conversations now.

Several Alaska Native corporations were generous enough to share with Alaska Business either their own accounts of the value of listening to the past or direct quotes from their Elders that have informed their decision making.

Their responses, as shared with us, are compiled below.

From Koniag: “Although the aphorism ‘Never let a good crisis go to waste’ is commonly attributed to Winston Churchill, it was brought to Koniag’s corporate culture by the late M. Brent Parsons, who served on the Board of Directors for thirteen years before he passed in 2018. Leadership at Koniag has called upon memories of his guidance frequently during the recent pandemic; if ever there was a time to remain nimble, responsive, and 46 | September 2020

innovative, the current crisis is proving that this is no time for complacency.

Koniag has taken the opportunity to examine whether it is meeting its own internal expectations of being good partners to our communities, good stewards of our lands, good contractors for our clients, good team members to each other, and good benefactors of our shareholders.

An accountant by trade, Brent brought far more than just financial

and business acumen to bear—some of Brent’s most valued advice has been integrated into the core values that drive Koniag. Brent particularly emphasized the value that lay in facilitating a diversity of thought and finding new ways to view the same thing. This openness of thought was the process that ultimately empowered the organization. It was through the discussion, the consideration, and the review that Koniag became a stronger company.

Finally, Brent’s impact on Koniag didn’t just cover how to strengthen business.

His influence inspired

M. BRENT PARSONS Koniag

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

From Doyon: “We have to go back to our traditional ways of thinking. We [Alaska Natives] are a group of people—we are not individuals. Native people are like that—we think as a group... We live more by feelings and that’s how we make decisions this day and age and we need to get back to what our way is—the way our elders taught us that in order to be strong, you have to think

www.akbizmag.com

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

introspection about how diverse individuals and opinions interacted with each other by frequently noting that, ‘We can disagree without being disagreeable.’ Stress and differences will always be a factor in a dynamic organization that is growing, evolving, and seeking to reach its potential. To make best use of a group’s diversity, the relationships must be preserved through a foundation of respect. The ability of a Board of Directors to debate difficult topics and at times disagree while emerging from the board room as friends and respected colleagues is as important as any of the individual decisions ultimately determined.”

things out and for the community.

Without community, life is different.”

—Dr. Reverend Anna Frank of Minto

From Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation: “Working together was an important part of forming the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. We’ve learned through growing up that it’s important to work together. The whaling captain’s got a crew working together and you’re successful. So we took the values that we had that worked for us and transposed it into a corporation.

We’re gonna treat a corporation like we treat our crew members: we work together, we’re transparent in developing ideas, in developing how we should manage a corporation.”

—Jacob Adams Sr., ASRC Board Member and ASRC President and CEO from 1983-2006 “A founder of UIC and its eldest shareholder of record, Ugiaqtaq was a hunter, church elder, land claims activist, protector of the Arctic, family man, and culture bearer. He was North Slope’s most respected elder, just days

Alaska Business

NELSON ANGAPAK SR. Russ Slaten | Calista Corporation

short of his 94th birthday when he died January 7, 2020… “‘He was like a time capsule of knowledge and experience,’ said his daughter, Martha Ikayuaq Stackhouse.

Like generations of Inupiat before him, he knew how to adapt as his life evolved from one of complete subsistence to one driven by computers…

September 2020 | 47

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

“He fully embraced the traditional Iñupiat values of sharing and respect for our Elders. ‘When I was young, I was a reindeer herder,’ he told an interviewer with the Presbyterian Mission Agency two years ago. ‘At that time, I saw old people who could no longer hunt, so I started giving some of the food to them. I am 92 years old and can no longer hunt, but young hunters and fishermen share their food with me.’” —From Ugiaqtaq Wesley Aiken: Living a Life of Traditional Inupiat Values by UIC Director of Marketing Greg Solomon

From Calista: “In our collective efforts to address historic wrongs to our military veterans and preserve our history, Native people throughout Alaska are benefiting from behind-the-scenes work by Calista Corporation Elder Nelson Angapak Sr. As a military veteran who served during the Vietnam War era, Angapak has advocated for many years on behalf of his fellow Alaska Native veterans.

While serving as senior vice president and board member of the

Alaska Federation of Natives, Angapak worked to secure legislation to correct an injustice to many veterans unable to apply for Native allotments due to their military service during the Vietnam War. Persistence by Angapak and other veterans is widely credited for passage of the Dingell Act by Congress last year. This bill paved the way for more than 1,000 veterans and their heirs to receive an opportunity to apply for an allotment. The five-year application period is slated to begin in the early fall.

Angapak recently helped Calista Corporation and its shareholders understand and preserve one of the most crucial parts of our region’s history—the first and second round land selections under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Angapak was uniquely suited to write a historical paper on ANCSA land selections [Editor’s Note: Calista Corporation’s Role in the Land Selection Process Pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of December 18, 1971, is available upon request from Calista through contacting

HARVEY SAMUELSEN

BBNC

Calista_land@calistacorp.com].

In 1973, soon after returning to Alaska from service in the US Army, Angapak joined Calista as deputy director of its new Land Department.

His duties included leading the team of young Yup’ik land planners who worked directly with fifty-six villages on their land selections.

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I have the privilege and the responsibility of being the first shareholder to serve as both board president and CEO, but there are many shareholder elders who have served in important corporation roles before me. As we work to preserve our community origin stories, we have had the opportunity to talk at length with two important Wainwright elders with ties to our corporate history: June Childress, who served on our Board of Directors for forty years and who served as a mentor to me personally, and Rossman Peetook, a veteran of

JUNE CHILDRESS

Olgoonik

From Bristol Bay Native Corporation: “If you hire good people and treat them well, they'll do good things for you.”

—Harvey Samuelsen (1926-2004), one of Bristol Bay Native Corporation’s founding leaders

From Olgoonik: “I’m from the Arctic village of Wainwright (called Olgoonik), Alaska, on the coast of the Chukchi Sea. I wouldn’t be serving in my current role as president and CEO if I hadn’t listened to the wisdom of my elders and mentors who encouraged me to take on a leadership role for our people many years ago.

Every Alaska Native corporation has its own unique story. Wainwright, where I grew up, is home to about 600 residents now. We are a subsistence community where families rely on what the land and the sea provide, not just for food, but to help strengthen our cultural identity as we teach the young ones what we learned from our parents and grandparents.

In 1973, things started to change. I was a young man, but I remember our village leaders working to establish our own village corporation under the guidelines of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). From the very beginning, Olgoonik Corporation was designed to bring benefits to our shareholders, approximately 1,300 Iñupiat people with ancestral ties to Wainwright.

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To identify the best available lands for subsistence and other resources, including minerals and oil and gas, the Calista Land Department consulted with village elders and conducted scientific surveys.

Angapak, who grew up in Tuntutuliak, describes many examples of the art and effectiveness of arbitration using Yup’ik traditional knowledge.

‘From time to time during the actual land selection process, advice from the Elders was sought to solve what appeared to be difficult land-related issues; in the majority of the cases, their suggestions were effective in resolving conflict,’ Angapak wrote in the paper, published in January.”

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

ROSSMAN PEETOOK, HUGH PATKOTAK SR. Olgoonik

the Alaska Territorial Guard who served as a village leader and on our Board of Directors in the corporation’s early years. His son, Oliver Peetook, carries on the family tradition and serves on our Board of Directors today.

Leaders like June and Rossman helped us to establish ourselves as a corporation that operates under Iñupiaq core values that include honesty and fairness. Coming from subsistence culture, to be successful, we must rely on each other. We cannot land a whale and turn it into a season’s worth of food for dozens of people by ourselves. Collaboration and integrity are key.

When we asked June what she wanted our young ones to know about service to the community and involvement with their corporation, she said, ‘Use your mind, just like I was told when I was young. Use your mind, use your vision, think big!’ With June’s direction and vision, Olgoonik began expanding our government contracting abilities. What started small has expanded around the globe to become a corporation that employs more than 900 people in multiple industries.

Rossman passed away earlier this year and is greatly missed by our community. I had the privilege of speaking with him at length last year (our discussions were entirely in Iñupiaq), and he said what he wanted our young ones to know was that integrity and accountability among our leaders was important. Translating from the original Iñupiaq, he told 50 | September 2020

me, ‘I’m thankful for the leadership we have now… we are not working for ourselves, we are working for our grandchildren. We have smart shareholders running the corporation.

Keep it up. You guys have learned.’”

—Hugh Patkotak Sr., President and CEO of Olgoonik Corporation

From Ahtna: “A very long time ago, there was a group of Ahtna people who were trying to decide the best way to cross a swift moving river. The people knew that sending one person at a time, or worse, separating and everyone doing their own thing, could mean losing one or all of the group to the strong current. As they were taught, they picked up a long sturdy stick that each of them held onto and they moved together, as one, to successfully and safely cross the river." —A story passed down to Ahtna, Inc. Board Member Nick Jackson by his father-in-law, the late Traditional Ahtna Chief Ben Neeley

Our lives were forever changed, and the connection to the way of life we had enjoyed for thousands of years was taken from us.

I can remember my people standing on that shore and nearly being swept away by anger and grief and confusion.

But then, through all of the despair and darkness, we would hear the voices of our Elders, and those calm, measured tones were like beacons. They gave us hope. They saved us.

Before COVID-19 swept across the world, I don’t think anyone outside of our region could truly understand how we felt in that moment. But I think it’s possible now. We, the citizens of the world, have all suffered a similar loss.

The lives we had known a few months ago are gone, but we will make it to the other side of what COVID-19 has put before us. We are alive, and where there is life, there is hope.

The people from my region have lived and flourished in Southcentral Alaska for more than 5,000 years. Our resiliency and the wisdom that has been handed down from our Elders has made this longevity possible, but resiliency and wisdom is not unique to the Chugach people. We all have it within us to survive and to make sensible choices—and come out stronger on the other side of adversity.” —Sheri Buretta, Chairman of the Board and Interim President and CEO of Chugach Alaska Corporation

From Chugach Alaska Corporation: “‘We will learn from the past, we will learn from each other, and we will live,’ said Walter Meganack, one of Chugach Alaska Corporation’s founders. ‘Where there is life, there is hope.’

I can recall the devastation of the oil spill on our region. One moment, we were secure in our home, in the lands and waters we had known for more than five centuries, and in the next moment, all of that security was gone.

BEN NEELEY Ahtna, Inc.

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

A Fair Count Alaska’s mixed relationship with the Census

By Amy Newman

C

ensus enumerators kicked off the 2020 Census in Toksook Bay, Alaska, a small village on Nelson Island west of Bethel, on January 21. Though Census materials wouldn't be mailed to the rest of the country until mid-March, the early arrival of enumerators to rural Alaska dates back to 1880. The early start is necessary to provide enough time to obtain an accurate count of the state’s residents.

“Alaska is definitely one of the hardest states to count, just because of the size and how our communities are really spread out and only accessible by plane or boat or other ways," says Carmell Engebretson, communications manager with Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC). "So, it’s definitely a challenge for Alaska Native people in those communities to be counted at times."

Required by the US Constitution to take place every ten years, the Census aims to gather demographic data on every person living in the country. The data provides a snapshot of how the country’s population is distributed and breaks it down by age, sex, ethnic, and racial groups, explains Jeanette Durán Pacheco, media specialist with

52 | September 2020

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Census Impact on Alaska Natives Alaska Native communities receive roughly $3,500 annually in federal funds for each tribal member which is then used to support community programs, according to the Alaska Federation of Natives.

“In particular for tribal areas, Census data help tribal leaders plan programs their community needs: housing, construction, business development, schools, hospitals, Head Start, lunch programs in schools, as well as federal grants and scholarships,” Pacheco explains.

Yet despite its importance in determining funding allocations, counts aren’t always accurate and certain populations are routinely underreported. During the 2010 Census, Alaska was hit doubly hard. According to Alaska Counts, a nonpartisan education initiative designed to share information about the Census, Alaska’s participation was the lowest of any state, with a 64 percent response rate. Alaska Natives were also underrepresented. Timothy Olson, associate director for field operations with the Census Bureau, said at a July press briefing that Alaska Natives and American Indians were undercounted by 5 percent, the highest of any group. www.akbizmag.com

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the Bureau’s Los Angeles Regional Office, which oversees Census activities in Alaska.

Census data guides the allocation of federal funding to local, state, and tribal governments—$675 billion annually over the next ten years, she says. It also determines the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives and is used to redraw state legislative districts.

“Undercounting means that Alaska won’t receive its full share of federal funding for the next decade, so it will have a big impact if even one family isn’t counted,” Engebretson explains.

In the months leading up to the Census, government officials, advertising agencies, and tribal leaders worked together to create public outreach campaigns to encourage Alaska Native participation and ensure Alaska’s communities receive their fair share of federal funding.

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

These low numbers are why Native corporations and other tribal leaders have taken an active role encouraging shareholders to complete the census.

“We know that the Census determines funding for local services and economic opportunities for the next decade,” says Megan Moore, senior director of corporate communications for NANA Regional Corporation.

“Whether that’s federal funding for healthcare, Head Start, housing, public schools, or infrastructure projects, we know that those services are really valuable to NANA shareholders, so we support the effort.”

In addition to determining funding allocations, Census data is used to redraw political boundaries for state legislative districts, meaning an undercount can impact Alaska Native representation in state government.

“Ten years ago, when the Census was complete, the redistricting ended up really challenging the way the legislative districts were organized and kind of really disrupted how we had been operating,” says Barbara Blake, director of the Alaska Native Policy Center at the First Alaskans Institute. “The number of Alaska Native legislators did go down with the last Census; we at least lost two different seats to non-Natives due to redistricting.”

Marketing the Census

BBNC encouraged shareholders to post pictures of themselves with their #BristolBayCounts stickers to BBNC’s social media channels and offered prizes for those who did. BBNC President and CEO Jason Metrokin (left) and Chairman of the Board Joe Chythlook pose with theirs.

BBNC

54 | September 2020

The 2020 Census marks the first time the Census Bureau has designated a portion of its paid media budget to reach Alaska Native and American Indian populations: $7.55 million, or 2.5 percent of its total advertising budget, according to the Census website.

Work on that messaging began in 2016, with Montana-based G&G Advertising tasked with creating the campaign for Alaska Native and American Indians, says Gerald Gray, vice president of G&G Advertising and tribal chair of the Little Shell Tribe in Montana.

Through focus groups, he says, the agency found that what resonated with other populations—“‘Get your piece of the pie,’ that sort of money thing”— didn’t have the same impact with Alaska Natives and American Indians.

“What really came out of the focus groups, it was more about participating and ‘our youth and Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

when the Census was complete, the redistricting ended up really challenging the way the legislative

is they just don’t understand the impact or the importance that the Census plays in our communities with federal funding,” Blake says. “Folks are just kind of unknowing about the actual, real implications.”

Messaging efforts were therefore focused on explaining the need for an accurate count and highlighting services dependent on federal funding.

Explaining how to correctly complete the Census was another area of focus.

For money to be allocated to the tribe, heads of household must identify solely as Alaska Native—not biracial, even if

districts were organized and kind of really disrupted how we had been operating. The number of Alaska Native legislators did go down with the last Census; we at least lost two different seats to non-Natives due to redistricting.”

Barbara Blake Director of the Alaska Native Policy Center First Alaskans Institute

children are counting on us to shape our future’ because this Census data is used for programs and grants and things like that,” Gray says. “We were in Michigan, we were in Kotzebue, Riverside, California, Portland, all over the country, and that was kind of the cream that rose to the top. It was pretty consistent across all of the areas that we went to.”

On a statewide level, Native corporations and other Alaska Native groups began working with Census www.akbizmag.com

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“Ten years ago,

officials last year.

“We worked with representatives with Alaska Counts in conjunction with some of the other Alaska Native corporations and ANCSA corporations, just to learn more about what we could do to support census outreach,” Moore says.

The Bureau’s tribal partnership specialist was instrumental in helping Native leaders better understand the ins and outs of the Census, which helped them better understand where to focus their outreach efforts.

“One of the things we hear from folks

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

that is correct—and also indicate their tribal affiliation, Blake explains.

Public Outreach Native corporations relied on a variety of media channels to promote the Census, including paid and earned media in newspapers and magazines, public service announcements, shareholder communications, and social media. They also made sure outreach materials were available in shareholder languages. Moore and Engebretson say that NANA and BBNC, respectively, worked with the Alaska Federation of Natives to translate scripts for public service announcements into Iñupiaq and Yup’ik.

Some outreach materials, such as shareholder communications, were created in-house and distributed via newsletters or special announcements.

Others were taken from graphics and informational materials created by Alaska Counts and Alaska Federation of Natives, with corporations tailoring the message to their region.

“We kind of did a mix of both,” Moore says. “We ‘NANA-fied’ some of those materials to make them more specific to NANA shareholders, but really pointed shareholders to the Alaska Counts website. I think they had a lot of really great FAQs on their website, so it was a great resource.”

The First Alaskans Institute also reshared existing messaging, Blake says, and has “been trying to be creative

Emily Keneggnarkayaaggaq Edenshaw, executive director of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, speaks alongside Governor Mike Dunleavy and Census Bureau Director Steve Dillingham at the official 2020 Census kick-off at the Alaska Native Heritage Center on January 17.

First Alaskans Institute

56 | September 2020

in utilizing a lot of the indigenous or the artistic forms of the Census, memes, little informational pieces.”

They also organized a live Zoom Census game show modeled after “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” complete with lifelines, “minor Alaskan celebrities” as contestants, and a chance for audience members to win prizes.

“We’re trying to make it fun, so it’s not the same old Census messaging and lecturing,” Blake says.

BBNC used social media to get its shareholders excited about participating in the Census, mailing shareholders stickers printed with #BristolBayCounts and encouraging them to post pictures wearing the stickers to their Facebook and Instagram pages, Engebretson says.

“Our whole effort was to make sure our shareholders were aware that the Census was taking place and to build excitement about participating and being counted,” she says. “And we offered some different prizes for those that did post the photo, just to give that little incentive.”

A Pandemic and Other Hurdles Like every other aspect of life in 2020, Census efforts came to a halt in midMarch with the arrival of COVID-19.

Workers scrambled to obtain personal protective equipment for field operators and to create protocols to keep enumerators and residents safe, Al Fontenot, associate director for

Decennial Census Programs, explained at a July press briefing.

Census deadlines were also extended–self-response and nonresponse follow-up deadlines were pushed from July to October 31, Fontenot said. The Bureau also requested four-month extensions to the deadlines to provide Census data to the President and the states, to April 30 and July 31, respectively. Despite the delays, Fontenot said the Bureau was on track to complete the counts in rural communities by August 31.

But the pandemic isn’t the only hurdle to accurately counting Alaska Native communities.

The sheer size of Alaska and the semi-transient lifestyle of rural residents practicing a subsistence lifestyle—a bigger problem in the summer than it would have been in the winter months— makes reaching all residents difficult.

Historical mistrust of the federal government and concerns regarding how Census information will be used also make people hesitant to participate.

“In a lot of the hard to count communities, it’s because there is the distrust with the government and concerns about confidentiality and how secure the Census is,” Pacheco says. Residents worried that enumerators will, for example, report them to housing authorities for exceeding occupancy levels or public benefits programs, may actively avoid completing the census. Those fears, however real, are unfounded.

“The Census shares none of this information, other than determining funding for the State of Alaska and federal funds that come into our state,” Blake says. “They’re not going to crossreference with anything.”

In fact, census workers are prohibited by law from ever sharing data they obtain and face up to five years in prison or a $250,000 fine for doing so, Pacheco says.

With Census activities pushed until late Fall, Native corporations will continue to reach out to shareholders and encourage participation.

“We know that participating in the Census leads to direct benefits for our communities through federal funding, so we’re happy to support that effort in conjunction with our partners,” Moore says.

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

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Alaska Native corporations take holistic approach to growth

By Vanessa Orr

Sealaska

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

Acquiring More A than a Business

laska Native corporations (ANCs) acquire companies for a variety of reasons, from expanding their existing portfolios in specific industries to entering new lines of business. But unlike many companies that look at such investments simply as a way to improve their bottom line, ANCs tend to focus on how these companies fit not only within their financial picture but into a corporate culture that embraces tradition, history, the environment, and the long-term sustainability of its shareholders.

“When we began restructuring our company eight years ago, we wanted to find businesses and industries that fit with who we are as Native people— that fit our region and our homeland of southeast Alaska,” explains Sealaska CEO Anthony Mallott of the company’s focus on land, food, and water.

“We already had a land business; the food

58 | September 2020

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Finding the Right Fit By focusing on land, food, and water, Sealaska was able to target the types of companies that would best meet the corporation’s strategic goals.

“The one thing that ties all of our business lines together is ocean health; it is all interconnected,” says Mallott, adding that one of the company’s objectives is to address the negative effects of climate change.

The corporation acquired a majority stake in Gregg Drilling in 2018, a marine drilling and geotechnical services company located in Southern California that has expertise in water remediation and coastal erosion issues. It also purchased CS Marine in 2020, which expands its capacity for ocean cleanup www.akbizmag.com

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September 2020 | 59

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and water portions were built through a very specific acquisition process.”

Koniag Inc., based in Kodiak, also focuses on the bigger picture when considering portfolio acquisitions.

“Primarily, we bring businesses in because of very strong cultural fit,” says CEO Ron Unger. “We look for management teams in prospective acquisitions that feel connected to our Alutiiq shareholder mission and who understand that if we do well, we do good for our Alutiiq community. That has to be something they are drawn to; they need to share a mission that is larger than just making money.”

In some cases—such as in Afognak Native Corporation’s recent purchase of the Brown Jug liquor chain—the fact that the 80-year-old company had Alaska roots and would be able to provide shareholder-hire preference played a large part in its decision.

Bering Straits Native Corporation’s (BSNC) purchase of Northwest Construction, which also has a long history in the state, focused on the fact that the company would provide opportunities to enhance shareholder value.

“When you are a Native corporation, you need to think decades out,” says Doug Smith, BSNC senior vice president. “Very few Native corporations are in buy-and-sell mode; it’s more of a ‘buy and build a durable economic engine for the future’ mode. Companies are looking at the long game to keep them relevant and competitive in the long-term.”

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

work and contributes to creating renewable energy sources, such as ocean-based wind turbines.

To build its seafood platform, Sealaska worked on creating a domestic supply chain of high quality, sustainable Alaska seafood processed in America focused on domestic sales. It purchased a minority interest in Independent Packers Corp. (IPC) in 2016, followed by a majority stake in Odyssey Enterprises in Seattle in 2016.

Odyssey Enterprises merged with Orca Bay Seafoods in 2017.

“With Orca Bay Foods as the core of our industry platform, we began looking for a company in Alaska to acquire because we wanted something closer to home,” explains Mallott. “Because we already had three food acquisitions and a growing pipeline of businesses on the water side, we decided to acquire a minority stake in Barnacle Foods in April of this year.”

In addition to strong management, a steady cash flow, and a good financial history, Sealaska was impressed by the small company’s innovative products.

Located in Juneau, Barnacle is the first food business to create and manufacture products with bull kelp, including salsas, hot sauces, jams, and jellies.

“They take a raw product and create high-quality, healthy products,” says Mallott, adding that kelp can also help counteract some of the negative effects of climate change.

“We looked at more than 300 companies, not just in Alaska, but globally,” he adds of the company’s search for water-based acquisitions.

“Who makes money and who doesn’t?

Who has real cash flow? Whose assets are overvalued? At the end, it came

down to who had the value that we were looking for and who understood what it meant to be part of a company that represents the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people and their ties to the water and land.”

In Koniag’s case, Michigan-based Open Systems Technologies and Alaska-based Glacier Services, an automation engineering firm, were chosen for investment because the companies aligned with its strategies of financial growth and diversification.

“Primarily we look for acquisitions that are in our proven sectors, and we also look for targets that can enhance but may be tangential to what we are already doing,” says Unger. “Finding growth opportunities in diversification is paramount as a ‘forever corporation’ so that we can provide benefits to our shareholders in perpetuity.”

Koniag owned the majority interest in Open Systems Technologies—a company focused on commercial IT work for Fortune 1000 and mid-market customers—for the past eight years and purchased the remaining interest this year. It also invested in Glacier Services, folding it into their energy and water business sector.

“This deepened and broadened our capabilities in the oil and gas industry, providing more value to customers,” says Unger, adding that Koniag’s focus on stable, endurable financial growth and performance includes making acquisitions that help their existing business interests grow.

Afognak Native Corporation also looks at acquisitions with the goal of diversifying, which led to their $21 million purchase of the Brown Jug liquor store chain in June.

"We have target acquisition profile criteria that includes rate of return, risk tolerance, asset evaluation, and sale price, as well as how the purchase will fit into our core technologies and business expertise, and long-term profitability for shareholders,” explains Executive Vice President Alisha Drabek. “In the case of this particular acquisition, we also looked very closely at how it would match with our core values and established strategic plan, as well as the other businesses in our portfolio.”

Because this line of business was separate and distinct from its prior business portfolio, Drabek says that Afognak’s executive and operations teams spent many months performing due diligence, including analyzing the human relations aspect, regulatory compliance, public relations, IT, and the financial point of sale systems, among other factors.

“We needed to be able to sustain the integrity of the Brown Jug business and to support it separately from our government contract subsidiaries,” she says.

While the company already had a commercial leasing presence as a remote housing provider and as the operator of a five-floor office building in Anchorage, it was looking to gain a stronger foothold in the Alaska business community.

“This purchase makes us a central player because we are buying a reputable brand with a longstanding Alaska history,” says Drabek. “Because 60 percent of our shareholders live in Alaska, we wanted a commercial acquisition that offered opportunities for us to grow shareholder hire preference as well as bring in

“When you are a Native corporation, you need to think decades out. Very few Native corporations are in buy-and-sell mode; it’s more of a ‘buy and build a durable economic engine for the future’ mode. Companies are looking at the long game to keep them relevant and competitive in the long-term.”

Doug Smith, Senior Vice President, BSNC

60 | September 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

Bering Straits Native Corporation | Northwest Contracting

operational revenue. Roughly 2 percent of our portfolio was commercial revenue before; now it will be closer to 12 percent.”

In addition to being a low-risk financial investment that is also highly resistant to recession, Drabek says that the acquisition aligns with the corporation’s community outreach and responsiveness goals.

“The Brown Jug regularly invested in philanthropic efforts in the twentyone communities where it had stores, and this provides an opportunity for Afognak to align with and to grow a positive community reputation,” she adds. “Even though the legislation

didn’t pass, the fact that they also supported a 5 percent liquor tax as the right choice for social responsibility also sits well with our core values.”

BSNC also looked to an Alaska-based business to help them diversify outside of government contracting. In May, it acquired Northwest Contracting, an industry leader in pavement marking and grooving. With the state’s reliance on the oil and gas industry, the corporation was looking for an investment that provided stability in uncertain times.

“The service line they are in is needed, even when there’s a

downturn in the economy,” says Smith, adding a significant portion of funds for road work come from the Federal Highway Administration.

BSNC plans to grow the company through the Small Business Administration 8(a) certification program and to leverage that position to find additional work for the company on military installations. “There are a number of bases where we have a presence, and we believe that we can leverage this relationship to find more work for the company in the future,” says Smith.

This is the second acquisition for Bering Straits, following its purchase of

In unity, we accomplish great things. nana.com www.akbizmag.com

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September 2020 | 61

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Bering Straits Native Corporation purchased Alaska Industrial Hardware in 2015 and purchased Northwest Contracting in May of 2020.

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

“[Acquiring the Brown Jug] makes us a central player because we are buying a reputable brand with a longstanding Alaska history. Because 60 percent of our shareholders live in Alaska, we wanted a commercial acquisition that offered opportunities for us to grow shareholder hire preference as well as bring in operational revenue.”

Alisha Drabek, Executive Vice President, Afognak

Alaska Industrial Hardware in 2015.

“While the boundaries of the two companies are pretty far apart, philosophically, their durability and sustainability, as well as their ongoing value to shareholders,

62 | September 2020

was the driving force behind these acquisitions,” says Smith.

“We don’t want to acquire companies that are so far out of our knowledge base or comfort zone that we don’t understand how they operate or how

we can help them become more efficient,” he adds. “We have a pretty wide bandwidth, but we are sensitive to not get too far afoot of our skills.”

Making the Connection While some acquisitions come about as the result of a company wanting to sell, in many cases, ANCs prefer to target companies with shared values.

“We don’t typically pursue businesses that are necessarily for sale; we look for acquisition targets that have proven leaders who we’ve met through previous business or personal relationships,” says Koniag’s Unger. “Our advisors help us find good opportunities with long-term track records; if we’re going to make an investment, it really needs to move the needle for us.”

Sealaska also looks for relationshipbased acquisitions, which sometimes means waiting a long time to find the right fit.

“Back in the 1980s when we owned Ocean Beauty Seafoods, we were looking for other companies in which to invest, but nothing happened,” says

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

The Brown Jug liquor store chain acquisition increases Afognak’s commercial revenue from about 2 percent to 12 percent.

Afognak Native Corporation

Strengthening

Alaska

The history of the people of the North Slope reaches back 10,000 years and serves as the foundation upon which ASRC was built. Today, we remain as committed as ever to providing lasting benefits to our shareholders while strengthening Alaska’s economy.

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“We don’t typically pursue businesses that are necessarily for sale; we look for acquisition targets that have proven leaders who we’ve met through previous business or personal relationships… Our advisors help us find good opportunities with long-term track records; if we’re going to make an investment, it really needs to move the needle for us.”

Located in Juneau, Barnacle is the first food business to create and manufacture products with bull kelp, including salsas, hot sauces, pickles, and jams and jellies.

Ron Unger, CEO, Koniag Inc.

Sealaska

Mallott. “It took learning the industry, working with industry partners, and making a small, minority investment in IPC to convince people that we were serious.

“Then the phone calls and conversations started increasing, and people who hadn’t thought of selling their businesses started seeing us as a different kind of owner—not a private equity firm or family-run company, but as a long-term holder of businesses,” he continues, adding that it took more than eighteen months for the corporation to finalize its first three acquisitions.

Once an acquisition is targeted, the 64 | September 2020

real work begins.

“Though we are in constant searchand-evaluation mode for growth through acquisitions, we believe it has to be done carefully and methodically, with careful vetting and due diligence,” says Smith. “No matter what the vehicle is, we’re looking for sustainability of earnings and potential growth opportunities post-acquisition as a core aspect.”

According to Smith, a company’s leadership can be key to finding a successful fit. “What is the age of the current leadership team, and how long have they been on board with the company? Will they commit to being

on board after the sale?” he asks. “It’s important to have a good succession plan in place so that someone is prepared to take over when senior people exit.”

He adds that it’s also smart to make sure that the purchasing company is bringing something to the table that will help grow or improve the acquisition. “If they’re already at peak condition, the only direction you can go is down,” he says. “You have to be careful about why you’re purchasing a business—you can get enamored that it is operating at a high level, but as a buyer, you need a game plan to help them grow.”

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ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

The Home Stretch

As land transfers promised in the ‘70s wind down, difficult conveyances remain

By Sam Friedman

O

n a Friday in April, a brief, socially-distanced land transaction ceremony took place outside the Federal Building in downtown Anchorage.

John F.C. Johnson, Chugach Alaska Corporation’s vice president of cultural resources, attended to accept the most recent group of lands that the federal government promised the company in 1971 through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).

April’s land conveyances were from a special category of ANCSA land designated for cemeteries and historical sites. Like other for-profit entities, Alaska Native corporations seek to return value to their shareholders, but they also serve the additional and unique role of acting as cultural repositories.

66 | September 2020

The Chugach historical sites range from a prehistoric seal hunting camp in northern Prince William Sound to the homesite of Paul Chimovitski, who settled in the area outside Cordova in the early 20th Century and took in orphans from the 1918 Spanish Flu. “It’s impossible to put a price on these lands. What you can say is that without these lands, we as a people would not be whole,” Johnson writes in an article describing the recent land conveyance. “These historical lands are the basic building blocks of our culture; they provided a foundation for the future generations to understand and appreciate who we are and where we came from.”

Many Alaska Native corporations are—like Chugach—still in the process of receiving their share of the 44

million acres of federal lands promised under ANCSA, both the special historical/cemetery land and allpurpose land entitlements. In addition to Chugach, the federal Bureau of Land Management issued deeds in the last few months to the village corporations established for Angoon, Kipnuk, Emmonak, Scammon Bay, and Clark’s Point.

The federal government’s ANCSA land transfers are nearing completion. More than 96 percent of the land promised to Native corporations has been conveyed, says Erika Reed, the Alaska deputy state director for the federal Bureau of Land Management—the agency in charge of conveying ANCSA lands.

But as the number of remaining properties to convey wanes, the

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Administrative Challenges Adjudicating ANCSA lands has taken so long due to the sheer number of acres involved and the complexity of the task, as Reed at the Bureau of Land Management describes.

The federal government has been in the process of administering formal land titles to Alaska Native applicants since the 1906 Alaska Native Allotment Act, which conveyed land parcels to individual Alaska Native applicants.

The federal land conveyance process accelerated with the 1959 Alaska Statehood Act, which committed a California-sized portion of Alaska’s land to the new state government.

Like the Native corporations, Alaska’s state government is still waiting for about 4 percent of the land that was promised decades ago.

The Statehood Act left claims to the land from Alaska’s Indigenous people

unresolved until 1971 when ANCSA promised a Washington-sized region of land to Native Alaskans through a network of new for-profit Native corporations. The law spelled out how land would be allocated among twelve regional corporations and 220 village corporations.

The scale of federal land distribution promised under both the Statehood Act and ANCSA was unprecedented and further complicated by the fact that most of the land in the new state had never been surveyed, says Reed.

ANCSA and the Statehood Act created a stack of competing claims on lands requested by multiple entities.

When different parties request the same piece of land there’s a general hierarchy for who gets priority, says Reed: first comes Native Allotments, then village ANCSA corporations, then regional ANCSA corporations, and finally the State of Alaska.

In addition to determining which party is entitled to a piece of land, the BLM must review land restrictions that could prevent issuing the title.

“It’s impossible to put a price on these lands.

What you can say is that without these lands, we as a people would not be whole.”

John F.C. Johnson Vice President of Cultural Resources Chugach Alaska Corporation

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ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

intricacy of the land transfers tends to increase.

"All the easy stuff is done,” Reed says.

“We are working on some of the hardest things to adjudicate.”

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

“In general, the State of Alaska always feels that more easements are necessary than a Native corporation does… From a Native corporation’s perspective, it’s like letting someone have access from your front door through to your backdoor to get to a power right of way on the other side of your backyard.”

Erika Reed, Alaska Deputy State Director, BLM

68 | September 2020

"Think about when you buy a house.

It usually takes about thirty days to do the title research on the piece of property that you're buying," Reed says.

"Well, we have to do the same thing.

But we're doing it on 44 million acres."

Issues that could delay conveyances include environmental contamination (which must be cleaned up before the land transfer) and the presence of a mining claim, which delays land transfers for as long as the mining claim is active.

One common thorny land conveyance issue is public access easements. Under ANCSA, Alaska Native corporation lands can’t cut off public access to public lands. The public must have a location to pass through the private ANCSA land to reach the public lands.

“In general, the State of Alaska always feels that more easements are necessary than a Native corporation does,” Reed says. “From a Native corporation’s perspective, it’s like letting someone have access from your front door through to your backdoor to get to a power right of way on the other side of your backyard.”

‘Mountain Tops and Glaciers’ Chugach is still waiting for about 3,000 acres of land and about 30,000 acres of mineral rights.

But beyond the remaining acres, Chugach is waiting for an opportunity to exchange some of the company’s existing acres with federal government land containing better economic development prospects. A law that President Donald Trump signed in April 2019 (the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act) requires the federal government to conduct a study about what that a land exchange with Chugach would involve.

Throughout its history, Chugach Alaska Corporation’s leaders have taken issue with the limited lands in its region available for conveyance because so much land was set aside for conservation before the regional corporation’s founding.

“Chugach was only allowed to select lands that were primarily comprised of ‘mountain tops and glaciers,’ which were not ideal locations for potential development

to meet the goals and promises of ANCSA,” the corporation wrote in a 2019 pamphlet outlining the case for a federal land exchange.

Chugach negotiated a settlement with Congress in 1982 that gave the corporation access to more favorable land, but the economic realities of the Prince William Sound region changed following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.

In the short run, the oil spill devastated Chugach’s fisheries business and contributed to the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing in 1991.

After emerging from bankruptcy, the company encountered a new problem with its ANCSA lands caused by the spill: surface land purchased for conservation from the oil spill settlement fund left Chugach with mineral rights to lands that the corporation could not develop.

Chugach argues it needs to exchange lands with the federal government because, according to its 2019 pamphlet, much of the corporation’s current lands are locked in a conflict “between Chugach's responsibilit y to its Native shareholders for economic development and self-suf ficiency of ANCSA land and the [Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council] agenda of conservation.”

Land Exchanges Outside of ANCSA Not all Alaska Native land transfers take place through ANCSA, although the landmark law affects most Alaska Native land issues.

Two non-ANCSA land transfers that have been in the news recently are the Gulkana Village cemetery land transfer and the ongoing King Cove Road saga.

It took decades of pressure on the state government before the residents of the village of Gulkana were given back a cemetery on land that became part of the Richardson Highway corridor.

The federal Alaska Highway Commission built a section of the Richardson Highway through the village of Gulkana as part of a highway realignment in the midst of World War II. Unlike the case with the Chugach burial sites, ANCSA didn’t provide a

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Sister.

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Usually, Sherrie spends her time underwater. Today, Sherrie and others like her will be out in the communities and villages, wearing masks and following local guidelines to help us get an accurate count for the 2020 Census. By participating you help ensure the voice of all American Indians and Alaska Natives is heard. The 2020 Census is safe and important for the future of our communities.

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has been in the process of administering formal land titles to Alaska Native applicants since the 1906 Alaska Native Allotment Act, which conveyed land parcels to individual Alaska Native applicants.

of land along a 12-mile proposed road corridor through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

During the Obama administration, the US Department of the Interior rejected the King Cove land swap, citing concerns about damage to waterfowl habitat that would be caused by road construction.

But under the Trump administration, the Interior Department supports the land exchange and has signed agreements with the King Cove Corporation twice in the last year and a half.

Federal judges have struck down the agreements both times in the course of lawsuits from conservation groups.

In its June rejection, US District Court of Alaska Judge John W. Sedwick ruled that the parties rushed the agreement. The judge found they failed to follow procedures required by the Administrative Procedures Act as well as the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, the law that created the wildlife refuge.

Legal Setbacks for King Cove Road

As land conveyances wind down for the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, a new application window—while a very narrow one—has opened in the 1906 Alaska Native Allotment Act. The opportunity for individual Alaska Native people to apply for up to 160 acres of federal land under the Native Allotment Act ended with the passage of ANCSA in 1971. But a law passed in 1998 created a new window to apply for allotments for a subset of Alaska Native people, those that were serving in the armed forces during the Vietnam War—when ANCSA was being written and the Native Allotment application window closed.

A new extension for Native Allotment applications passed into law last year. The law broadened the lands available for selection and broadened the qualifications for applicants to now include the heirs of Vietnam era veterans. The application period is expected to run through 2025.

Aspects of the Klutina Lake land use conflict linger in the Alaska Supreme Court.

On the Alaska Peninsula, both Alaska’s government leaders and an Alaska Native corporation support a land exchange to facilitate a road connecting the town of King Cove and the Cold Bay airport.

But the King Cove land exchange has been blocked for years because it would allow construction of a road through what’s now a federallydesignated wilderness area, potentially damaging waterfowl habitat and setting a precedent for construction in federal wilderness.

King Cove municipal and village corporation leaders have fought for the road to Cold Bay to facilitate medical evacuation flights to Anchorage that are too dangerous to attempt from the much smaller King Cove airport on stormy days.

To build this road, the King Cove Corporation has offered the US Fish and Wildlife Service some of its ANCSA lands in exchange for an equal value stretch 70 | September 2020

Lingering Native Allotment Claims

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Evgenia Silaeva | 123RF

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

The federal government

direct way for the Native community to regain control of its cemetery. In 1971—the same year ANCSA passed— the federal government deeded the land to Alaska’s Department of Transportation, which built a parking lot and Gulkana River access point on the site.

In 2016, then-governor Bill Walker visited Gulkana Village and made a commitment to returning the former townsite to the village. But the issue lingered because it was legally linked to a separate land dispute in the region involving public access on a road to Klutina Lake that passes through Ahtna land.

In June, Governor Mike Dunleavy announced a resolution of the Gulkana Village land issue. The governor signed a memorandum of understanding with leaders from the Gulkana Village Council and Ahtna that outlines the state’s plans to deed the former Gulkana townsite land to the village council. As part of the deal, Ahtna will pay the state $300,000 and the state will build a Gulkana River boat launch in a new location.

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

Alaska Native Directory AFOGNAK NATIVE CORPORATION 300 Alimaq Dr. Kodiak, AK 99615 907-486-6014 afognak.com malia@afognak.com Business Activities: Afognak's subsidiaries provide an exceptional track record of government and commercial services worldwide, including leasing; facility services; timber; retail; engineering; IT; security; logistics; operations and maintenance; and youth services.

Noteworthy Project: Afognak acquired Brown Jug, a retail sales business with an 83-year history in Alaska, operating 21 stores in Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, and Fairbanks. The heritage brand is Alaska’s first and largest retailer of fine wines, spirits and beer. The acquisition, effective June 1, 2020, will bring stability to Afognak’s subsidiary portfolio through diversification, enhanced profitability, and the potential to provide increased job opportunities for shareholders, among other benefits.

Acreage: 248,000 Number of Shareholders: 1,209 Subsidiaries: Shields Point, Alutiiq Advanced Security Solutions, Alutiiq Education & Training, Alutiiq Essential Services, Alutiiq General Contractors, Alutiiq International Solutions, Alutiiq Professional Services, Alutiiq Security & Technology, Alutiiq Commercial Enterprises, Alutiiq 3SG, Alutiiq Technical Services, Alutiiq Pacific, Alutiiq Diversified Services, Alutiiq Management Services, Alutiiq Manufacturing ContractorsAlutiiq-Mele, Alutiiq Professional Training, Alutiiq Global Solutions, Afognak Near Island, Afognak Arctic Development, Afognak C Street, Marka Bay, Alutiiq Business Services, Alutiiq Logistics & Maintenance Services, Alutiiq Solutions, Alcyon, Inc., Alutiiq Information Management, Alutiiq Career Ventures, Afognak Leasing, McCallie Associates, Oxbow Data Management Systems, Alutiiq Leasing Company, Alutiiq Employee Leasing, Alutiiq, Alcyon Technical Services, Red Peak Technical Services, Brown Jug (Liquor Stores USA North, Inc) Greg Hambright, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees 4,409/163

AHTNA, INC. PO Box 649 Glennallen, AK 99588 907-822-3476 ahtna.com news@ahtna.net Business Activities: Construction, engineering, environmental, facilities management, surveying, security, military training, janitorial, healthcare and medical records management, government contracting, land management, resource development, and oil and gas pipeline services.

Noteworthy Project: We are incredibly proud of the resilience and flexibility our employees have shown in meeting our business and client needs while maintaining their health and safety.

We’ve supported our clients’ COVID response through emergency deep cleaning for NOAA and design/construction of alternate care facilities for USACE. Our employee performance also enabled the company to issue two special dividend distributions to our shareholders

72 | September 2020

to assist them during this time of economic hardship.

Acreage: 1,528,000 Number of Shareholders: 2,119 Subsidiaries: Ahtna Development Company, Ahtna Facility Services, Ahtna Support & Training Services, Ahtna Government Services Corp., Ahtna Construction & Primary Products Company, Ahtna Design Build, Ahtna Professional Services, Ahtna Environmental, Ahtna Technologies, AKHI Ahtna Global, Ahtna Logistics, Ahtna Engineering Services AAA Valley Gravel, Ahtna Netiye', Ahtna Infrastructure & Technologies, Ahtna Integrated Services, Ahtna Marine & Construction Company, Ahtna Solutions, Ahtna Petrochemical Products, Ahtna Technical Services Michelle Anderson, Pres Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1,320/381

ALASKA PENINSULA CORPORATION 301 Calista Ct., Ste. 101 Anchorage, AK 99518 907-274-2433 alaskapeninsulacorp.com bangasan@alaskapeninsulacorp.com Business Activities: Environmental consulting and restoration; electrical contractor and call-out services; construction; remote camp services; geophysical studies; resource development support.

Noteworthy Project: PCB contaminated soil removal in Port Heiden.

Acreage: 400,000 Number of Shareholders: 800 Subsidiaries: Talarik Research& Restoration Services, Yukon Electric, APC Federal, APC Services, APC Professional Services Dave McAlister, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 40/39

ALEUT CORPORATION 4000 Old Seward Hwy., Ste. 300 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-561-4300 aleutcorp.com info@aleutcorp.com Business Activities: Government contracting; O&M; training and education; logistics; construction; IT/telecom; environmental; remediation; engineering, prototype and manufacturing; real estate; fuel and port service; oil field testing; instrumentation.

Noteworthy Project: The Aleut Corporation's mission is to maximize dividends and opportunities for its shareholders.

Acreage: 70,789 Number of Shareholders: 4,000 Subsidiaries: Aleut Enterprises, Aleut Management Services, Aleut Real Estate, Alaska Instrument, C&H Testing, Aleut Patrick Mechanical, ARS International, Strata-G Solutions Thomas Mack, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 950/95

ARCTIC SLOPE REGIONAL CORPORATION PO Box 129 Barrow, AK 99723 907-852-8633 asrc.com ASRCExternalAffairs@asrc.com Business Activities: ASRC has six major business segments; petroleum refining and marketing,

energy support services, construction, government services, industrial services, and resource development.

Noteworthy Project: Arctic Slope Regional Corporation’s mission is to actively manage our businesses, our lands and resources, our investments and our relationships to enhance Iñupiaq cultural and economic freedom—with continuity, responsibility, and integrity.

Acreage: ~5 million Number of Shareholders: 13,277 Subsidiaries: ASRC Construction Holding Company, Petro Star, Eskimos, Inc., Tundra Tours, Inc., Alaska Growth Capital BIDCO, Little Red Services, ASRC Industrial Services, ASRC Energy Services, Petro Star, Inc., ASRC Federal Holding Company Rex Rock Sr., Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 15,181/3,635

BAAN O YEEL KON CORPORATION PO Box 74381 Fairbanks, AK 99707 907-456-6259 baanoyeelkon.com boyk@mosquitonet.com Business Activities: Village corporation for Rampart Village.

Noteworthy Project: Adopted Baan o yeel kon Settlement Trust November 2019.

Acreage: 92,160 Number of Shareholders: 232 Janine Avner, Pres.

Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1/1

BERING STRAITS NATIVE CORPORATION 3301 C St., Ste. 100 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-563-3788 beringstraits.com info@beringstraits.com Business Activities: Government contracting, logistics, base operations support services, aircraft and airfield services, special training and security, management and consulting services, IT services, construction and renovation, communications.

Noteworthy Project: BSNC acquired Northwest Contracting, an Alaska-based industry leader in pavement marking and grooving. Northwest Contracting was founded in 2008 by co-owners Charlie McAllen and Chris Hubble. Through this purchase, BSNC is implementing the strategic plan established by its Board of Directors to diversify and expand its holdings. Northwest Contracting offers BSNC an opportunity to expand into a new market, grow the company through SBA certification, and extend geographical reach.

Acreage: 2.1 million Number of Shareholders: 8,000 Subsidiaries: Inuit Services, Bering Straits Aerospace Services, Bering Straits Logistics Services, Bering Straits Information Technology, Bering Straits Technical Services, Eagle Eye Electric, Ayak, Global Support Services, Global Management Services, Iyabak Construction, Global Asset Technologies, Global Precision Systems, Bering Straits Development Co., Global Technical Services, 4600 Debarr, Alaska Industrial

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ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

Hardware, Inc., Paragon Professional Services, Arcticom, Alaska Gold Company, Aurora Inn & Suites, Stampede Ventures, Inc., Bering Global Solutions, Bering Straits Global Innovations, Bering Straits Professional Services, Sound Quarry, Bering Supply Solutions, Northwest Contracting Gail R. Schubert, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1,845/491

BRISTOL BAY NATIVE CORPORATION 111 W. 16th Ave., Ste. 400 Anchorage, AK 99501 907-278-3602 bbnc.net info@bbnc.net Business Activities: Industrial services, government services, construction, seafood, tourism, and natural resources.

Noteworthy Project: BBNC launched its #BristolBayCounts campaign in January to encourage shareholders in Bristol Bay, throughout Alaska, and in the Lower 48 to participate in the 2020 Census. Shareholder households received special stickers and information about why their participation is so important and engaged with the campaign by posting photos and sharing informational graphics on social media.

Acreage: 3.1 million Number of Shareholders: 10,781 Subsidiaries: Bristol Bay Industrial, Alaska Directional Drilling, Bristol Alliance Fuels, CCI Industrial Services, Kakivik Asset Management, PetroCard, Peak Oilfield Service Company, Cal IV Tubulars, Precision Compression, Government Services Group of Companies, Bristol Alliance of Companies (minority ownership interest), SES Group of Companies, CCI Alliance of Companies, Bristol Adventures, Bristol Bay Mission Lodge, Katmai Air, Katmailand, Bristol Bay Shared Services, Bristol Bay Seafood Investments, Bristol Bay Alaska Seafoods Jason Metrokin, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 4,343/1,903

CALISTA CORPORATION

MEETINGS WITH A VIEW

THE LAKEFRONT ANCHORAGE

An unforgettable meeting experience overlooking the busiest seaplane base in the world. Over 6,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

Contact us today at +1 907.266.2206

5015 Business Park Blvd., Ste. 3000 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-275-2800 calistacorp.com calista@calistacorp.com Business Activities: Military defense contracting, construction, real estate, environmental and natural resource development, marine transportation, oil field services and heavy equipment sales, service and rentals.

Noteworthy Project: The village of Newtok is on the move, with support from many organizations and agencies, including Calista subsidiary Brice Inc. In 2019, more than 100 residents of Newtok began the historic process of moving nine miles southeast to Mertarvik. Brice produced gravel pads for 13 homes in preparation for 129 people moving to the village and began using the quarry for different projects. The cost of materials was significantly reduced for airport runway repairs in Toksook Bay. Acreage: 6.5 million Number of Shareholders: 32,000 Subsidiaries: Ookichista Drilling Services, Tunista Services, Y-Tech Services., Yulista Aviation ,Yulista Management Services Chiulista Services, Brice Incorporated, Tunista, Yukon Equipment, Brice Construction, Brice Marine, Brice Equipment, Calista Real Estate, Aulukista, Yulista Tactical Services, Qagan Lands, Calista Education & Culture, Brice Environmental Services Corp., Alaska Crane, E3 Environmental, STG, Inc., STG Pacific, Brice Builders, NordicCalista Services Andrew Guy, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2,600/600

CAPE FOX CORPORATION PO Box 8558 Ketchikan, AK 99901 907-225-5163 capefoxcorp.com info@capefoxcorp.com Business Activities: Cape Fox Corporation has added two more business acquisitions to its

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Alaska Business

September 2020 | 73

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

Commercial group; 108 Tap House and Burger Bar providing American cuisine and Bar Harbor Ale House which boasts a modern menu with a BBQ flair and craft drinks and beers.

Noteworthy Project: Cape Fox Corporation has always had a strong sense of community.

When our community was in need, we stepped in to help. On April 1, in partnership with the Village of Saxman, CFC spent all day giving a bag of essential food and non-perishable items to those in need. By the end of the day, 120 gift bags were given to families. During these uncertain times, Cape Fox has done much to ensure their shareholders and employees understand that we are in this together because Cape Fox Cares.

Acreage: 23,000 Number of Shareholders: 359 Subsidiaries: Cape Fox Shared Services, Cape Fox Federal Integrators, Cape Fox Facilities Services, Saxman One. Eagle Health. Concentric Method, NAVAR, Cape Fox Lodge, Ketchikan Title Agency, Cape Fox Tours, Cape Fox Professional Services, Dockside Galley, Sweet Mermaids Chris Luchtefeld, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 801/253

CHEFARNRMUTE INCORPORATED PO Box 70 Chefornak, AK 99561 907-867-8115 Business Activities: Hardware and grocery store.

Noteworthy Project: - Acreage: Number of Shareholders: 187 Subsidiaries: Chaputnguak Fuel Services George Sam, Chairman-Acting Temp GM Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 48/48

CHOGGIUNG, LIMITED PO Box 330 Dillingham, AK 99576 907-842-5218 choggiung.com contact@choggiung.com Business Activities: Commercial real estate and hospitality, commercial and government services-federal contracting, construction, environmental, information technology, facilities services, and engineering.

Noteworthy Project: Choggiung had another record year grossing more than $150 million in revenue. A non-taxable shareholder dividend was distributed for the first time from the Choggiung, Limited Settlement Trust.

Acreage: 299,520 Number of Shareholders: 2,234 Subsidiaries: Choggiung Investment Company, Bristol Inn, Bayside Diner, Inland Empire Fire Protection, Umyuaq Technology, Intelligent Technology, Bristol Alliance of Companies Cameron Poindexter, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 326/97

CHUGACH ALASKA CORPORATION 3800 Centerpoint Dr., Ste. 1200 Anchorage, AK 99503-4396 907-563-8866 chugach.com communications@chugach.com Business Activities: Wide-ranging services for federal and commercial clients including facilities management and maintenance, construction, technical and IT, oil and gas, and education services.

Noteworthy Project: Chugach has focused on responding to COVID-19 to support shareholders and communities: issued early payment of dividends and Elder Distributions; established community and tribal support fund to provide financial support. Funds distributed by Chugachmiut distributed masks to shareholders and communities, established Chugach Regional Resources Group for communities, tribes and organizations across the region to partner. More info https:// www.chugach.com/news-media/covid-19-

74 | September 2020

informational-site/.

Acreage: ~1 million: 378,000 acres of full fee estate, 550,000 acres of subsurface Number of Shareholders: 2,750 Subsidiaries: Rex Electric & Technologies, Heide & Cook, All American Oilfield, Chugach Alaska Services, Chugach Tuullek, Chugach Professional Oilfield Services, Chugach Commercial Holdings, Chugach Government Solutions, Chugach Investment Holdings, Chugach Government Services, Wolf Creek Federal Services, Chugach Management Services, Chugach Consolidated Solutions, Chugach Industries, Chugach World Services, Chugach Information Technology Defense Base Services, Chugach Federal Solutions Chugach Education Services, Chugach Technical Solutions Chugach Training & Educational Solutions, Chugach Systems Integration Sheri Buretta Interim Pres./CEO/Chairman of the Board Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 5,700/1,000

COOK INLET REGION, INC.

Business Activities: Largest private landowner/ developer in Anchorage. Owner of commercial buildings, a hard rock quarry, construction company-8(a), gravel and mining site, real estate brokerage, and developer of upscale housing subdivisions.

Noteworthy Project: Restoring Alaska's Eklutna River: In 2018, after four years of work with the Native Village of Eklutna and The Conservation Fund to remove the lower Eklutna dam built in 1929, Eklutna, Inc. conducted the demolition of the dam. With the dam removed, the goal is that the salmon will return to the river, and that part of the Eklutna people's history will be revived.

Acreage: 60,000 Number of Shareholders: 180 Subsidiaries: Eklutna Construction & Maintenance, Eklutna Sand & Gravel, Eklutna Real Estate Services Kyle Foster, GM Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 60/60

PO Box 93330 Anchorage, AK 99509-3330 907-274-8638 CIRI.com info@CIRI.com Business Activities: Real estate, oil field and construction services, land and resources, energy development, environmental services, government contracting, and private equity and venture capital investments.

Noteworthy Project: CIRI continues to invest in a diverse portfolio with an eye towards long term and steady growth for the benefit of its shareholders. Like many businesses in the state, CIRI continues to assess the business landscape under COVID-19 and pivot where necessary to protect the safety and health of our community, while seeking new opportunities in this changed landscape.

Acreage: 625,000 Number of Shareholders: 9,100 Subsidiaries: CIRI Land Development Co., North Wind Group, Fire Island Wind, Cruz Energy Services Sophie Minich, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 80/80

GANA-A' YOO, LIMITED

DOYON, LIMITED

GOLDBELT, INCORPORATED

1 Doyon Pl., Ste. 300 Fairbanks, AK 99701-2941 888-478-4755 doyon.com communications@doyon.com Business Activities: Oil field services; drilling and pipeline infrastructure construction; government services; security; utility management; natural resource development; facility and food services; remote site support; engineering; construction.

Noteworthy Project: Doyon has partnered with Eighth Generation to have custom wool blankets created using inspiration from artists across our region. We asked artists to submit photos of their current art portfolios for a chance to work with Eighth Generation. Two artists were selected; Lacey Sam of Huslia and Emma Hildebrand of Northway. Lacey’s artwork will be featured in 2021 and Emma’s artwork will be featured in 2022. Eighth Generation is a Native-owned and operation company based in Seattle.

Acreage: 12.5 million Number of Shareholders: 20,275 Subsidiaries: Doyon Oil Field Services, Doyon Government Contracting, Doyon Natural Resources Development Corporation, Northern Laundry Services, Doyon Tourism, Northstar Manager, Mid-Alaska Pipeline Aaron Schutt, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1,046/708

3025 Clinton Dr. Juneau, AK 99801 907-790-4990 Goldbelt.com info@goldbelt.com Business Activities: Tourism, government contracting, facility management, IT consulting, transportation, security services, and construction.

Noteworthy Project: Remodel of lower Tram terminal in Juneau to provide an improved customer experience and build a stronger tourism business.

Acreage: 33,000 Number of Shareholders: 3,900 Subsidiaries: Goldbelt Glacier Health Services, Nisga'a Data Systems, Goldbelt Falcon, Goldbelt Hawk, Peregrine Technical Solutions, Facility Support Services, Goldbelt Security, Mount Roberts Tramway, Goldbelt Transportation, Cultural Preservation Marine, Goldbelt C6, Nisga'a Tek,Goldbelt Operations Support Services, Goldbelt Integrated Logistics Services, Goldbelt Frontier McHugh Pierre, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1,900/270

EKLUTNA, INC. 16515 Centerfield Dr., Ste. 201 Eagle River, AK 99577 907-696-2828 eklutnainc.com lferguson@eklutnainc.com

1001 E. Benson Blvd., Ste. 201 Anchorage, AK 99508 907-569-9599 ganaayoo.com info@ganaayoo.com Business Activities: Our principle activities include construction, roads and grounds maintenance, camp and food services, and janitorial. We’ve expanded our footprint to include work from Antarctica to Afghanistan.

Noteworthy Project: Gana-A’Yoo experienced record growth in 2019, more than doubling our profitability. Shareholders received the largest dividend to date. The corporation contributed $100,000 to the schools in our communities, supporting the vision of investing in our people and promoting, healthy, thriving communities.

Acreage: 437,760 Number of Shareholders: 1,285 Subsidiaries: Gana-A'Yoo Services Corp, Khotol Service Corp, Kaiyuh Services, Kaiyuh Information Technologies, Six Mile, Yukon Management Dena Sommer-Pedebone, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 250/29

ISANOTSKI CORPORATION 101 Isanotski Dr. False Pass, AK 99583 907-548-2217 isanotskicorp@justemail.net Business Activities: Grocery store, liquor store, crab pot storage.

Noteworthy Project: Recently built grocery store (2018).

Acreage: Number of Shareholders: 108 Chantae Kochuten, President Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 6/6

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

KAKTOVIK INUPIAT CORPORATION 010 A St. Kaktovik, AK 99747 907-640-6120 Business Activities: Non-profit corporation.

Noteworthy Project: - Acreage: 92,000 Number of Shareholders: 266 Matthew Rexford, Pres.

Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 11/11

KIJIK CORPORATION 801 B St., Ste. 401-B Anchorage, AK 99501 907-561-4487 KijikCorp.com April@kijikcorp.com Business Activities: The mission of the Kijik Corporation is to generate sustainable profits for Kijik shareholders while recognizing the unique diversity of Kijik lands and peoples.

Noteworthy Project: Basically we apply for grants relative to our community and contract the work out to other entities. Once it was helicopter flights and scheduled small aircraft flights and recently we participated in anti-drug and opioid addiction campaign.

Acreage: 126,000 Number of Shareholders: 504 Subsidiaries: Kijik Aviation Services, Kijik Technical Services, Qizhjeh Heritage Institute, International Data Systems, RISE Communications Ventura Samaniego, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 3/3

KING COVE CORPORATION PO Box 38 King Cove, AK 99612 907-497-2312 kingcovecorp.com kccadmin@arctic.net Business Activities: Hotel/bar/restaurant, property leases, gravel sales, fuel sales.

Noteworthy Project: Creation of Delta Point.

Acreage: 123,000 Number of Shareholders: 435 Subsidiaries: King Cove Holdings, Delta Point, Last Hook Off Bar, Fox Island Fuel, Fleets Inn Motel, Heart Lake Apartments Della Trumble, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 20/15

KLAWOCK HEENYA CORPORATION PO Box 129 Klawock, AK 99925 907-755-2270 klawockheenya.com khc@aptalaska.net Business Activities: Klawock Heenya Corp, Klawock River Inn, The Bread Box, KIDCO. Noteworthy Project: Focusing on our people in tough times.

Acreage: 23,000 Number of Shareholders: 1,200 Mary Edenshaw, COO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 14/14

KLUKWAN INC. PMB 160 2440 E Tudor Rd. Anchorage, AK 99507 907-250-0125 Business Activities: Management and administration.

Noteworthy Project: Shareholder records.

Acreage: 23,040 Number of Shareholders: 450 Rosemarie Hotch, Pres.

Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 0/0

KONIAG 194 Alimaq Dr. Kodiak, AK 99615 907-486-2530 koniag.com Business Activities: Koniag's principal lines of business include commercial real estate investments; ANCSA natural resource management; and investments in various

www.akbizmag.com

General | Commercial | Design Build | Construction Management 6591 A Street, Suite 300 | Anchorage, Alaska 99518 907.562.2336 | davisconstructors.com Alaska Business

September 2020 | 75

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

operating companies.

Noteworthy Project: In 2019, Koniag realized its seventh consecutive year of growth. Sustained by hardworking employees and a solid vision for the future, Koniag is building for the long term.

This year, Koniag purchased the remaining 20 percent of OST, making the company a wholly owned subsidiary. Helping our region stay healthy is part of building for the long term.

After organizing regional round tables with our partners, Koniag supported COVID-19 response, particularly around food security.

Acreage: 145,000 surface, 990,000 subsurface Number of Shareholders: 4,235 Subsidiaries: Digitized Schematic Solutions, Frontier Systems Integrator, Koniag Services, Professional Computing Resources, XMCO, Dowland-Bach Corporation, Koniag Information Security Services, Granite Cove Quarry, Koniag Technology Solutions, Nunat Holdings, Near Island Building, Karluk Wilderness Adventures, Inc. dba Kodiak Brown Bear Center and dba Karluk River Cabins, PacArctic, Open Systems Technology, Arlluk Technology Solutions, Eagle Harbor Solutions, Kadiak, Tuknik Government Services, Glacier Services, Koniag Government Services, Koniag Management Solutions, Koniag Commercial Holdings, Koniag Data Solutions, Koniag IT Systems, Koniag Professional Services, Koniag Integration Solutions Ron Unger, Chairman/CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1,381/97

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.

LEADER In All We Do

LEISNOI

www.doyon.com

561 E. 36th Ave., Ste. 120 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-222-6900 leisnoi.com info@leisnoi.com Business Activities: Leisnoi and its subsidiaries are focused on creating ongoing value for shareholders. We provide a range of services: facilities and infrastructure sustainment, restoration, maintenance, construction, and non-/traditional environmental services.

Noteworthy Project: Build sustainable business performance and enhance Leisnoi’s portfolio.

Acreage: 50,000 Number of Shareholders: 462 Subsidiaries: Tuyuq, Leisnoi Diversified Services, Leisnoi Professional Services, Napaq, Leisnoi Development Company Jana Turvey, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 19/5

MINTO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 615 Bidwilo Ave., Ste. 303 Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-374-0968 mintodevelopmentcorp.com toni@mintodevelopmentcorp.com Business Activities: Management of companies.

Noteworthy Project: Minority owner, Alaska Glacier Products; management of tribally-chartered Behnti Economic Development Corporation and subsidiaries; management partner in Tene Hut'aane.

Acreage: Number of Shareholders: - Douglas Isaacson, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 4/4

NANA PO Box 49 Kotzebue, AK 99752 907-442-3301 nana.com news@nana.com Business Activities: Resource development; land management; federal contracting; engineering and design; surveying and mapping; food and facilities management; camp services; security; industrial and commercial fabrication and installation; drilling services.

Noteworthy Project: In 2019, Red Dog Mine marked 30 years of production, during which Red Dog has continuously produced zinc, lead, and other elements for global markets and employed three generations of more than 3,000 NANA shareholders. Most recently, in response to the

76 | September 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

NAPAKIAK CORPORATION

FROM HERE TO THERE? NO PROBLEM.

PO Box 34030 Napakiak, AK 99634 907-589-2227 tinablack77@outlook.com Business Activities: The Napakiak Corporation, the Alaska Native corporation representing the Village of Napakiak, Alaska, provides economic growth and development for the corporation and its shareholders.

Noteworthy Project: Napakiak Corporation has four subsidiaries: Napakiak Ircinraq Power Company, Naparyalruar Corporation, WNA Rentals, and Napakiak Environmental & Construction.

Acreage: Number of Shareholders: 274 Moses Aluskak, Pres.

Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 9/9

We’re ready to tackle your most complex marine transportation, logistical and modular transportation challenges worldwide. With point-to-point turnkey logistics, and project and asset management, we’ll get you from here to there — safely and efficiently.

OUNALASHKA CORPORATION PO Box 149 Unalaska, AK 99685 907-581-1276 ounalashka.com Business Activities: Leasing and real estate development.

Noteworthy Project: Makushin Geothermal Power through partnership with Chena Power.

Acreage: 115,000 Number of Shareholders: 490 Christopher Salts, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 18/18

always safe. always ready.

www.foss.com

PAUG-VIK INCORPORATED PO Box 61 Naknek, AK 99633 907-246-4277 Business Activities: Land development, gravel contracts. Rental units, land leases, along with a new Kellindavik gold mine operation.

Noteworthy Project: We have built new rental units such as a duplex along with purchased land to build warehouse for possible boat storage.

We have also helped grow our new venture of developing a gold mine operation.

Acreage: 131,000 Number of Shareholders: 671 Subsidiaries: Paug-Vik Inc. Bill Hill, Pres.

Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 20/20

SEALASKA One Sealaska Plaza, Ste. 400 Juneau, AK 99801-1276 907-586-1512 sealaska.com corpcomm@sealaska.com Business Activities: Sealaska's businesses are divided into three tiers: natural resources and land management, environmental services, and sustainable foods.

Noteworthy Project: In April 2020, Sealaska’s board of directors approved a $1 million COVID-19 relief and recovery package to help Alaska Native communities respond to the impact from the coronavirus. This pledge provides emergency response funding for several nonprofit organizations delivering urgent recovery services. The donation will also bolster the efforts of tribes throughout Southeast Alaska and other support agencies across the state that are working to meet emergency needs.

Acreage: 362,000 Number of Shareholders: 23,000

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Alaska Business

September 2020 | 77

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

COVID-19 pandemic, NANA and our family of companies have partnered with organizations in our region, throughout Alaska and beyond to help prevent the spread of the virus and ease its financial impact to shareholders.

Acreage: 2.2 million Number of Shareholders: 14,500 Subsidiaries: Akima, Sivu Wayne Westlake, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 14,072/4,495

ALASKA NATIVE SPECIAL SECTION

Subsidiaries: Sealaska Timber Company, Alaska Coastal Aggregates, Sealaska Environmental Services, Managed Business Solutions, Sealaska Constructors, Sealaska Construction Solutions, Sealaska Technical Services, EcoData Analytics, Gregg Drilling, Pitcher Services, Sealaska Engineering & applied Sciences, Sealaska Remediation Solutions Anthony Mallott, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 850/70

SELDOVIA NATIVE ASSOCIATION INC. Drawer L Seldovia, AK 99515 907-234-7625 snai.com info@snai.com Business Activities: Hotel, land permits, hunting permit, land leasing.

Noteworthy Project: Remodeled Dimond Hotel.

Acreage: 181,000 Number of Shareholders: 437 Don Kashevaroff, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 5/5

SETH-DE-YA-AH CORPORATION 615 Bidwill Ave., Ste. 407 Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-452-2288 Business Activities: Land Management, business development.

Noteworthy Project: - Acreage: 147,860 Number of Shareholders: 299 Audrey George, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2/2

SHAAN-SEET, INC. PO Box 690 Craig, AK 99921 907-826-3251 shaanseet.com contact@shaanseet.com Business Activities: We own and operate the Sunnahae Hotel; we have residential rentals as well as a trailer court facility; we take boats, Conex boxes, etc. in for storage at False Island; and we sell aggregate for your business/home projects.

Noteworthy Project: Shaan Seet Incorporated strives to develop economic opportunity that improves the quality of life of our people while perpetuating our culture, which builds trust through integrity and accountability.

Acreage: 24,000 Number of Shareholders: 603 Edward Douville, Pres./GM Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 8/8

SHAKTOOLIK NATIVE CORPORATION PO Box 46 Shaktoolik, AK 99771 907-955-3241/42 sncgm99771@gmail.com Business Activities: Sell groceries, gas, diesel, propane, hardware, and automotive goods.

Noteworthy Project: SNC is getting a new tank farm this fall.

Acreage: 116,080 Number of Shareholders: 266 Eugene Asicksik, Pres.

Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 8/8

SITNASUAK NATIVE CORPORATION PO Box 905 Nome, AK 99762 907-387-1200 snc.org communications@snc.org Business Activities: Sitnasuak has subsidiaries in diverse business activities including tactical apparel for military and public safety service men and women, fuel distribution, retail store sales, title and escrow services, and property rentals and development.

Noteworthy Project: Reconfigured apparel manufacturing plants to begin production of

78 | September 2020

personal protective equipment for the federal government.

Acreage: 232,174 Number of Shareholders: 2,950 Subsidiaries: SNC Technical Services, Fidelity Title Agency Alaska, GBS, Nanuaq, Nanuaq Development, Sitnasuak Properities, Aurora Industries, API, SNC Manufacturing, Bonanza Fuel, Mat-Su Title Agency, Sitnasuak Financial Services, Mocean Tactical, Bonanza Fuel, PRAK Industries Charles Fagerstrom, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1,484/96

TDX (TANADGUSIX) CORPORATION 3601 C St., Ste. 1000 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-278-2312 tdxcorp.com info@tanadgusix.com Business Activities: TDX Corporation is owned by and represents the business interests of more than 600 Aleut shareholders of St. Paul Island. Its business is diversified among four service groups serving technology, government services, hospitality, and Bering Sea fisheries.

Noteworthy Project: Expert in rural energy and wind power generation systems with related switchgear technology.

Acreage: Number of Shareholders: 660 Subsidiaries: TDX Government Services Group, TDX Power Group, Hospitality Group Ron Philemonoff, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 440/215

THE KUSKOKWIM CORPORATION 4300 B St., Ste. 405 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-243-2944 kuskokwim.com info@kuskokwim.com Business Activities: Construction, government services, environmental services, lighting, aerospace, aircraft maintenance and repair, real estate, and rural retail.

Noteworthy Project: With Lower 48 subsidiaries thriving, The Kuskokwim Corporation is focused on lowering the cost of living in rural Alaska through lower cost goods and groceries at Kuik Run Store in Aniak, the Brighter Future project that is switching out all shareholder light bulbs for energy saving LED bulbs, and efficient rural housing design.

Acreage: 950,000 Number of Shareholders: 4,310 Subsidiaries: TKC Development, Tumeq, Kuskokwim Properties, TKC Aerospace, Suulutaaq, Precision Air., Swift River Environmental Services, SIOTS, Charleston Logistics, Holitna Construction, Precision Heli-Support, Green Lighting Group, Air Transport of the Carolinas, MIPPS, Kuskokwim Community Growth Company, Sunitna River, Ciqima Federal Services Andrea Gusty, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 188/25

THE TATITLEK CORPORATION 561 E. 36th Ave., Ste. 400 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-278-4000 tatitlek.com Legal@Tatitlek.com Business Activities: Information technology, satellite-based imagery capture and processing, geospatial solutions, facilities maintenance, security, training scenarios, logistics support, base operations support, supply chain management, transportation, and admin support.

Noteworthy Project: Security services, facilities maintenance, construction, etc.

Acreage: 108,268 Number of Shareholders: 385 Subsidiaries: Tatitlek Construction Services, Tatitlek Support Services, Tatitlek Technologies, Tatitlek Training Services GeoNorth, Tatitlek Logistics Corporation, Tatitlek Response Services, Tatitlek Federal Services, Port Fidalgo Constructors GeoNorth Information Systems, Tatitlek Technologies

Roy Totemoff, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1,987/44

TOGIAK NATIVES LIMITED PO Box 150 Togiak, AK 99678 907-493-5520 togiaknatives.com accountant@togiaknatives.com Business Activities: Leasing, fuel sales, transportation.

Noteworthy Project: Tank Farm.

Acreage: 156,657 Number of Shareholders: 974 Subsidiaries: Togiak Fuel Distributors, Togiak Bus Services, Our Store Inc., Togiak Management Services, Togiak Fishing Adventures Jimmy Coopchiak, Pres.

Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 12/10

TOZITNA, LIMITED PO Box 77129 Tanana, AK 99777 907-366-7255 tozitnalimited@gmail.com Business Activities: Village Corporation.

Noteworthy Project: ANCSA Acreage: 124,377 Number of Shareholders: 722 Nina Heyano, Pres.

Worldwide/Alaska Employees:3/3

TYONEK NATIVE CORPORATION 1689 C St., Ste. 219 Anchorage, AK 99501 907-272-0707 tyonek.com sdeemer@tyonek.com Business Activities: Defense equipment manufacturing; 8(a) government service contractor; aviation maintenance; construction; private land and resource development; hospitality services; barge landing and port service.

Noteworthy Project: Tyonek companies are building the future for our clients with precision manufacturing, aviation services, IT/Cyber and mission support for government and OEM customers.

Acreage: 193,515 Number of Shareholders: 949 Subsidiaries: Tyonek Services Group, Tyonek Manufacturing Group, Tyonek Construction Group Leo Barlow, CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1,371/24

UKPEAĠVIK IÑUPIAT CORPORATION PO Box 890 Utqiaġvik, AK 99723 907-852-4460 uicalaska.com uic.corporatemarketing@uicalaska.com Business Activities: Architecture, engineering, surveying, civil, commercial and industrial construction, environmental remediation, marine operations, information technology, maintenance and manufacturing, logistics and Arctic science support.

Noteworthy Project: The Board on Army RDT&E, Systems Acquisition, and Logistics (BARSL), managed by Bowhead, provided a panel of experts in the fields of medicine, engineering, and logistics for the Army Expeditionary Technology Search (X-TechSearch) COVID-19 Ventilator Challenge to assess and evaluate low-cost emergency ventilators for quick manufacturing and distribution for the US Army.

Acreage: 212,000 Number of Shareholders: 3,195 Subsidiaries: UIC Government Services, UIC Commercial Services, UIC Government Construction, UIC Nappairit, Qayaq Construction, Rockford, UMIAQ Design, UIC Sanatu, UMIAQ Environmental, UIC Oil and Gas, Bowhead Transport, UIC Real Estate, UIC Science, UIC Municipal Services Delbert Rexford, Pres./CEO Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 3,397/320

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

CONSTRUCTION

Off the Beaten Path Construction planning outside of the road system has many moving pieces

Bettisworth North Architects

By Julie Stricker

80 | September 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

L

ittle Diomede—a tiny, rocky island with a population of less than 100—is located in the middle of the Bering Sea, only two miles from Big Diomede island, which is across the International Date Line and uninhabited, except by an occasional Russian military sortie.

Most of the island slopes 45 degrees to the water’s surface, and buildings on stilts cling to the side connected by walkways. Little Diomede has no harbor or airport and the weather in the Bering Strait is unpredictable, so traveling to the village can be tricky.

For construction projects, it doesn’t get more rural—or more complicated.

Alaska companies are up to the task, and, with a great deal of planning and coordination, the remote village is getting a long-awaited health clinic.

In 2018, the Norton Sound Health Corporation awarded a bid to build the new clinic on Little Diomede. A lot of logistics then went into play. The clinic had to be designed specifically for the site, taking into account the villagers’ needs, the rigors of extreme cold, frequent high winds, and saltwater.

Then the materials had to get there. The main access to the island is by helicopter, with regularly scheduled flights—weather permitting.

Sometimes weather conditions are so bad helicopters can’t land for days.

Occasionally boats can land in the summer, and in the winter planes can land when an ice runway can be scraped out of sea ice.

The clinic’s location is about 1,000 feet from where the building materials were staged, so all supplies and equipment had to be hand-carried to the construction site. But despite these hurdles, and with the COVID-19 pandemic throwing in another wrench, the $6 million clinic is scheduled to be completed this year.

Construction in Alaska outside of the road system poses special challenges. But contractors, builders, and designers have learned to work together to overcome those challenges and in the process have created buildings that are practical, efficient, and often eye-catching.

Planning Some projects can take years to complete, from bid to design to www.akbizmag.com

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www.yukoneq.com September 2020 | 81

The new $6 million clinic under construction on Little Diomede.

Bettisworth North Architects

Alaska Energy Services LLC

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www.alaskaenergyservices.com • Diane.b@alaskaenergyservices.com 82 | September 2020

construction. Often, there is only a small window for transportation and construction, so all the pieces need to be in place when that window opens.

Leah Boltz, marketing director for Bettisworth North Architects and Planners, says early communication between the designer and the contractor is important.

“The earlier the contractor can be engaged, the better, as it allows us to collaborate and allows for two-way feedback on costs, timelines, designer intent, and constructability, which can have significant impacts on a project,” she says.

Oftentimes, the original design is modified before or during construction, she says. Reasons include a change in direction or priorities from the owner, costs and budgets, input from user groups or the contractor, reallocation of resources, new technologies or innovations, outside economic and community factors, staff changes, and availability of materials.

“Particularly right now during the pandemic, we have seen significant impacts to the manufacturing and supply chain, which has resulted in the need to reselect some materials and furnishings and finishes to meet timelines and availability,” Boltz says.

Tracy Vanairsdale is an architect with Bettisworth North who has designed projects all over Alaska, both on and off the road system.

“We enjoy working with the contractors and typically have weekly coordination meetings to review progress and coordination issues,” she says. “We also regularly utilize cloud-based data exchange platforms specifically during the construction administration phase to expedite the

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

review process, communications and coordination, discussing opportunities and challenges. Finding resolutions while documenting the process is invaluable.”

Another tool Bettisworth North has been using is virtual reality, Boltz says.

“The focus for VR is typically to help the client and user groups see a space to help them make design decisions,” she says. “However, we find this tool also comes in handy in the planning process to help the contractor envision the design intent when they are ordering materials and building out the space.”

On the contracting side, RT Lindner, owner of Johnson River Enterprises in Fairbanks, says submitting a bid and getting the procurement and the materials ordered is usually a severalmonth process.

“Overall, it’s about sixteen weeks to where we have the materials sitting in town,” he says. “Then, it depends on where it goes. If it’s off the road system or even a fly-in project, we go through a pretty rigorous packing and wrapping and shrink-wrap process. Inventorying, usually in our shop yard before we go to the site, takes another couple of weeks.”

As far as timing, Lindner says he generally aims to procure materials during the winter months for rural projects so they can be loaded on to a barge by the end of May, especially if he’s working on a project along one of the smaller river systems.

“You always want to catch the high water, which is first thing in the spring,” Lindner says. “You’ve got a very narrow, very narrow window.”

Coming up with creative methods to handle the short seasons and limited transportation options can be challenging, he says.

One such project was the construction of a new clinic in Allakaket, a village of about 100 on the south bank of the Koyukuk River, nearly 200 miles northwest of Fairbanks. The clinic was an important addition to the community, which at the time only had one building, the "washeteria", with running water and flush toilets, he says.

“It’s a good thing to be part of,” Lindner says. “Sometimes you’ve got to think out of the box. I know on that one we even did some winter freighting where we used snowmachines and sleds just to get the foundation package www.akbizmag.com

“Particularly right now during the pandemic, we have seen significant impacts to the manufacturing and supply chain, which has resulted in the need to reselect some materials and furnishings and finishes to meet timelines and availability.”

Leah Boltz, Marketing Director, Bettisworth North

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September 2020 | 83

Artistic renderings of the interior and exterior of the Little Diomede clinic.

Bettisworth North Architects

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out there so we could actually start first thing in the spring.”

Once at the site, it’s never good to realize something critical has been forgotten. If that happens, “You’re in trouble,” he says, laughing. “It’s gonna cost you. That’s where experience in doing lots [of rural projects] and having good systems in place and double checks—it definitely leads to success on the other end.”

By being creative, Lindner says, they managed to shave a significant amount of money off the project by barging the materials in instead of flying them. That was a risk, because the village sits well up the Koyukuk River and shallow water had kept barges from reaching it for several years before.

“We had 380 tons of material,” Lindner says. “It was a little bit of a nailbiting event, but we did pull it off. Not to say we’d do it again, but sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.

It was fun because it was successful.”

Weather plays a huge role in building function and design in Alaska.

Boltz says the company’s challenge is to provide a facility that operates at

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Alaska Business

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Bettisworth North Architects

“Our most successful solutions come from an understanding and appreciation for the client, their needs, their location, their culture, their values.

We spend as much time as possible with them, learning from them directly so that their voice, or ideas, concerns, goals, for example, are not only understood but woven into the design, from the exterior site elements to the smallest details in the interior.”

Tracy Vanairsdale, Architect, Bettisworth North

optimal efficiency, is maintainable, and affordable.

“Affordability is two-fold,” she says.

That consists of the initial costs as 86 | September 2020

well as a cost of the building over its expected life. “Understanding the environment, the changing soils and weather patterns, constructability, and potential phasing and providing for future growth are important considerations when designing solutions for the extreme locations we have in Alaska.”

Vanairsdale adds, “From a construction and project standpoint, weather can have a significant impact on logistics project schedules, which is why it is so important to use design and construction teams with Alaska knowledge and expertise. It’s definitely a different environment here where you may only have a few months out of the year to get materials and construct a project.”

Materials Bettisworth North has developed several designs for projects such as rural clinics. In addition to design, they evaluate the materials that will be needed for the project, both interior and exterior, Vanairsdale says. “Many rural clients have a great history of use of materials that worked well and not so well, so we start from listening and learning to their experiences,” she says.

“We confirm their maintenance preferences, including specific equipment and accessibility conditions.”

Boltz says that for projects in rural Alaska, it’s essential to select materials and systems that, whenever possible, can be easily replaced or repaired with components or material available locally.

“It is also critical to select materials that can withstand the often harsh environments, and we try to select materials that work for each specific region and its conditions—whether it be the humidity of the coastal environment, the intense sun of the Interior, winds and silt from glacial and river regions, or cold and snow in Arctic areas,” Boltz says.

“To take materials selection a bit further,” she adds, “we consider the values, people, and environment of each community, and we prefer to make choices that reflect each unique place.”

Choosing materials that are sustainable and environmentally

responsive is also important, Boltz says.

Permafrost, especially in an era of a warming climate, also must be considered. Lindner says Johnson River Enterprises has used a variety of foundation types, from post and beam to triodetic adjustable foundations.

“We’re trying to keep the permafrost frozen underneath with insulation and a gravel pad,” he says. “Even some of our new ones that are on post and pad have an adjustment on them. So far, we haven’t had any of them move.

It all starts with the foundation. You can have the best design in the world, but if it’s sitting on junk it’s not going to hold up.”

Design Cultures in rural Alaska differ greatly between regions and Vanairsdale says those values play into the designs she creates.

“Our most successful solutions come from an understanding and appreciation for the client, their needs, their location, their culture, their values,” she says. “We spend as much time as possible with them, learning from them directly so that their voice, or ideas, concerns, goals, for example, are not only understood but woven into the design, from the exterior site elements to the smallest details in the interior.”

Vanairsdale says she works closely with the building occupants as well as community groups of all ages to make sure the buildings function according to their needs. She also integrates traditional language, recognizable images, or elements so the building works to connect the land and the people.

For example, she looks at the structure’s orientation to the sun and landscape, how it reflects the seasons, as well as other details that project strength, welcoming, and healing.

“It’s a process,” Lindner says.

“Knowing the next step and understanding the whole thing is part of the challenge. Staging the materials: I find it fascinating. I love putting it together so it’s just your crews. You say ‘Hey, here’s your next pile,’ and they go through that one and the next one right behind it and they’ve got everything they need when they need it.”

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Doyon Drilling

OIL & GAS

Oil Rig Round-up A look at Doyon’s ‘Beast’ and other North Slope engineering feats

By Julie Stricker

F

ifty years ago, a typical oil drilling site on Alaska’s North Slope was spread out over 20 acres and the drilling technology of the day reached about a mile underground surrounding the pad. On the surface, wells were spaced about 120 feet apart.

Today, drill sites have much smaller footprints and drilling innovations such as new bit designs, fluid formulas, and advanced drill rig technologies allow oil companies to reach more than 100 square miles from one pad and drill around geological barriers.

Developments such as directional, extended reach, and multilateral drilling allow wells to be drilled in all directions from a single well bore, like spokes on a wheel, leaving most of the surface environment undisturbed.

At the forefront of these advances are the drilling rigs themselves, all of which are specially designed for 88 | September 2020

work in the tough, remote Arctic environment of Alaska’s North Slope, says Ron Wilson, president and general manager of Doyon Drilling. Doyon Drilling is a wholly owned subsidiary of Doyon, Limited, a Fairbanks-based Alaska Native corporation established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

Rigs in the North “Arctic rigs in Alaska are unique,” Wilson says. “They’re fully enclosed to work in the harsh environment and some of them are self-propelled. Some are pulled by trucks that you can break down and move to new locations in a short time.”

He says some of the biggest technological changes he’s seen in the past forty years involve downhole technology.

“The tools that allow you to have

real-time drilling—so you know where the bit is instead of dropping surveys that take twenty minutes to thirty minutes to get accurate readings,” Wilson says. “Now you know what you’ve got in real time.”

Wilson, who has been with Doyon Drilling since 1982, says the last three rigs the company has built have all been “pretty unique.” They are all AC driven, meaning they use an electric motor driven by an alternating current instead of diesel fuel, which helps reduce emissions and the environmental impact on the fragile tundra.

He was involved in the planning and design of the newest big rig on the North Slope: Doyon 26.

In 2016, ConocoPhillips Alaska and Doyon Drilling partnered to build an extended-reach drilling rig that would allow ConocoPhillips Alaska to reach its Fiord West field, near Alpine

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in the Colville River Unit, without having to build a new pad. The field isn’t connected to any roads or other infrastructure at Alpine and earlier drill rigs didn’t have the reach to access any hydrocarbons in Fiord West.

Doyon 26 is a major step forward in drilling technology, Doyon Drilling says.

Dubbed “The Beast,” the powerful rig has extended reach technology that will allow ConocoPhillips Alaska to reach places that were previously thought to be economically or physically out of reach, not only at Fiord West but other ConocoPhillips leases. It will decrease environmental impact because it can use existing roads and gravel pads. It is the largest mobile land rig in North America and nearly twice as powerful as existing rigs.

According to Wilson, the kelly bushings (a kelly drive in a drill rig, comprised of the kelly and kelly bushing, provides the means to turn the drill bit) in a typical rig are 28 feet to 30 feet. On Doyon 26, they’re 54 feet.

“They’ve really come a long way in horizontal drilling, but this one is capable of at least 40,000 feet,” Wilson

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says. Its extended-reach technology means it can access underground areas more than 7 miles from its location on the surface, or about 154 square miles of reservoir. Earlier rigs, which were setting drilling records in 2016, could access about 55 square miles.

Built in Canada, the 9.5 millionpound rig was completed in 2019 and shipped to the North Slope in 267 separate tractor-trailer loads. It was reconstructed and moved to its pad in March. It is expected to create about eighty direct jobs and an equal number of indirect jobs, Doyon President and CEO Aaron Schutt said when the plans for the rig were announced in 2016, but shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic have kept it from going into action.

Shon Robinson, manager of drilling and wells for ConocoPhillips Alaska, says the company hopes to change how Alaska develops oil and gas resources with Doyon 26.

“We hope to produce from areas that would never have been developed from pads that are already developed,” Robinson says. “The rig will allow us to

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reduce our footprint in the environment going forward while bringing value to ConocoPhillips and Alaska.”

Other Beasts While Doyon 26 is the new kid on the block, its fellow rigs are no slackers.

“Every rig that ConocoPhillips uses has its unique applicability and brings value in its own way,” Robinson says.

“All of the rigs currently in our fleet are able to cross the river, meaning we can deploy them in Kuparuk, Alpine, or for exploration. That allows the team to execute opportunities as they are identified.”

Nabors, one of the world’s largest oil and gas drilling contractors, has been conducting commercial drilling operations in Alaska since 1962. Its rig drilled the well that led to the discovery of oil in Prudhoe Bay (and the well that confirmed the find).

In 2009, ConocoPhillips commissioned a coiled tubing/stem drilling rig, CDR2-AC, to boost oil recovery in its Kuparuk field. The Nabors CDR2-AC can drill up to eight lateral wells from a single well

September 2020 | 89

“Every rig that ConocoPhillips uses has its unique applicability and brings value in its own way. All of the rigs currently in our fleet are able to cross the river, meaning we can deploy them in Kuparuk, Alpine, or for exploration. That allows the team to execute opportunities Doyon Drilling

as they are identified.”

Shon Robinson, Manager of Drilling and Wells ConocoPhillips Alaska

bore. It is designed specifically for arctic conditions, with all its systems, including the coiled tubing string and crew operations, kept warm.

ConocoPhillips says the lateral wells from its existing well bores are the primary means for development drilling at Kuparuk.

In 2016, ConocoPhillips commissioned a nearly identical rig, Nabors CDR3, for its Kuparuk River Unit.

“Nabors CDR3 is a fit for purpose coiled tubing drilling rig that was built and put in service in 2016 to reach undeveloped areas isolated by faults in existing fields,” Robinson says. “It takes advantage of existing well bores and essentially allows us to recycle them, chasing oil and gas that was left behind from the original development.”

90 | September 2020

Rig 19 Until Doyon 26 goes into service, another Doyon Drilling rig will hold onto the record for longest directional well. Rig 19 set the North American record and two State of Alaska drilling records at ConocoPhillips’ CD5 site in 2018.

CD5-25 is a dual lateral well. It was drilled to a true vertical depth of 7,900 feet, and a lateral well went another 21,748 feet—about 4 miles—in Alpine A sand, according to ConocoPhillips.

A second lateral well added another 12,463 feet in Alpine C sand, for a total of 34,211 feet, a state record for a lateral well. Combined footage for the well added up to 42,993 feet, another Alaska record, according to a news release at the time. The previous North American record, 19,500 feet,

was set in 2017 by Eclipse Resources in Ohio.

“Improved technology like extendedreach drilling and multi-lateral wells allow ConocoPhillips to maximize production while minimizing our environmental footprint,” Robinson stated in the news release. “CD525 will produce from over 4 miles of reservoir in the long lateral and from over 6 miles of reservoir when both laterals are included. Innovation and teamwork were a huge part of safely drilling this well.”

Rig 19 started work at the Alpine field in 1998 at CD1 through to CD5, according to Doyon Drilling. In its first twenty years at Alpine, Rig 19 successfully drilled nearly 4 million feet. It is a highly mobile rig, consisting of fully integrated, lightweight modules that can drill on

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“Improved technology like extended-reach drilling and multilateral wells allow ConocoPhillips to maximize production while minimizing our environmental footprint. CD5-25 will produce from over 4 miles of reservoir in the long lateral and from over 6 miles of reservoir when both laterals are included.

Innovation and teamwork were a huge part of safely drilling this well.”

Shon Robinson, Manager of Drilling and Wells ConocoPhillips Alaska

a 10-foot wellhead spacing. The 2018 milestone wasn’t the first one for the rig: in 2016, it set a new horizontal injection well record for Alaska at 26,196 feet at the same drill site.

The technology allowed ConocoPhillips to double its production goals at CD5, from 16,000 barrels of oil per day gross to 37,000.

92 | September 2020

The Doyon 19 rig was later moved nine miles to the Greater Moose’s Tooth 1 site in NPR-A to drill the first well there.

First oil production at that site was reached in October 2018.

Doyon 142 Another notable rig is Doyon 142, a rotary drilling rig that was commissioned in 2014.

It was built based on the design of Doyon 141, a repurposed rig Doyon Drilling acquired in the 1990s and retooled, making it the most versatile rig in its fleet. However, it required 25 feet to 30 feet between wells and ConocoPhillips expressed an interest in a rig of the same basic design with the ability to drill on a 10-foot well spacing. The rig also had to be lightweight and able to move across ice bridges.

Doyon 142 began operating for ConocoPhillips in 2016.

“Doyon 142 is one of the most versatile rigs in our fleet and has drilled the longest wells in the Kuparuk field, as well as the penta-lateral producers in the 1H development,” Robinson says.

The penta-lateral wells are five directional wells drilled from a single surface well bore. It allows ConocoPhillips to produce oil at different depths over a total of 39,000 feet.

A basic configuration would consist of five modules, with various add-ons available depending on the field.

“The way that it works, it is set up to do early production so they can get the results from their well earlier and decide if it’s a viable prospect,” she says.

“They can use it as an interim system if they don’t want to build out an entire processing facility.”

It’s a lease-based system that would cost $30 million to $48 million a year, compared with the $300 million investment needed for a standard processing facility, she says.

“It’s a viable solution for Alaska,” O’Malia says. “The goal is to pull out as much oil on the North Slope from what are called puddles. It can make a significant amount of money with oil being as low as $37 a barrel. That’s the advantage to it. Oil doesn’t have around $50 to $70 for a major oil company to decide to go ahead and do work.”

O’Malia says MAPS can be hooked up to existing wells, and the modules can be customized for a client’s needs as far as how much water and gas are in oil, for instance.

“We can take it all the way from what we call fizzy oil—it doesn’t really have anything removed from it—to sales quality,” she says. “It can be trucked to a processing facility or we can tap into an existing pipeline.”

MAPS

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Kairos Consulting, a subsidiary of NANA WorleyParsons, has patented a new oil drilling system that can be custom-engineered for clients and is a lower-cost alternative to building a full production system, according to Lori O’Malia, business solutions manager at NANA WorleyParsons.

“If you’ve ever looked at West Texas or North Dakota and how they have all these huge oil fields set up with these little processing units, that’s what we have done and patented for the Arctic environment,” O’Malia says. “It’s enclosed so it can withstand the wind and the cold on the North Slope.”

The Mobile Arctic Production System (MAPS) is a production system consisting of 20-foot by 60-foot modules that O’Malia describes as a Lego-like system connected by pipes.

Although ConocoPhillips had hoped to mobilize The Beast this spring, the company opted to demobilize its development and exploration drill rigs because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to ConocoPhillips spokeswoman Natalie Lowman.

“At this time, we do not intend to resume drilling activity at our North Slope operations for the remainder of 2020,” Lowman says. “This is due to the reduction in our Alaska capital investment program for 2020 by $400 million net, much of which was associated with drilling rigs. I’m not currently able to provide a timeframe for when drilling might resume, but factors to be considered are the price of oil and the status of the proposed tax initiative, which would substantially increase oil taxes."

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MINING

Digging Deep for Clean Energy An Alaska solution to America’s foreign mineral dependency

By Isaac Stone Simonelli

94 | September 2020

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G

reen energy technology is built through mining. Without certain raw materials, such as graphite and rare earth metals, everything from the lithium-ion batteries that power Teslas to those storing electricity from wind turbines would be impossible to create, says US Senator Lisa Murkowski.

“We had a lot of opportunity since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to really appreciate in real-time how reliant we are as a nation on other countries for some very important

goods and products,” Murkowski says in her podcast “Murkowski’s Message”— referring to medical supplies that were in short supply early in the crisis. “That experience has been a good reminder, I think, that much of what makes modern life possible, from cell phones to laptops for Zoom meetings to the electricity that keeps everything running—all of this comes from minerals.”

Millrock Resources President and CEO Greg Beischer concurs.

“A lot of people just don’t realize that metals are used in just about everything

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September 2020 | 95

that has to do with energy. Solar panels, for example, contain all kinds of different metals. And then, of course, to store energy… lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other mined metals are used to make batteries.”

Powering the Future Lithium-ion batteries will be part of fundamental technology for the next 100 years as the world becomes increasingly electrified, predicts Simon Moores, managing director of UK-based Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

Elon Musk once commented that lithium-ion batteries should actually be called nickel-graphite batteries because of the enormous amount of each mineral used in them, says Graphite One President and CEO Anthony Huston.

Graphite One is a vertically integrated technology and mining enterprise looking to develop the highest grade and largest known US large flake graphite deposit, located at Graphite Creek on the Seward Peninsula.

Graphite One is positioned to mine, process, and manufacture the highgrade, coated, spherical graphite necessary for energy storage in lithiumion battery markets.

“Beyond electric vehicles and energy storage applications, Graphite One Alaska also constitutes a base feed-stock supply chain for advanced graphite applications ranging from high-purity, nuclear-grade graphite; synthetic diamond production with potential as a semiconductor substrate; graphite foam for fire suppression; and traditional uses of graphite steel manufacturing and other industrial processes,” Huston says.

“The majority of our graphite will go into green, renewable applications, but virtually all of it will feed into the advanced tech applications changing our world. That’s why I call graphite a tech metal.”

The United States is currently 100 percent reliant on graphite imports from China, which is the world’s largest producer of graphite.

“This project constitutes a significant step towards restoring a US-based supply chain for material on the US government's critical minerals list,” Huston says.

96 | September 2020

The 2020 Tesla Semi is an all-electric Li-ion battery-powered Class 8 semi-tractortrailer truck with an expected range of up to 500 miles on a single charge. The lack of Liion battery production capabilities delayed Semi production to the latter half of the year.

Tesla

The body shop at Tesla’s factory.

Tesla

Critical Components In 2018, the Department of the Interior identified thirty-five mineral commodities for the critical minerals list.

“These commodities qualify as ‘critical minerals’ because each has been identified as a non-fuel mineral or mineral material that is essential to the economic and national security of the United States, that has a supply chain vulnerable to disruption, and that serves an essential function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of which would have significant consequences for the economy or national security,” a news release states.

Murkowski has been working to reduce US dependency on foreign mineral resources through various legislative efforts, including the American Mineral Security Act, which has been included in the broader American Energy Innovation Act. “Our foreign mineral dependence leaves us at the mercy of other nations for resources we could produce right here in Alaska. We face twin challenges that are essential to our economy, security and competitiveness, but even the most common-sense policy improvements are being met with partisan opposition right now,” Murkowski says.

“First, our nation is already deeply

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Equinor ASA

dependent on imports. In 2019, the US brought in at least 50 percent of its supply of forty-six minerals, including 100 percent of seventeen of them.

“Second, mineral consumption is projected to rise significantly in the years ahead, in part because of clean technologies. A recent World Bank report projected that the supply of battery metals like lithium, graphite, and cobalt will need to rise by nearly 500 percent by 2050.”

Rare earth elements are another mineral market on the critical minerals list that’s dominated by China. However, Ucore Rare Metals’ Bokan Mountain heavy rare earth project near Ketchikan hopes to put an end to that.

“Rare earths are absolutely incredible.

They have unique magnetic, electric, optical, and chemical properties that make them an integral part of modern life. Put simply, rare earths are critical, non-substitutable inputs required in countless high-tech, green-energy, transportation, and defense applications,” says President Ty Dinwoodie, who specializes in critical materials, including lithium-ion battery materials and rare earth elements.

“Ucore’s Bokan project has a unique geological endowment, positioning it as a predominant US source for heavy rare earths—in particular, dysprosium, terbium, neodymium, and praseodymium, which are critical for the production of rare-earth permanent magnets. These outrageously powerful magnets are significant demand drivers, commanding the highest rareearth prices.”

There are seventeen elements defined as rare earths, though one, promethium, is radioactive and does not occur in nature. Of the naturally occurring sixteen, about four are significant economic drivers: praseodymium,

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neodymium, terbium, and dysprosium.

The others are in oversupply or have limited basic industrial applications, notes Dinwoodie.

“Permanent magnets may not sound incredibly interesting; however, they are at the heart of most modern technologies. The most efficient motors require them to convert electrical energy into mechanical motion. Also, high-efficiency turbines and generators require these magnets to convert mechanical motion into electrical energy and are essential in maximizing the efficiencies and capabilities of electricity in modern technologies,” he says.

Rare Earth Economics 101 Dinwoodie is approaching the Bokan project similarly to how Huston is tackling the Graphite Creek project, recognizing that what Ucore needs to focus on is the company’s proprietary downstream refining technology before developing the Bokan mine.

“So, what that means is that we mine the ore, we beneficiate it, then we have to put it through our own downstream

transformation,” Dinwoodie says. “So, once Bokan is in production, we're going to take the Bokan feedstock and transform it into finished material, ready to be deployed in its final technological application.”

Unlike spot commodities and minerals, such as gold, which have established markets, the economics of the rare earth market demands that producers pre-sell products by way of binding offtake or long-term supply contracts.

“That’s challenging, because endusers are not going to buy until they know exactly what you’re capable of producing,” Dinwoodie says.

The issue is further compounded by the current need—without legislation changing the situation—to compete with China in the marketplace.

“Over the past several decades, US actions and inaction pertaining to rare earths have resulted in a vacuum on the world stage that China has been more than happy to fill. By dominating global commercial rare-earth production, China effectively controls the United States and its allies in ways that, in my

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opinion, the West does not entirely understand. By strategically controlling the global rare-earth market at subsidized prices, China has driven out competitors and deterred new market entrants,” he says.

“The United States has just one producing rare-earth mine, the Mountain Pass Mine in California recommissioned in 2018; however, 100 percent of the mined material is shipped to China for processing and downstream refining. What the United States and its allies need immediately, especially in a post-pandemic paradigm, is a secure, domestic supply chain. A mine is only a part of the equation. What is needed first is the economic, commercial-scale downstream manufacturing capacity to produce finished rare-earth products.”

This is why Dinwoodie, with support from the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, is planning to build a rare-earth processing plant in Alaska. “The reason we want to build our commercial processing facility in Alaska is because we know the need for Bokan to go into production is inevitable. Alaska will be a critical hub for sourcing. But, right now, I want it to be a critical hub for the processing of what we refer to as ‘pre-Bokan’ feedstock, because that's what we need now. And, when we need additional secure supply, Bokan will be ready to deliver,” Dinwoodie says.

“We are very Alaska-centric,” Dinwoodie says. “I believe that Alaska can and will play a significant role in building a domestic critical-materials supply chain. Alaska is quite unique in terms of its appreciation for and understanding of the importance of mining, processing, and refining.”

D E S I G N | P R I N T | M A I L | P R O M OT E

Murkowski makes it clear that she is aware of the threats to US national security posed at every stage of the supply chain.

“China is actively consolidating its control of the entire supply chain for clean energy technologies, from the raw materials mined out of the ground to the manufacturing of solar panels and the recycling of batteries.

Chinese companies are even taking the small amounts of rare earths that are produced in California, processing them in China, and then sending them

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back to the United States because we lack refining capacity,” Murkowski says.

“The longer we wait to address our mineral security, the more we risk ceding the industries of the future to other nations. We cannot simply have one piece of the supply chain. We cannot create wind turbines, solar panels, or advanced batteries out of thin air. These technologies depend on minerals that are mined and refined— and right now, that often occurs in countries with lower environmental and labor standards.

“I’d much prefer that the graphite for electric vehicles and energy storage systems come from the Graphite One project outside of Nome. I’d much prefer rare earths come from Bokan in the Southeast. Alaskans will do a better job of responsible mining, and that will lead to more jobs and revenues for our state, but it also depends on policymakers agreeing that it is time to rebuild our domestic supply chains.”

Though it’s not on the US list of critical minerals, copper is another Alaska mineral resource vital to the

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continued electrification of the United States, Beischer says.

“I believe the demand for copper is going to dramatically increase in the coming decades because it is clear we are going to become a much more electrified society. A lot of cities are going to move predominantly to electric cars,” Beischer says.

“And that means two things: first of all, we're going to have to generate a lot more electricity to be able to supply those cities with electricity. But it also means that we're going to need that infrastructure right in the city. We're going to have to rewire every city in the world... that means a lot of wiring.

“And, there's only one real practical way to deliver electricity, and that's copper wires. So I just see tremendous demand for copper coming over the next two decades.”

Beischer, who is one of several mineral exploration geologists at Anchorage-based Millrock Resources, points out that it takes a long time to move a new metallic mineral discovery through the permitting process to being a productive mine. Because of this, he sees a copper supply crunch on the horizon, which could lead to the increased economic viability of some Alaska resources.

“So, Millrock steadfastly will continue to explore for copper. And the good news for us is that gold and copper are often found in the same geological environment and sometimes in the exact same deposit.

“Look at the Pebble Mine deposit, for example: it's billions of pounds of copper, but there's also over 100 million ounces of gold in that deposit. It’s an absolutely enormous gold resource.

We're happy to look for deposits like Pebble in other parts of Alaska.”

As the United States considers issues of energy dependence and security, green technology sourcing and processing locations are coming into sharp focus on a national scale.

“Advanced technology is so pervasive—by and large it functions so effortlessly, it’s easy to see technology as a kind of magic,” says Huston. “That’s understandable in one sense, and unfortunate in another; unfortunate, because I really think it’s important to know where those metals and minerals come from.”

100 | September 2020

Clockwise from top center: praseodymium, cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, samarium, and gadolinium rare-earth oxides.

Peggy Greb | US Geological Survey

Millrock core drilling rig in action in central Alaska.

Millrock Exploration Corporation

A drilling platform takes core samples at Graphite Creek.

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ENERGY

The Railbelt Reimagined Navigating an energy landscape that works for Alaska

ralphradford | iStock

By Danny Kreilkamp

102 | September 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

F

ragmented. Balkanized.

Contentious.

These are just a few of the words the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) used to describe the state of the Railbelt in its 2015 letter to the Legislature. Exposing issues associated with the electric utilities’ independent operations in the region spanning from Homer to Fairbanks, the letter called for total institutional reform while proposing a few key recommendations.

One of the more glaring inefficiencies, RCA Chairman Bob Pickett says, was the recent outlay of almost $1.5 billion in combined and uncoordinated power generation projects between the six Railbelt utilities. “The Commission looked at it and thought the utilization and coordination of these assets, both generation and transmission, needed to be improved to get maximum benefit to the ratepayers.”

Pickett also explains that, due to Alaska’s lack of connection and governance by the Lower 48‘s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the RCA was concerned about enforcing reliability standards.

Developing and—perhaps more crucially—deciding on a way to best govern the service area from a regional perspective has been a point of contention for Alaskan policymakers, ratepayers, and utilities since the inception of utility-scale power generation in the state roughly eighty years ago. In the last few years, there have been multiple attempts to address these issues, but most of them have been what Pickett describes as “nonstarters”—efforts like the scrapped independent transmission company that stakeholders spent nearly five years negotiating.

That is, until Governor Dunleavy signed Senate Bill 123 (SB123) into effect this spring.

“It was a very challenging process and [the utilities] weren’t on the same page and we had some pathways that didn’t produce meaningful outcomes,” says Pickett. “But we were trying to find a structure that made sense for Alaska given the size of the market and the unique conditions we have— and that is what you have with SB123.” www.akbizmag.com

“It is pretty historic that the utilities have come together and agreed on anything—much less something that will be transformative for this region.”

Veri di Suvero, Executive Director, Alaska Public Interest Research Group

Making Sense for Alaska SB123 is the culmination of decades of work by advocates for an improved Alaska energy system and mandates several important changes to the Railbelt electric grid. Most notably, it requires that the utilities participate in what is known as an electric reliability organization, or ERO. The function of these independently operated organizations can vary depending on the region, but, as outlined in SB123, the ERO will be tasked with developing and enforcing system-wide reliability standards as well as crafting an integrated resource plan that will allow

the Railbelt region to more efficiently meet future load demands in a rapidly changing energy landscape.

Prior to its official passing, the impending legislation prompted the six Railbelt utilities to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in December of 2019, indicating their intent to form an ERO dubbed the Railbelt Reliability Council (RRC).

The MOU outlined their plan to create an Implementation Committee that would be responsible for developing necessary foundational documents and applying for the certificate of public convenience and necessity to

Providing unparalleled support to Alaska’s oil and gas industry

Alaska Business

September 2020 | 103

become an ERO as required by the RCA. But the implications of SB123 and the RRC’s MOU extend far beyond matters of reliability and security.

Stakeholders have repeatedly praised these milestones as historic moments for the state. On the signing of the MOU in particular, Matanuska Electric Association’s Julie Estey described it as “groundbreaking” and spoke to the diverse parties that were present: utilities, independent power producers, state representatives, the department of defense—all gathered around a table coming up with a framework that made sense for the RRC’s many interests.

Finding a structure that works for Alaska was no simple feat. “The grid is so different here,” Estey says. “Because our grid is so small and there is very little redundancy on our grid, most people wouldn’t even call it a grid in the Lower 48—they’d call it a long extension cord comparatively,” she jokes.

While it's helpful to look at the structures that are currently in place with other EROs in North America, Estey believes it might be more appropriate

to consider what those entities looked like in their infancy when considering an organizational structure that suits Alaska’s unique needs.

“In the Lower 48, the thing that really shapes what EROs look like now compared to their infancy is the introduction of competition for power,” Estey explains. “Our market just isn’t that big; you’ll have hundreds or thousands of generators on the market that are in a system down in the Lower 48 and we have very few. “ We have a lot of infrastructure already that is being covered by very few members and utility users. And so that is different in the Lower 48.

They see fewer fluctuations—the cost of these structures doesn’t even make a dent in their utilities.

But for us, it matters. Every penny we spend matters. And ever y penny extra our members have to pay really matters.”

Better Business and a Brighter Future But what does all of this mean for Alaskans? According to the

Alaska Energy Authority’s Director of Engineering and Energy Development Kirk Warren—a lot.

“It really is a historic moment for the Railbelt region for the state—you have all six utilities agreeing to abide by a similar set of standards which will make the energy landscape within the interconnected system much easier to navigate and will perhaps bring economic development that otherwise would not be attracted to the state,” says Warren.

In addition to lowering electricity costs for Alaska’s ratepayers, Warren believes this increased connectivity could play a large role in eliminating the issue of “pancake rates,” or the added tariffs that utilities charge to transport electrons across connected, though independently operated, transmission lines.

Renewable Energy Project of Alaska’s (REAP) Executive Director Chris Rose believes this increased connectivity is particularly attractive for independent power producers seeking to sell electricity generated from renewable sources to the grid.

Up Your Frequency to Up Your Game! with permanence. The same goes for advertising.

By Janis Plume Senior Account Manager

A

dvertising is a gear with many cogs—an important one is ad frequency. In simple terms frequency is the number of times your ad is seen.

The effectiveness of your advertising is improved exponentially when it is run consistently over multiple insertions.

Consider this analogy: if a nail is struck by a hammer once it barely sticks. In a short time it’ll come loose, fall out, and be forgotten. However, if a nail is hammered several times it will stick

Lever Brothers’ Michael Naples takes it a step further with the concept of Effective Frequency: The first time an ad runs it gets the consumer’s attention, the second insertion allows the reader to understand the product and its benefits. And the third time the ad is seen leads to consumer acceptance or familiarity. (Source: aprs.com.au) Sure, there are times when it makes sense to run an ad only once, like when you have an anniversary or a special event. Sometimes you may find an editorial topic that provides a positive association with your business and the message you want to send. However, in most cases your print advertising is enhanced by multiple insertions over a period of time.

Multiple insertions in your campaign will lead to frequency rate discounts. If your budget allows four ads consider

applying a quarterly approach. If a budget allows six insertions then alternating months is ideal.

Besides saving your business money, this approach will give repeat impressions to ensure your audience (our readers) knows about your company and products or services. Ultimately, this leaves the reader with a positive impression of your business, even at a subconscious level… so when they are making a buying decision, you’re top-of-mind.

Janis Plume 907-257-2917 janis@akbizmag.com

Christine Merki 907-257-2911 cmerki@akbizmag.com

Charles Bell 907-257-2909 cbell@akbizmag.com

– SPO N S O R E D C O N T E N T–

104 | September 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

“It really is a historic moment for the Railbelt region for the state—you have all six utilities agreeing to abide by a similar set of standards which will make the energy landscape within the interconnected system much easier to navigate and will perhaps bring economic development that otherwise would not be attracted to the state.”

Kirk Warren, Director of Engineering and Energy Development, Alaska Energy Authority

“Interconnection is a big deal for renewable producers,” Rose says.

“One of the things that this means for renewables is that if you have a bigger [load] balancing area, electrons that are produced from intermittent resources have more places to go when they are produced.

“For instance, with Fire Island Wind, Chugach Electric [Association] is the only off-taker. If Chugach Electric can’t take that wind production when it is produced, it is wasted. Chugach has basically just turned off the turbines

www.akbizmag.com

many times over the last eight years of operation when they can’t use them even though the wind is there and it could be generating.”

The idea of regional economic dispatch—or constantly running a power plant’s most cost-efficient generator to meet short-term demand—is another mechanism advocates of SB123 sought. And while the function of regional economic dispatch is not something SB123 will task the ERO to regulate, Rose reveals there are other workings at play that

Alaska Business

will hopefully lead to a more costefficient energy economy.

“It is interesting to note that one of the conditions that the RCA put in their order on the acquisition case of Chugach and ML&P is that there be a tight power pool formed between Chugach and all of its ML&P assets and Matanuska Electric Association.”

And that, Rose says, is the beginning of economic dispatch.

“So, the commission has not let go of this idea that we need to have economic dispatch in order for the

September 2020 | 105

consumers, who are paying of f all this new generation that ’s been built, to get the lowest rates possible.”

Rose also feels the impact of the integrated resource planning process should not be understated, providing Alaska energy producers and consumers with a forum to discuss a variety of issues that are expected to impact future load demand.

“The integrated resource planning process that's now mandated by SB123 will give Alaskans a chance to weigh in on how the region will utilize renewable energy resources which don’t have fuel costs or generate emissions.”

“Because our grid is so small and there is very little redundancy on our grid, most people wouldn’t even call it a grid in the Lower 48—they’d call it a long extension cord

Work to Be Done

comparatively.”

ralphradford | iStock

Julie Estey Senior Director of External Affairs and Strategic Initiatives Matanuska Electric Association

106 | September 2020

While the early signs are promising, those in favor of a restructured Railbelt agree that the work is just beginning.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” notes Pickett. “We have a rule docket that we have to have completed by July 1 of next year. And there’s still some rough edges; I’m sure there will be some differences of opinion as this moves forward, but all of us are looking at it saying, ‘We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that it works well.’”

The RRC is moving forward with an Implementation Committee to stand up the organization, with a list of committee members finalized in July; it is comprised of six Railbelt utilities; two independent power producers in CIRI and Delta Wind; the Alaska Energy Authority; a consumer advocacy group in the Alaska Public Interest Research Group; and two nonaffiliated members—Chris Rose of REAP and Jerry Rust, former president and current special assistant to the chairman for Northwest Power Pool. Another stipulation of SB123 is that the entity envisioned to oversee the Railbelt grid requires a governing body of balanced stakeholders, an independent board, or a mix of the two.

This mix of utility and non-utility interests is crucial for a balanced organizational structure, as well as a comprehensive integrated resource planning process, says Executive Director Veri di Suvero of The Alaska Public Interest Research Group.

Though finding that balance has not been as straightforward as some

parties might have hoped. Chugach’s acquisition of ML&P is one consideration that the Implementation Committee will need to grapple with. “That is a big question mark,” says di Suvero.

Because the entity as envisioned was supposed to involve six utility and six non-utility stakeholders, it is unclear if the acquisition—which could potentially decrease the utilities’ representation within the board—makes sure there are fair voting mechanisms in place Di Suvero also voiced concerns— echoing sentiments expressed by the legislature during SB123’s passage— that utilities or other entities might try to push through a number of building projects before the bill becomes effective, claiming the projects were approved or ongoing before the bill’s pre-approval requirement is in place.

“That would be unfortunate, but that pre-approval process is key and in parallel with the integrated resource planning process that the RRC would be doing.”

But di Suvero remains optimistic.

“It is pretty historic that the utilities have come together and agreed on anything—much less something that will be transformative for this region.”

In the event that the RRC is unable to secure this balance, it is possible that a different organization—potentially one without the utilities’ involvement— could form and apply to become to Railbelt’s ERO. “One issue now being debated is how the ERO will govern itself, and REAP has expressed its concerns about governance to the RCA and the legislature,” Rose notes. “The RRC wants to make its Implementation Committee the ERO's first board of directors, but REAP questions whether there's enough balance with that utilityproposed board structure to assure that the RCA would certify it.”

Rose adds that most similar organizations across the country are governed by independent directors to ensure that an ERO’s functions and board are not at odds. Whether the current structure proposed by the RRC or a different entity is established as the Railbelt’s ERO, Rose says that REAP is determined to keep working toward forming a new regional organization that will best serve Railbelt consumers.

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS Alaska Black Business Directory The Alaska Black Business Directory has published a directory including more than 200 blackowned businesses in Alaska.

Per the organization’s website, the first “basic edition” of the directory was published in late July. Co-owners and operators Jasmin Smith and Shawn Idom plan to update the directory to include city organizations and contact information. alaskablackbusinessdirectory.com

Pebble Project | US Army Corp of Engineers The US Army Corps of Engineers– Alaska District (USACE) published the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Pebble Limited Partnership’s application to discharge fill material into US waters for the purpose of developing a copper-molybdenum-gold mine project in the Bristol Bay region. The final EIS isn’t a permit decision and doesn’t authorize operation of the mine. The Corps is responsible for making a permit decision under two authorities—Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. The document is available electronically at the Pebble Project EIS website. usace.army.mil | pebblepartnership.com

Solid Waste Services The US Department of Energy awarded the Municipality of Anchorage Department of Solid Waste Services (SWS) a nearly $690,000 grant to help fund the city’s first electric garbage truck

and medium-duty box truck. The grant will also help pay for a battery charging system. SWS operates a fleet of seventy vehicles, including twentytwo garbage trucks. Diesel garbage trucks have a low average efficiency of 2 miles per gallon making them good candidates for electrification.

Replacing a diesel garbage truck with an electric version reduces fuel and maintenance costs and improves air quality. muni.org/Departments/SWS

Pacific Dataport Pacific Dataport is moving forward with the Aurora Project by acquiring a new earth station antenna and ground station from Kratos Defense & Security Solution. The new antenna—a 9-meter dish—will be built at LBiSat’s new gateway facility in Utah. The new ground station will communicate with the Aurora 4A GEO HTS satellite currently being built by Astranis in San Francisco. The Aurora 4A GEO HTS satellite, slated to begin service next summer, will triple Alaska’s satellite bandwidth. auroraiv.com

UA System The University of Alaska (UA) Board of Regents selected Pat Pitney to serve as the university’s interim president. “One of the reasons the board felt so strongly about Pat as interim president was because of her demonstrated commitment to a spirit of partnership with university leadership and the principles of shared governance. We are confident that she has the skills to address the range of issues facing UA. We also are confident that her many years of

experience in leadership positions and state government will benefit and unify all of us,” says Board Chair Sheri Buretta. The vote to appoint Pitney was unanimous. alaska.edu

Railbelt Reliability Council The Implementation Committee (IC) of the Railbelt Reliability Council (RRC) named Chris Rose of Renewable Energy Alaska Project and Jerry Rust of Northwest Power Pool as the final two participants to the RRC’s unaffiliated seats. Now that the IC is fully seated, it will develop bylaws and other foundational documents to define and stand up the RRC. It is the goal of the RRC to then apply to become the Electric Reliability Organization for the Railbelt electric system as defined in Senate Bill 123. alaskapower.org/rrc

UAS | Sealaska Heritage Institute The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS), in partnership with Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI), for the first time is offering a new Associate of Arts degree with an emphasis on Northwest Coast (NWC) arts. The undergraduate program, recently unveiled in the UAS academic catalog for 2020-2021, includes a wide spectrum of classes—from toolmaking to design, basketry, and weaving, among others. The degree is part of SHI’s vision to make Juneau the Northwest Coast art capital of the world and to designate NWC art a national treasure, says SHI President Rosita Worl. uas.alaska.edu | sealaskaheritage.org

ECONOMIC INDIC ATOR S ANS Crude Oil Production  450,132 barrels  5% change from previous month

ANS West Coast Crude Oil Prices  $41.63 per barrel  -3% change from previous month

Statewide Employment  343,356 Labor Force  12.4% Unemployment

8/2/2020 Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources

7/31/2020 Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources

6/1/20. Adjusted seasonally.

Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development

108 | September 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

RIGHT MOVES KPMG KPMG announced two new managers in the firm’s Anchorage office.  Kyle Kirn was promoted to Audit Manager. Kirn brings Kirn five years of accounting experience with a variety of organizations, including Alaska Native corporations, construction, renewable energy, and fishing. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s in accounting from Brigham Young University.  Lucas Smith was also promoted to Audit Manager.

Smith brings five years of accounting experience and works with both public Smith and private companies throughout the Pacific Northwest.

He has extensive experience in the railroad, mining, and consumer products industries. Smith earned both his bachelor’s and master’s from Montana State University.

Bettisworth North Bettisworth North Architects and Planners announced two new Principals.  Randall Rozier has been an architect and project manager with Bettisworth North Architects and Planners for fifteen years.

Rozier He will be involved with business direction, project management practices, and strategy.  Leah Boltz leads marketing, branding, communications, Boltz community outreach,

business development, and client service for Bettisworth North Architects and Planners. Her role as principal will emphasize deepening client relationships and enhancing the client experience.

KeyBank  KeyBank named Debra Pellati as Senior Client Experience Manager. In her new role, Pellati is responsible for collaborating with the Pellati Key Private Bank team to ensure an exemplary client experience by providing goal-based planning solutions to high net-worth clients in both the KeyBank Oregon and Alaska teams. Pellati holds an MBA from the International College of Cayman Islands/University of Tampa; a graduate diploma in business, finance, and financial management services from Lakehead University; and a certificate in adult education from the University of Manitoba.

Alaska Department of Law Governor Mike Dunleavy appointed Dario Borghesan to the Alaska Supreme Court and Thomas Jamgochian to the Palmer District Court.  Borghesan moved to Fairbanks to clerk for Justice Daniel E. Winfree of the Alaska Supreme Court after graduating from Michigan Law School in 2008.

Borghesan has since worked for the Alaska Department of Law in the roles of special assistant to the attorney general, assistant attorney general handling civil appeals, and most recently the supervising attorney of the department’s civil appeals section.  Jamgochian graduated from the

University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2004 and came to Alaska to clerk for Superior Court Judge Gleason.

For the past fourteen years, Jamgochian has served as an assistant district attorney in Bethel, Fairbanks, and Nome.

Foley & Pearson  Foley & Pearson announced Chelsea Ray Riekkola has become a Shareholder. Riekkola joined Foley & Pearson in Riekkola September 2014 after earning her juris doctorate from the University of Oregon. Her practice focuses on will and trust planning, probate and trust administration, and business planning.

Riekkola is co-chair of the Estate Planning and Probate Section of the Alaska Bar Association, former president of the Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, and a board member of the Anchorage Library Foundation.

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt announced the expansion of the firm’s Anchorage office by welcoming six attorneys to the firm.  Robert J. Misulich is a Business Shareholder specializing in corporate governance; corporate services; government Misulich contracts; labor, employment, and benefits; and Native American law. He regularly represents Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) as outside corporate counsel in a broad range of matters, including corporate

RIGHT MOVES IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY NORTHERN AIR CARGO

110 | September 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

governance, shareholder meetings, proxy solicitations, and business transactions and compliance.  Matt Singer is a Litigation Shareholder with an extensive trial and appellate practice.

Singer has handled jury and bench trials in state Singer and federal courts and has argued more than twenty-five appeals to the Alaska Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. His diverse practice emphasizes complex litigation and natural resources law in Alaska and Oregon courts.  Christopher J. Slottee is a Litigation Shareholder with extensive experience in matters related to ANCs, ANC settlement trusts, Slottee tribal governments, and government contracting. He previously served as vice president and general counsel for an ANC. Slottee regularly represents businesses in both litigation and transactional matters—advising them on risk management, business transactions, employment law, and government contracting issues.  Howard S. Trickey is a Litigation Shareholder with forty years of experience as a trial and appellate lawyer representing a diverse group Trickey of clients across many industries and practice areas. Trickey has also devoted a substantial part of his practice to employment law and traditional labor relations and represented ANCs, Fortune 500 companies, privately-owned companies, nonprofits, and school districts.  Lee Baxter is a Litigation Baxter and Dispute Resolution of

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Counsel who practices in commercial litigation, real property matters, Indian and Alaska Native law, government relations, and contracting.  Peter A. Scully is a Litigation and Dispute Resolution of Counsel who practices commercial litigation, corporate governance, Scully business formation, construction contracting, real estate, and Alaska Native law.

UA  Dr. Karen Carey has been appointed Interim Chancellor at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS). As Interim Chancellor, Carey provides Carey strategic leadership in fulfilling UAS’ mission, including budget development, academic planning and program assessments, student and enrollment services, administrative services, and community relations.

She earned her PhD in school psychology from the University of Cincinnati, focusing on the ecological factors influencing young children and their families. She also holds a master of science in school psychology from the University of Nevada and a bachelor of science in psychology from San Diego State University.

Northrim Bank Northrim Bank announced several staff additions and promotions. TJ Alinen joins Northrim as Human Resources Director with twenty years of human resources experience in Alaska and Arizona. He was Alinen recently the vice president of human resources at the Calista Corporation prior to joining Northrim.

Alaska Business

Alinen holds a bachelors and an MBA from Wayland Baptist University. He is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and a Senior Certified Professional in Human Resources.  Amanda Clayton comes to Northrim as Commercial Loan Officer with nineteen years of experience in the financial industry. She is a graduate of Clayton Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.  Maia Hernandez joined Northrim Bank in 2015 and has thirteen years of experience in the industry, starting as a teller and advancing to a business Hernandez banker and eventually becoming the branch manager at the Seventh Avenue Branch and Retail Banking Float Pool Manager.  Katreena Little has been with Northrim for more than ten years where she has been an assistant branch manager before being promoted to Little Branch Manager.  Liza David has been promoted to Assistant Branch Manager. David started at Northrim in 2009 and has worked in a David couple different branches in Anchorage. She studied at the University of Makati Philippines.  Donna Fountain joined Northrim in 2006 and has more than twenty-one years of banking experience.

Now Assistant Branch Fountain Manager of the Fairbanks Financial Center, she has held positions throughout the bank and received Northrim’s Customer First Service Award in 2016.

September 2020 | 111

ALASKA TRENDS Every ten years the Census is launched first in Alaska so the Census Bureau has the best chance of getting accurate numbers from our many rural and remote communities, as well as those populations that travel in the summer months.

For our September Alaska Trends, we’re looking back at 2010 census data concerning American Indian/Alaska Native people (AIAN) as presented by the US Census Bureau in its brief The American Indian and Alaska Native Population: 2010.

While it is the best data available, it’s also known that these figures do not represent a full account of American Indian/Alaska Native persons—the Census Bureau, various Alaska Native corporations, and other local entities have combined efforts to encourage 2020 Census participation, working toward a more accurate count and therefore more appropriate allocation of funds and electoral opportunities for our American Indian/Alaska Native neighbors.

138,312

Alaskans identified as American Indian and/or Alaska Native In the 2010 Census, only 78,000 of 243,000 individuals identified as American Indian, and Alaska Native alone or in combination with another race.

Barrow Kotzebue

Nome

Bethel

Top 5 Alaska Native Village Statistical Areas with the largest AIAN Populations ALASKA NATIVE VILLAGE STATISTICAL AREA

Dillingham

AIAN PERCENTAGE

KOTZEBUE 81% BETHEL 71% BARROW 69% DILLINGHAM 67% NOME 65%

Percentage Distribution of US AIAN Population

32%

Lived in Alaska Native Village Statistical Areas

112 | September 2020

In 2010, 78% the majority of the American Indian and Alaska Native alone-orin-combination population lived outside of American Indian and Alaska Native areas.

 AI AREAS

 AN VILLAGE STATISTICAL AREAS

 OUTSIDE AIAN AREAS

1.5% AMERICAN INDIAN & ALASKA NATIVE ALONE OR IN COMBINATION

20.5%

78% 2.2%

AMERICAN INDIAN & ALASKA NATIVE ALONE

30.7%

67%

0.5% AMERICAN INDIAN & ALASKA NATIVE IN COMBINATION

7.3%

92.1%

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

111,749

54,236

AIAN ALONE OR IN COMBINATION

Places with the Largest Number of American Indians and Alaska Natives

AIAN ALONE OR IN COMBINATION

Cities of 100,000 or more total population

Anchorage had the greatest percentage of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States

36,062

AIAN ALONE OR IN COMBINATION

New York, NY Total Population 8,175,133

Los Angeles, CA Total Population 3,792,621

43,724

36,572

AIAN ALONE OR IN COMBINATION

AIAN ALONE OR IN COMBINATION

Among places of 100,000 or more population in 2010, American Indians and Alaska Natives totaled 12% of Anchorage's population.

Anchorage, AK Total Population 291,826

Phoenix, AZ Total Population 1,445,632

Oklahoma City, OK Total Population 579,999

"Alaska’s current response rate is at 49.6%, compared to the national average at 63.1%.

Anchorage alone is right around the national average at 62.4%... With hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding at stake, there’s a new push to get more responses before the deadline." ~ Kristen Durand, KTUU

29,000 Yup’ik

The Yup’ik tribal grouping contained the greatest number of people who identified with one tribal grouping and did not report another race.

900 Inupiat

68% did not identify

164,000 out of 243,000 people living in Alaska Native statistical areas did not identify as American Indian and Alaska Native.

The Inupiat tribal grouping had the highest number of individuals who identified with multiple tribal groupings but did not identify with one or more additional races.

600 Tlingit-Haida The Tlingit-Haida tribal grouping had the highest number of people who identified with multiple tribal groupings as well as with one or more additional races.

www.akbizmag.com

New York

The 2010 Census showed that New York, NY, had the largest American Indian and Alaska Native alone-or-in combination population with 112,000, followed by Los Angeles (54,000).

Alaska Business

September 2020 | 113

ADVERTISERS INDEX Aaron Plumbing & Heating Company............... 59 aaronak.com

Construction Machinery Industrial.......................2 cmiak.com

Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corp............. 23 http://www.odysseylogistics.com

Afognak Leasing LLC.......................................... 89 alutiiq.com

Cook Inlet Regional Advisory Council.............. 26 cirac.org

Oxford Assaying & Refining Inc......................... 97 oxfordmetal.com

Ahtna Inc............................................................. 65 ahtna.net

Cruz Companies................................................. 47 cruzconstruct.com

Pacific Pile & Marine......................................... 109 pacificpile.com

Airport Equipment Rentals (AER)..................... 115 airportequipment rentals.com

Davis Constructors & Engineers Inc...................75 davisconstructors.com

Parker Smith & Feek............................................31 psfinc.com

AlasConnect Inc..................................................21 alasconnect.com

Delta Constructors............................................. 83 deltaconstructors.net

Petrotechnical Resources Alaska (PRA)............. 93 petroak.com

Alaska529............................................................ 45 Alaska529Plan.com

Dorsey & Whitney LLP........................................ 48 dorsey.com

Polaris Law Group, P.C....................................... 25 lawpolaris.com

Alaska Air Cargo - Alaska Airlines...................... 79 alaskaair.com

Doyon Limited.................................................... 76 doyon.com

Price Gregory International Inc......................... 33 pricegregory.com

Alaska Communications.......................................3 acsalaska.com

Engineered Solutions Group........................... 101 epsinc.com

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt........................... 25 schwabe.com/greetings-from-alaska

Alaska Energy Services LLC................................ 82 alaskaenergyservices.com

First National Bank Alaska.....................................5 fnbalaska.com

Alaska Mergers & Acquisitions........................... 13 fink@alaska.net

Foss Maritime.......................................................77 foss.com

Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC)....................................... 76 searhc.org

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)....................................... 116 anthc.org

Fringe Benefits Group........................................ 28 thecontractorsplan.com

Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA).......... 29 alaskatia.org Alaska USA Federal Credit Union....................... 87 alaskausa.org All American Oifield Services........................... 103 allamericanoilfield.com Altman Rogers & Co........................................... 13 altrogco.com American Heart Association.............................. 19 www.heart.org Anchorage Chrysler Dodge............................... 12 anchoragechryslercenter.com Arctic Information Technology..........................71 arcticit.com Arctic Slope Regional Corp. (ASRC).................. 63 asrc.com AT&T.....................................................................15 att.com

GCI.......................................................................51 gci.com Hecla Greens Creek Mining Company.............. 97 hecla-mining.com JEFFCO Inc......................................................... 33 jeffcogrounds.com Jim Meinel CPA PC............................................. 84 meinelcpa.com Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP.......................... 34 lbblawyers.com Leonardo DRS..................................................... 91 LeonardoDRS.com LONG Building Technologies.............................77 long.com Lynden Inc.............................................................7 lynden.com Material Flow & Conveyor Systems Inc............. 85 materialflow.com

Avis Rent-A-Car................................................ 105 avisalaska.com

MTA..................................................................... 41 mtasolutions.com

Bering Straits Native Corp. (BSNC).................... 39 beringstraits.com

NANA Regional Corp.......................................... 61 nana.com

Bristol Bay Native Corp. (BBNC).........................37 bbnc.net

NCB..................................................................... 73 ncb.coop

Calista Corp........................................................ 53 calistacorp.com

Nenana Heating Services Inc............................. 84 nenanahaetingservices.net

Carlile Transportation Systems........................ 107 carlile.biz

New Horizons Telecom Inc............................... 20 nhtiusa.com

Central Environmental Inc. (CEI)....................... 99 cei-alaska.com

North Slope Telecom......................................... 27 nstiak.com

Chugach Alaska Corp......................................... 62 chugach.com

Northern Air Cargo.................................. 110, 111 nac.aero

CIRI.......................................................................75 ciri.com

Northrim Bank.....................................................17 northrim.com

Conrad-Houston Insurance Agency................. 26 chialaska.com

NovaGold Resources Inc....................................57 novagold.com

114 | September 2020

Stallone's............................................................. 35 stallonesmenswear.com Stellar Designs Inc.............................................. 35 stellar-designs.com Technipress......................................................... 98 tpress.net The Lakefront Anchorage.................................. 73 millenniumhotels.com/en/anchorage/the-lakefront-anchorage The Plans Room................................................. 59 theplansroom.com Thomas Head & Greisen.................................... 49 thgcpa.com United States Census Bureau............................. 69 census.gov United Way of Anchorage.................................... 9 liveunitedanchorage.org USI Insurance Services....................................... 67 usi.com Usibelli Coal Mine............................................... 95 usibelli.com West-Mark Service Center................................. 53 west-mark.com Wilson Albers...................................................... 55 www.thewilsonagency.com Yukon Equipment Inc......................................... 81 yukoneq.com

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