2018 Top Forty Under 40 announced; Alumni reception set for April 26

NEW: Alumni Reception April 26! Dave and Buster’s in Anchorage will also host a gathering of the 2018 Top Forty Under 40 and past honorees on April 26 from 7-10 p.m. Bring a guest and join us for fun, food and great networking on the eve of honoring this year’s class at the Top Forty Under 40 Awards Dinner at the Hotel Captain Cook on April 27. Current and previous Top 40 members please RSVP by April 18 to Jada Nowling at [email protected] for the alumni reception or contact her if you would like to purchase tickets, a table or sponsorship for the April 27 awards event.

The Alaska Journal of Commerce is pleased to announce the members of our 2018 Top Forty Under 40.

“I say it every year only because it is true: it never gets easier to pick just 40 people from the outstanding individuals nominated,” said Journal Managing Editor Andrew Jensen. “We had more than 100 nominees and 550 pages of supporting material to consider in narrowing the field and couldn’t be more pleased with the group we have representing a great cross section of Alaska’s private, public and nonprofit sectors.”

As an award for emerging leaders, this year’s group is particularly young.

The 2018 class features the youngest person ever to be named to the Top Forty — Alaska Paracord Designs CEO Grayson Davey at age 16 — as well as the youngest person to win public office in all of America in 2013 with Trevor Shaw of Ketchikan.

Shaw, now 22 and the Administrative Manager and Director of Government Affairs for the Ward Cove Group, was a senior in high school when he was elected to the Ketchikan School Board and has since won another term.

“While we have a large contingent as usual that works in Anchorage, this group’s roots reach across the entire state and as far as Vladivostok,” Jensen said. “We’re pleased to also have honorees serving their communities in Southeast, the Kenai Peninsula, the Mat-Su Valley and the Interior representing the best and brightest of Alaska’s future.”

The 2018 Top Forty Under 40 will be honored at an awards dinner on April 27 at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage. A cocktail reception will begin at 6 p.m. with the dinner and award event starting at 7 p.m.

Please contact Journal Advertising Director Jada Nowling for ticket sales, advertising and sponsorship opportunities. She can be reached at 907-275-2154 or [email protected].

The 2018 Top Forty Under 40

Thomas Azzarella Alaska Afterschool Network Director, Alaska Children’s Trust, 35 Anchorage

Paul Baril President, Nvision Architecture, 35, Anchorage

Lee Baxter Associate, Holland & Knight, 33, Anchorage

Shawn Bernard Assistant Director, Elementary Special Education, Anchorage School District, 33

Chris Block Founder, Crossfit Overcome; Director of Sales, Anchorage Hilton, 39

Erik Boltman Sales Manager, Real Property Management Last Frontier, 36, Anchorage

Nicole Borromeo Vice President and General Counsel, Alaska Federation of Natives, 37, Anchorage

Jamey Bradbury Communications Specialist, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, 38, Anchorage

Lisa Caldeira Director, Brother Francis Shelter, 32, Anchorage

Dr. Benjamin Crawford Owner, Director of Optometry, Accurate Vision Clinic, 35, Anchorage

Jason Custer Business Development Director, Alaska Power & Telephone Co., 36, Ketchikan

Grayson Davey CEO, Alaska Paracord Design, 16, Anchorage

Cara Durr Director of Public Engagement, Food Bank of Alaska, 36, Anchorage

Jackson Fox Executive Director, Fairbanks Metropolitan Area Transportation System, 36, Fairbanks

Kyle Gray Loan Officer/Assistant Vice President, First National Bank Alaska, 30, Haines

Brad Hillwig Director of Marketing, Production, & Community Outreach/Licensing Coordinator, KTUU, 38, Anchorage

Andre Horton Owner, Haka Consulting/Andre Horton Photography, 38, Anchorage

Tasha Hotch Program Manager, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, 39, Anchorage

Dr. Genevieve John Senior Chiropractor, Southcentral Foundation, 39, Anchorage

Jennine Jordan Vice President/Ethics Compliance Officer, Gana-A’Yoo Ltd., 34, Anchorage

Katie Koester Manager, City of Homer, 37, Homer

Dr. Justin Libby Owner/Dentist, The Libby Group, 34, Anchorage

Enzina Marrari Artist; Curator of Public Art, Municipality of Anchorage, 37

Yuliya McDaniel Business Development Advisor, BP (Exploration) Alaska, 38, Anchorage

Joy Merriner Assurance Partner, BDO USA LLP, 38, Anchorage

Laci Michaud Communications and Marketing Specialist, Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center, 35

Jason Motyka Founder, DV3 Corp., 38, Anchorage

Keri Nutter Engineering Geologist/Geotechnical Engineering Manager, DOWL, 35, Anchorage

Gracia O’Connell Vice President, Call Center Operations and eServices, Denali Federal Credit Union, 37, Anchorage

Jennifer Richcreek Regulator Specialist, Kodiak Electric Association Inc., 39, Anchorage

Genevieve Schok Jr. Management/Marketing, Flowline Alaska, 37, Fairbanks

Charlie Sears President, Alaska Filmmakers, 27, Anchorage

Trevor Shaw Administrative Manager/Director of Government Affairs, Ward Cove Group, 22, Ketchikan

Desiré Shepler Director, R.O.C.K. of Mat-Su, Mat-Su Health Foundation, 37, Wasilla

Jessica Smith Planning Services Division Manager, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, 32, Palmer

Angie Tallant Owner/Broker, Somers and Associates Realtors, 39, Fairbanks

Angela Totemoff President, Copper Mountain Foundation; Shareholder Services Manager, The Tatitlek Corp., 36, Anchorage

Lindsey Vaughn President/Co-owner, Global Positioning Services Inc., 36, Anchorage

Jennifer Waller Executive Director, Freedom House, 35, Soldotna

Becky Windt Pearson Municipal Attorney, Municipality of Anchorage, 37