Movers & Shakers 05/27/12

Ben Daily has been promoted to Alaska Region dive operations manager for Global Diving & Salvage Inc. Daily, with more than 10 years in the commercial diving industry, has been with Global since 2004. During his tenure, he has been involved in all facets of the commercial diving industry in Alaska, spending the majority of his time working in the Cook Inlet. Daily will be tasked with scheduling of all day to day diving projects; working with customers to identify their needs and ensure their expectations are being met/exceeded; work with the divers and dive supervisors to assist and enhance training; assist management with proposals and estimating; and research and develop new technology as appropriate.

Executive Chef Joshua Ramirez has joined Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge for the 2012 season. Born and raised in Chicago, Ramirez was introduced to numerous cuisines by his father, dining in his company at many of the city’s landmark restaurants. He helped to open Glenn’s Diner on the north side of Chicago, and eventually traveled to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands to work with Chef Greg Englehardt, where he learned, led and decided that he was destined for Michelin stars. While working in the Virgin Islands, he explored the exotic local food traditions, learning about all types of Caribbean seafood from the local fishermen. He returned to Chicago to work with leading chefs like Guiseppe Tentori, Perry Hendrix, and Ryan Poli. 

Sarah Laschober has been promoted to reservations manager at Alaska Native owned and operated CIRI Alaska Tourism Corp. Laschober has been with the company for more than five years. She was initially hired as a reservations agent, and was quickly promoted to lead agent, then to reservations supervisor, and most recently held the position of assistant reservations manager. Krystal Meyer has joined CIRI Alaska Tourism Corp. as assistant reservations manager. As the owner and operator of her own company, Meyer’s brings management skills and years of airline customer service experience to her position at CATC.  Meyer is a lifelong Alaskan, who grew up in Nenana.

Glen Weaver has been promoted to vice president finance and chief financial officer for Usibelli Coal Mine. Weaver replaces Rick Hundrup, who retired after 35 years with UCM. Weaver will have responsibility for finance and administration of UCM and several affiliated companies. Weaver was born and raised in Fairbanks and attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he graduated magna cum laude with an accounting degree in 1991. He worked at Cook & Haugeberg, CPA’s and Northern Schools Federal Credit Union prior to joining UCM in 1999. Weaver is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Alaska Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Alaska Miners Association.

Dianne Blumer replaces Click Bishop as Alaska Labor Commissioner. Blumer has served as a special assistant to Gov. Sean Parnell, advising him on regulation and policy for the departments of commerce, administration and revenue. She has been in state service for more than 20 years, holding positions such as director of the Division of Personnel and Labor Relations and deputy director for the Child Support Services Division.

Bethel Native Corp. elected three directors, Lyman Hoffman, Henry Hunter Sr., and Donna Lindsey. The board of directors elected the following officers: Hoffman, chairman; Mary Kenick, vice chair; Stanley Rodgers, treasurer; A. Louise Charles, secretary; and Gregory Hoffman, Sr., assistant secretary.  Continuing directors now serving on the Board include Robert Hoffman, Robert Lekander, Lindsey and Hunter Sr.  President/CEO is Ana Hoffman.

Kathy Binkley, employee benefits advisor for The Wilson Agency LLC, has earned the Registered Health Underwriter professional designation from The American College, Bryn Mawr, Pa. Binkley has been working at The Wilson Agency since 2005 and has demonstrated excellence in her field as she advanced through the agency. She specializes in helping small employer groups under 10 and individuals find the right coverage for them.

Alaska Airlines President Brad Tilden was named CEO of Alaska Air Group and its subsidiary carriers, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, at the company’s annual shareholder meeting. Tilden, a 21-year veteran at Alaska Air Group, succeeds Bill Ayer, who served as CEO since 2002. Tilden oversees Alaska Airlines, the nation’s seventh-largest carrier, and Horizon Air, the largest regional carrier in the Pacific Northwest, which together flew nearly 25 million passengers in 2011. Alaska and Horizon employ nearly 13,000 people and operate 167 aircraft to more than 90 destinations across the continental United States and in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico.

The Mat-Su Health Foundation recently welcomed Melissa Kemberling to the foundation team. Melissa holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Tulane University and a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University. She spent the last six years serving as the lead epidemiologist for the Alaska Tribal Health Consortium. In this capacity, she worked with a team of epidemiologists to map the regional health status of Alaska Natives. In this newly created position at MSHF, she will help to map the health status of Mat-Su residents, work with the board of directors to determine where an investment of MSHF resources would significantly improve health, and build evaluation into all of the grant programs and initiatives offered by MSHF.

Maj. Gen. Michael X. Garrett became the 36th commander of U. S. Army Alaska in a change of command ceremony on Pershing Parade Field on May 17. Garrett will replace Maj. Gen. Raymond P. Palumbo, who has been the senior Army commander in Alaska and deputy commander of Alaskan Command since July 12, 2010. Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta announced in February that the President nominated Palumbo for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence) for Joint Coalition and Warfighter Support at the Pentagon. Garrett comes to Alaska from Fort Bragg, N.C., where he has been the chief of staff, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg since July 2010. The general brings a broad spectrum of experience to Alaska with 18 assignments, four overseas and 14 stateside, in his 28-year Army career.  He was the first commander, from February 2006 to July 2008, of the newly formed 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division at Fort Richardson.  He led the brigade through its first combat deployment, from October 2006 to December 2007.  This will be his second tour of duty in Alaska. Overseas, the general has served in Afghanistan, Iraq (twice) and Korea. Garrett is a 1984 graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati where he received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and was commissioned in the U. S. Army as a second lieutenant of Infantry.

Ben Daily has been promoted to Alaska Region dive operations manager for Global Diving & Salvage Inc. Daily, with more than 10 years in the commercial diving industry, has been with Global since 2004. During his tenure, he has been involved in all facets of the commercial diving industry in Alaska, spending the majority of his time working in the Cook Inlet. Daily will be tasked with scheduling of all day to day diving projects; working with customers to identify their needs and ensure their expectations are being met/exceeded; work with the divers and dive supervisors to assist and enhance training; assist management with proposals and estimating; and research and develop new technology as appropriate.

Executive Chef Joshua Ramirez has joined Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge for the 2012 season. Born and raised in Chicago, Ramirez was introduced to numerous cuisines by his father, dining in his company at many of the city’s landmark restaurants. He helped to open Glenn’s Diner on the north side of Chicago, and eventually traveled to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands to work with Chef Greg Englehardt, where he learned, led and decided that he was destined for Michelin stars. While working in the Virgin Islands, he explored the exotic local food traditions, learning about all types of Caribbean seafood from the local fishermen. He returned to Chicago to work with leading chefs like Guiseppe Tentori, Perry Hendrix, and Ryan Poli. 

Sarah Laschober has been promoted to reservations manager at Alaska Native owned and operated CIRI Alaska Tourism Corp. Laschober has been with the company for more than five years. She was initially hired as a reservations agent, and was quickly promoted to lead agent, then to reservations supervisor, and most recently held the position of assistant reservations manager. Krystal Meyer has joined CIRI Alaska Tourism Corp. as assistant reservations manager. As the owner and operator of her own company, Meyer’s brings management skills and years of airline customer service experience to her position at CATC.  Meyer is a lifelong Alaskan, who grew up in Nenana.

Glen Weaver has been promoted to vice president finance and chief financial officer for Usibelli Coal Mine. Weaver replaces Rick Hundrup, who retired after 35 years with UCM. Weaver will have responsibility for finance and administration of UCM and several affiliated companies. Weaver was born and raised in Fairbanks and attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he graduated magna cum laude with an accounting degree in 1991. He worked at Cook & Haugeberg, CPA’s and Northern Schools Federal Credit Union prior to joining UCM in 1999. Weaver is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Alaska Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Alaska Miners Association.

Dianne Blumer replaces Click Bishop as Alaska Labor Commissioner. Blumer has served as a special assistant to Gov. Sean Parnell, advising him on regulation and policy for the departments of commerce, administration and revenue. She has been in state service for more than 20 years, holding positions such as director of the Division of Personnel and Labor Relations and deputy director for the Child Support Services Division.

Bethel Native Corp. elected three directors, Lyman Hoffman, Henry Hunter Sr., and Donna Lindsey. The board of directors elected the following officers: Hoffman, chairman; Mary Kenick, vice chair; Stanley Rodgers, treasurer; A. Louise Charles, secretary; and Gregory Hoffman, Sr., assistant secretary.  Continuing directors now serving on the Board include Robert Hoffman, Robert Lekander, Lindsey and Hunter Sr.  President/CEO is Ana Hoffman.

Kathy Binkley, employee benefits advisor for The Wilson Agency LLC, has earned the Registered Health Underwriter professional designation from The American College, Bryn Mawr, Pa. Binkley has been working at The Wilson Agency since 2005 and has demonstrated excellence in her field as she advanced through the agency. She specializes in helping small employer groups under 10 and individuals find the right coverage for them.

Alaska Airlines President Brad Tilden was named CEO of Alaska Air Group and its subsidiary carriers, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, at the company’s annual shareholder meeting. Tilden, a 21-year veteran at Alaska Air Group, succeeds Bill Ayer, who served as CEO since 2002. Tilden oversees Alaska Airlines, the nation’s seventh-largest carrier, and Horizon Air, the largest regional carrier in the Pacific Northwest, which together flew nearly 25 million passengers in 2011. Alaska and Horizon employ nearly 13,000 people and operate 167 aircraft to more than 90 destinations across the continental United States and in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico.

The Mat-Su Health Foundation recently welcomed Melissa Kemberling to the foundation team. Melissa holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Tulane University and a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University. She spent the last six years serving as the lead epidemiologist for the Alaska Tribal Health Consortium. In this capacity, she worked with a team of epidemiologists to map the regional health status of Alaska Natives. In this newly created position at MSHF, she will help to map the health status of Mat-Su residents, work with the board of directors to determine where an investment of MSHF resources would significantly improve health, and build evaluation into all of the grant programs and initiatives offered by MSHF.

Maj. Gen. Michael X. Garrett became the 36th commander of U. S. Army Alaska in a change of command ceremony on Pershing Parade Field on May 17. Garrett will replace Maj. Gen. Raymond P. Palumbo, who has been the senior Army commander in Alaska and deputy commander of Alaskan Command since July 12, 2010. Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta announced in February that the President nominated Palumbo for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence) for Joint Coalition and Warfighter Support at the Pentagon. Garrett comes to Alaska from Fort Bragg, N.C., where he has been the chief of staff, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg since July 2010. The general brings a broad spectrum of experience to Alaska with 18 assignments, four overseas and 14 stateside, in his 28-year Army career.  He was the first commander, from February 2006 to July 2008, of the newly formed 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division at Fort Richardson.  He led the brigade through its first combat deployment, from October 2006 to December 2007.  This will be his second tour of duty in Alaska. Overseas, the general has served in Afghanistan, Iraq (twice) and Korea. Garrett is a 1984 graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati where he received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and was commissioned in the U. S. Army as a second lieutenant of Infantry.