Finalists named in Southeast business competition
Thirteen entrepreneurs are in the running to win a $50,000 prize to start their own business.
Path to Prosperity, an annual business development competition to help small businesses and start ups succeed in Southeast Alaska, announced the 13 finalists last week. Forty-nine businesses had applied for the competition this year.
The finalists are as follows: Alaska Coastal Seaweed by Theresa Abbas in Juneau; Around the Bay Lodging by Susan Ritchie in Wrangell; Foundroot by Leah Wagner in Haines; Gale Force Gardens by Stephanie Jurries in Craig; Jellyfish Donuts by Brianna Krantz in Ketchikan; Kaawu Shellfish Co. by Anthony Lindoff in Hoonah; Kootéeyaa Koffee House by Lee Wallace in Saxman; M/V Adak Short & Long Term Rentals by Brendan Jones in Sitka; Sagebrush Dry Gear by John Peterka in Kake; Sitka Food Co-Op by Keith Nyitray in Sitka; Tamico, Inc. by Carrie J. K. Martinsen in Petersburg; Tommaso Shellfish by James Greeley in Whale Pass; and Village Coffee Co. by Justyne Wheeler in Yakutat.
The finalists now move on to the second round of the competition —a business boot camp at the end of September in Juneau — and winners will be selected and announced next year in February.
Past competition winners include Skyaana Coffee Co. (Klawock), Barnacle Foods (Juneau), The Salty Pantry (Petersburg), Port Chilkoot Distillery (Haines) and Icy Straits Lumber (Hoonah).
The Path to Prosperity competition was started Sealaska Corporation and The Nature Conservancy in 2013 and is run by Spruce Root, a Juneau nonprofit that promotes economic development and job creation in Southeast Alaska.
Juneau students win GCI scholarship
Ramiro Garcia of Juneau-Douglas High School and Kiley Stevens of Thunder Mountain High School were two of 50 Alaska students who won a scholarship from GCI, the telecommunications company announced on Thursday.
GCI awarded $100,000 in scholarships to the students, spread out over 36 communities statewide. Each student will receive $2,000 apiece in the 2019-2020 academic year through the GCI Scholarship Program in partnership with the Alaska Community Foundation.
More than 500 students applied for the scholarships this year.
The GCI Scholarship Program was launched more than 20 years ago, and was developed to help grow Alaska’s next generation of leaders.
Local wins conservation award
• A Juneauite was among the eight Alaskans who won an Alaska Conservation Achievement Award from the Alaska Conservation Foundation. Kristin Romanoff of Juneau won the Jerry S. Dixon Award for Excellence in Environmental Education, the organization announced Monday. Award recipients will be honored at a ceremony on the evening of Oct. 3 at the Anchorage Museum.
Juneau students graduate from university
• Kristina Moore-Jager of Juneau graduated from Columbia University in the City of New York in the Spring 2019 commencement ceremony in May. She earned a Master of Science degree in Social Work. She also earned a certificate in Human Services Management from the Network of Social Work Management and Columbia University School of Social Work. After graduating, she was accepted into the Summer 2019 Institute of Pedagogy and Technology for online courses to become a teaching assistant at Columbia University.
• Ciera Kelly of Juneau graduated from Washington State University during the spring 2019 commencement ceremony on May 4. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Zoology Pre-Dentistry and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Kelly was also named as Outstanding Senior of College of Arts and Sciences and received her award the day before her graduation.
Ciera Kelly (Courtesy photo)
• Tulane University awarded degrees to more than 3,000 graduates on May 18 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Local student, Megan Daniels of Juneau, earned a Master of Preservation Studies from the School of Architecture.
• Ann Isabel Robinson of Juneau was awarded a B.A. in Natural Resources and the Environment with honors, cum laude, at the University of the South’s 2019 commencement ceremonies held in All Saints’ Chapel on the Sewanee, Tennessee campus on May 12. Robinson is the child of Melissa Robinson and James Robinson of Juneau.
• Brita Fagerstrom graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre, Cum Laude, from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, during Spring 2019 commencement ceremonies.
• Three Juneau students graduated from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, in Spokane’s Veterans’ Memorial Arena May 12. They are: Scott Deakins, Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting; Macey Fredenberg, Bachelor of Science in Economics-Science, Cum Laude; and Gunnar Schultz, Bachelor of Science in Economics-Science, Magna Cum Laude.
Travel Juneau selects new board members
Travel Juneau, the destination marketing organization for Alaska’s capital city, announced the election of Kirby Day, McHugh Pierre and Reecia Wilson to its board earlier this month.
In a release, the organization said Day, Pierre and Wilson were elected at the board’s regular meeting on June 20 and will take the seats of outgoing directors Valerie Kelton, Sarah Lowell and Carl Ramseth.
Day is Manager of Port Operations for Holland America Group and directs the Tourism Best Management Practices program. Wilson owns and operates Juneau Waterfront Restaurants and Pierre is Vice President/Alaska Operations for Goldbelt Inc.
Incoming board chair Richard Burns noted, “We are delighted to welcome Reecia, Kirby and McHugh to the Travel Juneau Board. Their great depth of experience in the visitor industry and commitment to the Juneau community will be invaluable.”
Officers for the Travel Juneau board were scheduled to be elected at the July 18 meeting.
Travel Juneau (Juneau Convention & Visitors Bureau) has served the city since 1985 to market Juneau to conventions, meetings and travelers. More information can be found at TravelJuneau.com.
Altman Rogers & Co. wins 2019 Best of Alaska Business Award
Altman, Rogers & Co. on Monday announced it is the recipient of a 2019 Best of Alaska Business Award for Best Place to Work, 1-250 Employees as voted by Alaska Business magazine readers.
To determine the 2019 Best of Alaska Business Award winners, readers voted in an online survey that ran from February through April on the Alaska Business website. Readers also voted through the magazine’s various social media platforms, as well as via the Alaska Business digital edition, and through email.
Altman, Rogers & Co. provides a full portfolio of services including audit, tax preparation and consulting, accounting and payroll, management consulting, and elections and tabulation throughout Alaska. The firm currently has almost 50 staff spread across its Anchorage, Juneau and Soldotna offices.
