Alex LopezLopez Fisheries Inc. of Valdez has announced the addition of the Laissez‐Faire to its now four‐vessel fleet involved in the seine fisheries of the Prince William Sound. The Laissez‐Faire is a 42‐foot Delta Marine refrigerated purse seiner.

The vessel is powered by a 3306 Caterpillar engine.

Rodel BulaongRodel Bulaong has been promoted to retail sales branch manager at Denali Alaskan Federal Credit Union’s Tikahtnu branch. In his new role, Bulaong is responsible for fostering a positive sales and service environment at the branch, including member transactions, consumer loans, new account openings and member problem resolution, in order to achieve branch sales and service goals.

Sandi VallecaWHPacific has announced that Sandra Velleca has been elected to the Construction Specifications Institute board of directors as institute director from the Northwest Region. Velleca has been a CSI and Northwest Region member for 30 years. She is a fellow in CSI and is a Certified Construction Specifier and Certified Construction Contract Administrator.

Construction Machinery Industrial, LLC, Alaska’s heavy equipment dealer for Hitachi, Atlas Copco, Link-Belt, Volvo and Ingersoll-Rand, has named Chris Gerondale to the new position of vice president of mining sales and key accounts.

Gerondale worked part time at CMI in the 1980s and 1990s but came to CMI, LLC full time in 2004 as the Southeast region manager.

Anchorage – Alaska USA Insurance Brokers has announced the selection of Timothy Maudsley as its new president.

Maudsley has 20 years of insurance industry experience including underwriting, operations, sales and management at large regional insurance agencies.

Mary Ann PruittMary Ann Pruitt has joined the Associated General Contractors of Alaska and will become assistant executive director to replace the retiring Monty Montgomery.

Pruitt joins AGC following a career in marketing and media representation as well as head of her own sales and marketing business. Pruitt begins work at AGC in April.

Dr. Douglas P. Prevost is a board certified orthopedic surgeon at Anchorage Fracture & Orthopedic Clinic and has received a sub-specialty certificate in orthopedic sports medicine from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Dr. Prevost is fellowship-trained in total joint replacement. He specializes in primary and revision total joint surgery of the hip, knee and shoulder as well as arthroscopy of the hip, knee and shoulder.

Dr. Prevost is one of several physicians at Anchorage Fracture and Orthopedic Clinic to hold a sub-specialty certificate in orthopedic sports medicine.

Eleven professionals become new members of the Anchorage Athena Society

Anchorage - Now in its 18th year recognizing those who have encouraged women in Anchorage to succeed in business, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce announces the following 2012 inductees into the Anchorage Athena Society:

Susan Anderson, president/CEO, CIRI Foundation

Carol Butler, owner, Butler & Butler

Barbara Gruenstein, Municipal Clerk, Municipality of Anchorage

Josie Hickel, vice president, Human Resources and Administration, Pebble Ltd. Partnership

Noelle Kompkoff, staff attorney, Tatitlek Corp.

Rhonda AlexanderAnchorage – Rhonda Alexander has been promoted to manager of Denali Alaskan Federal Credit Union’s Member Contact Center. As manager, she oversees the Contact Center’s 17 employees, based in Anchorage, and is responsible for developing a positive sales and service environment through member transactions, new account openings and member problem resolution.

The Alaska Community Foundation named the following officers to its 2012 board of directors.

Susan Behlke Foley was named as chair of the board. Foley is an attorney with Foley & Foley and has been active in philanthropic and charitable organizations throughout her career. In addition to serving on the ACF board, she has worked with nonprofit groups such as the United Way of Anchorage’s Planned Giving Goals and Visioning Committee.

USKH_SteveEdwardsUSKH Inc. has announced that Steve Edwards was recently promoted to communications manager.

Edwards has been with USKH since 2009, formerly as a marketing specialist in the corporate marketing and communications department. Prior to joining USKH, he worked at the Anchorage Daily News for nine years. He has more than 25 years of experience in communications-related work.

Deborah Casey was promoted to senior vice president of lending at Credit Union 1. Casey has more than 20 years experience, which includes heading CU1’s Member Assistance Department (collections and account recovery) since 1995.

Enterprise_FrederickEnterprise Engineering, Inc. has announced that Jesse K. Frederick, PE, has become a principal of the firm.

AT&T_ThompsonDiane J. Thompson recently changed positions at AT&T and is now an account manager 2 in the Signature Client group. She will be responsible for working with Native Corporations. Diane most recently worked for AT&T as an Account Manager 2 in the Small Business group and has 16 years of experience in Telecommunications.

Elisha MartinThe International Council of Shopping Centers has appointed Elisha Martin as state chair of its Government Relations Committee. The group acts as a point of contact for government relations activities and legislative issues within Alaska and other states.

Martin is director of the operations, asset services division, for Coldwell Banker Commercial in Alaska and has more than 15 years of experience in commercial real estate.

Deborah Casey has been promoted to senior vice president of lending. She has more than 20 years experience, which includes heading CU1’s Member Assistance Department (collections and account recovery) since 1995.

Casey is a member of the American Collectors Association, a certified Credit Union Financial Counselor and is certified with the Credit Union National Association as a consumer lender. She helped pioneer the Individual Development Accounts offered in conjunction with the Anchorage Urban League, and participated in the development of CU1’s Discover Financial Fitness program.

Willis AwardPhoto caption: Charlie Willis, center, holds the coveted “Top Hand Award” presented to him at a recent ceremony in Denver, Colo. Willis is flanked by his wife and business partner, Nancy, and Gene House, president of WESA (Photo courtesy of WESA)

Chester Gilmore, David Monroe and Devin Quackenbush have joined the law firm of Clapp Peterson Tiemessen Thorsness & Johnson, LLC. A former member, Scott Hendricks Leuning, is also rejoining the firm.

Hendricks, Gilmore and Quackenbush practice in the Anchorage office. Monroe is in the firm’s Fairbanks office.

The firm represents clients statewide and concentrates its practice on the representation of businesses, individuals and professional entities with an emphasis on litigation, representation of professionals, product manufacturers, political entities and employers.

Alaska Native Arts Foundation board of directors recently announced the appointment of Trina Landlord as the new executive director. She has been focused on indigenous issues locally and internationally in non-profit, private sector and government.

Before joining ANAF, Landlord worked as a liaison with the Alaska Humanities Forum. She was the Communications Coordinator for the Alaska Marketplace, an economic development initiative of the Alaska Federation of Natives.

Duke at DoyonPatrick W. Duke has been named the new senior vice president and chief financial officer for Doyon, Ltd., the regional Native corporation for Interior Alaska. Duke was previously the CFO at CIRI, where he had worked since 2006. Duke is a Sealaska and Ahtna shareholder.

Duke holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Gonzaga University and is a Chartered Financial
Analyst (CFA) charter holder.