Winning at home
Spooky Story
$2 million
Subscribe at www.skagwaynews.com/subscribe
THE SKAGWAY NEWS.
DDF results PAGE 7
Halloween winner PAGE 7
October 22, 2021
MOS eyes land PAGE 4
Sk a g w ay, A l a s k a
$1.50
Executive director’s last day approaches NP’s future uncertain
By Melinda Munson According to new Dahl Memorial Clinic (DMC) Medical Director Brent Kunzler, the clinic is currently fully staffed, however, two of the providers are temporary and Nurse Practitioner Johanna Huff’s contract is set to expire in November. Huff, who stepped down as the clinic’s medical director in June to focus on patient care, resigned from the clinic in September. She rescinded her resignation shortly after Executive Director Este Fielding proffered her resignation. Fielding’s resignation occurred roughly one week after a DMC board of directors executive session. The meeting had staff surveys and a director evaluation on its agenda. Fielding’s last day will be Dec. 17. She has served at the clinic since 2019. It is unclear who has the final say over whether Huff, a contract clinic provider, will remain. DMC Board of Directors President Cory Thole said municipal code and the 2017 co-applicant agreement between the municipality and the clinic have discrepancies. Chapter 3.17 of Skagway Municipal Code outlines the function and responsibilities of the clinic board of directors. The code states, “The board has no authority to hire and fire municipal employees, including clinic employees.” At issue is whether contract clinic providers are municipality employees. Thole said the co-applicant agreement exempts employcontinued page 3 - DMC
Photo provided by Jennifer Sasselli
Azurae (4) and Wesley (6) Dominick visit the Pumkin Patch at the Skagway First Presbyterian Church on Oct. 16.
Skagway names Jennings first ever port director By Melinda Munson Cody Jennings looks to the future, literally. The current tourism director has an enormous dry erase calendar on her office wall, ready with next season’s plans, as the last ship of the year departs. Someone else will fill in the remaining details as around Nov. 1, Jennings becomes Skagway’s first port director. ‘What’s coming is exciting,” Jennings said. “Skagway will manage its port for the first time in 55 years.” As the lease with White Pass expires and the municipality takes control of its port in March 2023, the municipality will have a new stream of revenue and an enormous responsibility. “It’s going to be a great deal of learning but I understand our community and I understand where we want to go,” Jennings said. “I am a problem solver by nature.”
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Jennings, an alumnus of Skagway High School, spent seven years working for Hamilton Construction, where her main job was logistics and planning. She was then employed by White Pass & Yukon Route Railway for 11 years before moving on to work for the
Skagway Convention and Visitors Bureau. While working as tourism director, Jennings said she built relationships that will help her as port director. “I’ve been really engaged in port planning. I find the topic fascinating.” The job is so new, Jennings
is unsure where her office will be located. The position was advertised at a salary of $80-$110,000. “As a member of the hiring committee I can say with 100 percent certainty that we hired a competent, motivated and a qualified individual
By Melinda Munson “I hate deserts,” said Brent Kunzler, Dahl Memorial Clinic’s (DMC) new medical director. The physician’s assistant spent a large portion of his career, including eight years in Iraq, among arid landscapes. He entered the U.S. Army Special Forces as a medic in 1969. “I looked at the most difficult course special forces had, and that was medicine,”
Kunzler said, explaining his choice to enter the healing arts. He retired from the military in 1994, and continued to travel the world as a health professional with a master’s of science in physician assistant studies and a doctorate in global health. Prior to Skagway, Kunzler worked in the Virgin Islands and Dubai. Home is (kind of) St. George, Utah, where Kunzler’s belongings are in storage. His sailboat sits
in San Diego. The father of three, Kunzler also has three grandchildren. The director entered a twoyear contract at DMC which has been struggling with staff turnover, patient complaints and talk of a bid by SEARHC to take over operations. Kunzler, who has worked under gunfire, is confident he can handle the challenges. He also spent a year in Antarctica at -146 temperatures,
continued page 3 - Port
New DMC medical director; experienced, colorful -- sometimes uncouth
BLOTTER PAGE 4 CLASSIFIED PAGE 11
continued page 3 - New
FREE personal classifieds up to 25 words. CALL (907)983-2354 for more information.