Movers & Shakers 11/22/15

Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. President Adm. Tom Barrett, U.S. Coast guard (ret.), joined First National Bank Alaska’s board of directors. He previously served as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation and the first administrator of the U.S. Pipeline Hazardous Material Safety Administration, directing the agency’s national safety programs for hazardous materials and liquid, natural gas, petroleum, and other hazardous liquid pipelines. Prior to that, Barrett served 35 years in the U.S. Coast Guard where he commanded Coast Guard operations in Alaska and the North Pacific from 1999 to 2002. Other Alaska tours included Kodiak and Juneau. Barrett earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from LeMoyne College, Syracuse, N.Y., and a juris doctor with honors from George Washington University. He is a Vietnam veteran. Joining Barrett on the board are FNBA President Betsy Lawer, Fran Ulmer, Dr. Maurice Coyle, Perry Eaton, Margy Johnson, Jane Klopfer, Loren H. Lounsbury and Lucy Mahan.

Credit Union 1 announced several personnel moves. Erica Kemp was promoted to employee education manager. Kemp was initially hired in January 2003 as a full time teller I at the credit union’s Soldotna Branch. Since that time she has held the positions of teller, senior teller, member services assistant, member service officer, assistant branch manager, branch manager and lastly service and culture manager, the position she has held prior to her promotion. Shane Gustin was promoted to branch service manager in its Branch Operations Department. Gustin has been with the credit union for over 20 years. During this time, he has worked as a teller, interim collector, member services representative, assistant branch manager, member service center assistant manager, member service center manager, branch manager and regional branch manager. Victoria Worley was promoted to senior member assistance manager in its Member Assistance Department. Originally hired in 2004, Worley began as a teller and has subsequently held the positions of consumer loan clerk, consumer loan processor, assistant branch manager, branch manager, and most recently account recovery manager. Benjamin Heckert was promoted to branch manager at its Eagle River Branch. Heckert was initially hired in 2014 as the credit union’s member assistance manager, the position he has held prior to this promotion.

Amy Jo Meiners, who teaches extended learning at Auke Bay Elementary and Riverbend Elementary in the Juneau School District, has been named Alaska Teacher of the Year for 2016. Frances Roberts, who teaches mathematics at Homer High School in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, has been named Alternate Teacher of the Year. The Alaska award is given by the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development as part of a nationwide program sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Meiners has taught for 26 years, nine in her current position. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Whitworth University. Roberts, the Teacher of the Year alternate, has taught for 22 years, all in her present position. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a master’s degree from Montana State University. Roberts became an educator after a career as a meteorologist and co-owner of a sheep and cattle ranch.

Morgan Vann has been selected to manage KeyBank’s Kenai branch. Vann has more than three years of financial service and sales management experience. She has been a personal banker at the Kenai branch since joining KeyBank in 2014. Vann, a long-time Kenai Peninsula resident, lives in Kenai with her husband and daughter.

Craig Tornga has assumed the role of Crowley Maritime Corp. vice president of stakeholder relations for Alaska, and will coordinate with all of Crowley’s Alaska business units to leverage relevant company relationships. Tornga will relocate from Houston to Anchorage, and continue to report to Rocky Smith, senior vice president and general manager, petroleum distribution and marine services. Tornga began his career with Crowley in July 1977 as an ordinary seaman in Seattle. Over the years he held supervisory and managerial roles for the company in marine dispatch and customer service. In 1994, he was promoted to director of contract services, and in 1996 he was appointed general manager, oil industry services, and he relocated to Anchorage with his family. He later went on to manage the company’s petroleum distribution, Valdez marine services, and North Slope energy support operations. In 2011, Tornga was tapped to lead Crowley’s new marine solutions group in Houston, and earlier this year, he was appointed vice president of business development in Alaska. Tornga is a past recipient of the Thomas Crowley Award, the company’s highest honor.

The Alaska Chamber selected lifelong Alaskan Curtis Thayer as president and CEO. He replaces Rachael Petro, who moved out of state after guiding the Chamber for almost five years. Thayer’s first day with the Chamber was Nov. 16. As President and CEO, Thayer will oversee the Chamber’s operations as well as work with staff to ensure Chamber programs and services run with a high degree of excellence that its membership has come to expect. Thayer brings more than 20 years of experience in the private and public sectors, and has unique qualifications, connections and perspectives that will be of great value to the diverse membership. Thayer served as commissioner of the Alaska Department of Administration and as the deputy commissioner of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. Prior to joining state government, he was special assistant to Congressman Don Young. He also brings private-sector experience, having served on the management team of Alaska’s largest utility, ENSTAR Natural Gas, as well as with the Alaska Gas Pipeline Team. He owned his own small business and is licensed in real estate. A graduate of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Thayer has served on many boards, both public and non-profit, and was selected as a “Top Forty under 40” community leader.