amJuneau Economic Development Council NEWS | March 2026 | | Get Ready for the Juneau Maritime Festival! | | |
Saturday, May 9th, 2026, 11 AM – 7 PM at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Plaza
Mark your calendars – the 2026 Juneau Maritime Festival will be held on May 9th! Celebrate Juneau’s rich maritime culture, history, and commerce with 100+ vendor booths, live music, FREE kid’s activities, beer garden, fresh grilled seafood, harbor cruises, tug-o-war, and special appearances by the One People Canoe Society, Yees Ku Oo Dancers, and maritime services, including the USCG and Navy!
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We invite you to join us in supporting this vibrant community celebration honoring one of Juneau’s most essential industries. The Juneau Maritime Festival thrives thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, whose contributions make every part of the event possible.
Your support directly covers the core costs of producing a high‑quality, family‑friendly festival—including supplies and insurance, equipment rentals, and the professional time required to coordinate, promote, and deliver this beloved community event.
With your partnership, we can continue to celebrate our maritime heritage and bring our community together.
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Allen Marine Harbor Cruises
Get out on the water with one of our Harbor Cruises! Enjoy the live entertainment of your choice and a no-host bar featuring beer, wine, a limited alcohol selection as well as Allen Marine Tours’ classic “Glacier-itas, along with complimentary coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, all while you tour around beautiful downtown Juneau’s harbor! Check out the schedule below and click the link to buy tickets!
12:00 pm - Juneau Public Library Kids’ Cruise
1:30 pm - Gastineau Channel Historical Society
3:00 pm - Live music with Sunny Porch
4:30 pm - Live music with the Beer Choir
Txt Lin
| | | Building a future in the trades: Trade Up Juneau! | | | |
JEDC launches PAID Summer Trades Training Program
Juneau is entering a major construction boom, with nearly $1 billion in projects starting in 2026. These developments will require 600–650 skilled laborers each year for the next four years—far more than the current local workforce can supply. Without local investment, many of these jobs will
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be filled from outside the region, reducing economic benefits and limiting opportunities for Juneau youth. To address this need, Trade Up Juneau connects recent high school students with paid training, paid jobsite experience, and direct pathways into a career in skilled trades. Coordinated by the Juneau Economic Development Council and supported by a cross‑sector partnership that includes the Juneau School District, University of Alaska Southeast, local unions, employers, and community organizations, this program prepares local young adults with the necessary skills to take part in building Juneau’s future.
Participants will Gain:
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Paid Work Experience: Earning approximately $18 per hour working with local employers and trade unions.
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Industry Certifications: Earning OSHA safety training, First Aid/CPR, and workplace readiness credentials.
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Hands-On Jobsite Learning: Gaining real-world construction experience alongside skilled professionals.
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Career Pathways: Building connections to apprenticeships, jobs, and postsecondary training.
Early Employer Spotlight: Dawson Construction
Thanks to Dawson Construction for stepping up as one of our first Trade Up employer partners! This summer, Dawson will hire one young adult interested in carpentry for a 10‑week paid placement, offering hands‑on experience, mentorship, and the potential for ongoing employment at the end of the program. This early commitment demonstrates the local industry’s willingness to invest in Juneau’s future workforce. JEDC is seeking additional construction companies and trade partners to participate. If your business is interested, call Charla Brown at 907-523-2333.
Know a recent high school student that might want to apply?
Share the link below:
| | | Economic Indicators: Cruise Ship Passenger Volume | | |
Juneau’s cruise passenger counts rose from about 983,000 in 2015 to a pre-pandemic peak of roughly 1.31 million in 2019, before collapsing due to global cruise shutdowns and health restrictions in 2020. Traffic then rebounded sharply to about 1.17 million in 2022, and to about 1.64 million in 2023, about 25% above the 2019 peak. Juneau set consecutive visitor records in 2024-2025 years, with year-over-year growth of about 2–3% as ships sailed at high occupancy. Projections show volumes leveling off slightly below 1.7 million in 2026–2027.
Local policies and developments help explain these patterns. Juneau experienced a tourism boom after pandemic restrictions eased, aided by strong demand for Alaska cruises, new or expanded itineraries, and longer shoulder seasons that brought more small ship and expedition visitors. Resident concerns about congestion and environmental impacts led the city and cruise lines to agree to a five ship per day limit starting in 2024 and daily passenger caps beginning in 2026, measures that are intended to hold annual visitors roughly at current record levels rather than allow further increases. Local discussions about dockage fee increases and investments in infrastructure and waterfront improvements also affect ship deployment decisions, contributing to the forecast that Juneau’s passenger numbers will stabilize while some additional growth shifts to other Southeast Alaska ports.
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We proudly present the 2025 edition of the Juneau & Southeast Alaska Economic Indicators and Outlook report to our community. The report is an annual publication exploring trends in employment and earnings, demographics, education, construction, business and industry, and much more.
Through this and all of our other research, we hope to increase awareness and engage citizens in local and regional economic issues.
As part of the rollout of this year’s report, JEDC is pleased to give presentations to business and community groups on the state of Juneau's economy. If you would like to schedule a presentation, send Brian an email at bholst@jedc.org.
| | SREC Submits Proposals for the
Alaska Rural Health Transition Program | | |
Our Mission:
Bringing eldercare providers from across SE Alaska together to problem solve mutual issues, share program information & be a collaborative force for change.
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The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) is a $50 billion federal opportunity to improve health care in rural areas across all fifty states. Alaska is one of the top recipients nationwide. This reflects the state’s large rural population, geographic challenges, and long-standing health care access needs. Alaska will receive $272,174,856 in the first year to support targeted, systemwide investments that improve access to care and strengthen the long-term stability of the state’s health care system.
SREC and JEDC submitted 5 letters of intent to further the coalition goal of finding more efficient, effective, and collaborative mechanisms to serve elders .
| | Investor of the Month: Hansen Gress | |
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JEDC Investor Program
The JEDC Investor Program is specifically designed to engage businesses and organizations who support economic development in Juneau.
Investment levels range from $700 to $10,000+ with increasing benefits. With our comprehensive and consistent marketing, your business or organization will be recognized on the JEDC website and all presentations, publications, newsletters, and collateral materials.
Best of all, your investment will contribute to a more prosperous Juneau.
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Trust is in our tagline.
Mindfulness is a core value.
Hansen Gress has been providing services to clients in Alaska for over 20 years. We are proud of our commitment user experience.
We think IT support should be better, and we are building a support product that raises the bar every year. Our clients have learned to set their sights high, but most other small businesses are still settling for less.
Hansen Gress clients enjoy being able to raise their expectations for performance year-after-year. Customers have learned that Hansen Gress will deliver. We have identified the following as key components to success: providing help right when you need it, truly reliable systems, honest and professional staff, zero data loss, and a well-engineered service that just keeps expanding.
Hansen Gress specializes in managed IT. Trust your Tech.
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| | | 2026 Seasonal Job Openings | | |
JEDC is excited for the 2026 Summer Season and is looking to hire for the following positions:
Downtown Ambassadors
Do you enjoy helping others and talking to new people? Would you be able to represent our beautiful capital city to visitors in town for the day? Are you a resident of Juneau with knowledge of all the ins and outs for restaurants, trails, rides, etc? If this sounds like you, please apply to be a Downtown Ambassadors!
This seasonal position offers flexible schedules (10-40 hours/week on days of your choice) and will end in October.
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Downtown Crossing Guards*
Juneau Welcome Guards support public safety and hospitality in the heart of Downtown Juneau during our busy season. This position will ensure the safe and orderly movement of pedestrians and vehicles at assigned downtown crosswalks and requires being alert, professional, courteous, and capable of sustained outdoor physical activity.
*Perfect for locals, visiting family, and college students home for the summer seeking short-term employment!
| | Innovation Summit 2026: Mini Recap and Resources | | |
| "I appreciate that the Innovation Summit highlights issues and people we should be paying close attention to in our community and economy—such as our elders, our workforce, and the factors that influence why people move into and out of our region, as well as how we can encourage them to stay." - Maureen Hall, CBJ Assembly Member | | |
JEDC was thrilled to bring together 191 attendees from all over Southeast, greater Alaska, and beyond, representing 43 sectors to examine how shifting demographics, an aging population, entrepreneurship, demand for workers, and quality of life considerations all combine to create both the challenges and opportunities that define Alaska’s future.
Special Shout Out to Our IS26 Collaborators:
Choose Alaska!
Pitch Contest Mentors
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Jared Reynolds - UA Center for Economic Development
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Calvin Chang - 49th State Angel Fund
Local Subject Matter Experts
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Sandy Hussain - Alaska Small Business Development Center on buying and selling a business
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Jennifer Schmitz - Alaska Council of School Administrators on teacher retention
| | Check out Thomas Cooke, Ph.D's keynote: "Migration, Retention & Actually Growing a Rooted Community" | | |
Innovation Summit on YouTube:
If you missed any of our fantastic and informative mainstage speakers - or you'd like to rewatch or share something that resonated with you, check out the JEDC YouTube channel! Here you'll find a catalog of all of the Innovation Summit mainstage addresses from 2026 and years past.
| | Contractor Training Opportunity | | Invest in Juneau in 2026! | | |
The JEDC Investor Program is specifically designed to engage businesses and organizations who support economic development in Juneau. By becoming a JEDC Investor, you will directly contribute to programs and initiatives that foster a healthy and sustainable economy: help make Juneau a great (capital) city; strengthen key regional industries; promote entrepreneurship and small business; develop next generation talent; and, deliver core economic development services.
Your investment will provide vital, flexible funding enabling us to act where the need is greatest: conducting timely and relevant research, responding to emergency situations, convening partners to address housing and workforce challenges, supporting small business startup and expansion through our lending and investment programs, and much more!
With our comprehensive and consistent marketing, your business or organization will be recognized on the JEDC website and all presentations, publications, newsletters, and collateral materials. Investment levels* range from $700 to $10,000+ with increasing benefits. Additionally, your sponsorship of specific JEDC programs and events, such as FIRST® in Alaska, the Innovation Summit or the Juneau Maritime Festival, will increase your overall Investor recognition level.
*All packaging is customizable, and we look forward to connecting with you to discuss your company's goals, so you get the most return on your investment!
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Current Promotion:
Among other deals, our "Get $10 After Spending $100" promotion is currently running for Mar y Sol, Coppa, Seong's Sushi, Imagination Station, and Forno Rosso. Rewards accumulate in the app and can be spent at any local businesses that accepts TLF dollars.
Local Change:
Remember to round up in the app for a non-profit of your choice! New options include the Downtown Business Association, Juneau Animal Rescue, and Cancer Connection.
*Sponsorship Opportunity*
This closed-loop spending initiative keeps dollars circulating among Juneau businesses. If you share JEDC's commitment to local reinvestment, economic resilience, and the long-term health of the businesses that anchor our community, let us know!
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Creating more childcare capacity in Juneau by assisting new or existing
childcare providers to access, improve or expand the physical infrastructure needed to deliver a quality childcare program to more families.
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| | Southeast Alaska Revolving Loan Fund | If you have a project that will create or retain jobs in Southeast Alaska, Juneau Economic Development Council could be the lender you've been looking for. | | | | |
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Aaron Morrison, Chair
Chancellor Aparna Palmer, Vice-Chair
Todd Schur, Treasurer
Melissa Kookesh, Secretary
Melissa Beedle
Trenton English
Keith Greene
Marc Guevarra
Brian Kleinhenz
Mayor Beth Weldon
Maureen Hall, Assembly Liaison
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JEDC's FIVE AREAS OF FOCUS
- Help Make Juneau a Great (Capital) City
- Strengthen Key Regional Industries
- Develop Talent
- Promote Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development
- Deliver Economic Services
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We invite you to invest in Juneau by becoming a JEDC Investor. Show your support of the work done to advance Juneau and Southeast Alaska's economy.
Supporting JEDC impacts the long-term economic success of Alaska's Capital City while creating a business climate that bolsters your business or organization.
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We welcome your thoughts and feedback!
If you find JEDC News to be of interest and value, please forward the newsletter to your friends and colleagues.
Brian Holst
Executive Director
Juneau Economic Development Council
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