2015 Annual Membership Meeting: Prince Rupert

Southeast Conference 2015 Annual Conference:
Cross-Border Partnerships

Another successful SEC Annual Conference is under our belts! Thank you to all that provided support, time, and resources to make this, yet again, another highly informative and useful annual conference. 

See agenda here

Thank you to our generous donors, those who provided items for auction and those that purchased the items.  Our Scholarship Auction netted over $20,000. Our scholarship fund goes directly to helping students acquire more skills relative to making them more competitive in the job market. To learn more about this fund check out:   /scholarship

Only 74 nautical miles separate Ketchikan, Alaska’s Gateway City, and Prince Rupert, BC.  Both regions share many similarities, challenges and opportunities.  Therefore, this year’s annual meeting theme of “Cross-Border Partnerships” focused on these ideas.  From LNG, to biomass opportunities, mining, tourism, ocean products, ferry systems and our native heritages, our communities know we can learn from one another by creating solid connections.  During the conference many times the question was asked, “…how would Southeast Alaska and British Columbia work together to develop our economies if there was no border?” 

Highlights from the first day of the Conference:

  • Honors were given to the Community of the Year – Organized Village of Kasaan and the Business of the Year – VIGOR Alaska.
  • There is a large potential demand market for LNG and cultivating a workforce is important to the success of such large projects.
  • Most of Southeast wood pellets come from Canada
  • Hoonah replaced 5,000 gallons of diesel with their new Gartina Falls Hydro Project already!
  • The Alaska Marine Highway System need to be one of the regions top priorities

To learn more check out the presentations links found below

Day two was all about Southeast Economic Situations: Past, Present, and Future.  

  • Three publications were released. These included Southeast by the Numbers 2015, Southeast Alaska Business Climate Survey, and Southeast Alaska 2020 Economic Plan Call for Economic Plan Action Items.
    Click on the links to view online versions :/recent-publications
  • This is an exciting time for Southeast Conference as we develop the Southeast Alaska Economic Development Plan 2020. This plan is a grassroots, bottom up planning effort to help members of SEC and their communities with regional planning goals. Your input is encouraged. For more information and opportunity to add your ideas to this plan please click on the following link: /strategy
  • As emphasized by Meilian Shijvens in her presentation “Southeast by the Numbers”, Alaska’s financail future is going to have big effects on the members of all Alaska communities. We invite you to visit Sustainable Alaska Future and give your input. http://gov.alaska.gov/Walker/priorities/transition-2014/sustainable-futu…

Day three: Annual Buisness Meeting

No Southeast Conference event is complete without a little, a lot of fun! Ice skating lessons, receptions in old canneries filled with live oompa music, train rides, boat tours of the harbor and an abundance of delicious foods. Thank you Prince Rupert for being such wonderful hosts.

Presentations               

                                 Tourism Prince Rupert – Scott Farwell, Tourism Prince Rupert, President

Energy – Biomass & LNG             
                Biomass Opportunities in Canada and Alaska
                                Tony McRae, Marketing Director for Pinnacle Pellets
                                Karen Peterson, Chair Alaska Wood Energy Development Task Group
               Alaska Affordable Energy Strategy (Why LNG matters to Southeast Alaska)
                                Emily Ford,  Energy Policy and Outreach Manager
                Liquefied Natural Gas – Alaska & British Columbia
                                Herb Pond, Community Relations Advisor, BC Group
                                Jas Johal, Director of communication, BC LNG Alliance
                                Tessa Gill, Pacific North West LNG
                LNG – Community Distribution 101
                                Nolan Steiner, AVISTA Director of Strategic Planning
           
Transportation – Alaska Marine Highway
                                Mike Neussl – Deputy Commissioner, State of Alaska Marine Highway System

Southeast Economic Trends
                                Southeast by the Numbers/Business Climate Survey – Meilani Schijvens, Rain Coast Data
                                Southeast Alaska Cluster Annual Report – Brian Holst, JEDC
                                The Economic Plan 2020- Meilani Schijvens, Rain Coast Data
                                CCTHITA – Myrna Gardner, Manager, Business & Economic Development CCTHITA

Economic Opportunities
                                Brian Kleinhenz, Sealaska

Building a Sustainable Future
                                Pat Pitney, Alaska Office of Management & Budget, Director
                                Revenue and Expenditure Model

Also, check out Southeast Conference Annual meeting in the news

This annual meeting would not have been possible without the generous donations and support of our sponsors. So, once again, thank you for your continued support of Southeast Conference and the economic well-being of Southeast Alaska!

 

If you like would to sponsor our next meeting, donate to our scholarship fund, or become a member of Southeast Conference please Click on one of the following, or call Shelly @ (907) 586-4351
Become a Member     Become a Sponsor