President's Message

Happy New Year Chamber Members!!

I hope everyone had an AWESOME Christmas, followed by an amazing New Year celebration! We are into a new year, with new beginnings and new hope! We are also back to reality! Time to get back to work!

New Year is also the month that everyone resolves to get in shape! Have I got a deal for you!! The Business After Hours for January, will be a Kodiak Athletic Club on January 24 th ! Our January 1 st , One Day Special, is 359.00 for a whole year of fitness, classes and fun. We will be offering this a second and last time at the BAH. Friday, January 24 th , from 5:30-7:00pm. Joel and Martine will be catering, so great food will be served!! They have really cut back on their catering, so this might be worth the trip just for the fine French cuisine!! We will have beer and wine, and door prizes. The grand prize in $500.00 in cash!! We will have some membership prizes and the Chamber Split-the-Pot! This will be a fun event and you know that you need to take care of your fitness! So might as well make it as fun as possible! Kodiak Athletic Club!

Congratulations to Shane Parker for winning the photo contest for the Chamber of Commerce Relocation Guide! Shane won against tough competition! There were some great entries!

Welcome new Chamber members!! The Den is a catering company and joined the Chamber as a PIKE sponsor!! If you are interested in upgrading your membership to Pike, call Sarah or Jena at the office 486-5557! Welcome Cliff Point Estates, they are new Chamber members! Kodiak Car Rentals is also a new member. They actually won their membership at the December Business After Hours!

I would like to thank Grand Slam Toys and Games for hosting the BAH in December! What a cool little gift shop! Not just for kids! Stop by and check it out sometime! They have something for everyone!

On February 7 th , the Chamber will be honoring the men and women of the Coast Guard at an appreciation dinner. A limited number of tickets are available to Chamber members for this special evening and are on sale now. The Chamber also collects donations for the Coast Guard Honorees as give-aways during the evening, so if you’re able to contribute, please do!

Comfish 2020 is coming up fast, March 26 th -28 th ! Comfish is Alaska’s premier commercial fisheries trade show! Comfish brings together every kind of fishing vendor, gear, government agencies, nonprofit involved in every aspect of commercial fishing. My favorite is the public forums, to educate, and inform us about a wide variety of topics concerning commercial fishing. The local processors put on a world class skills show. Kodiak Morning Rotary will also be doing their annual pancake feed, at the Elks Club, on Saturday, March 28 th ! Sourdough and buttermilk choices as well as sausages and fruit will be served. Diana Holt features her prize sour dough and her starter will be for sale. ComFish has a wide variety of something for everyone, for over 40 years now. Come check it out!

Happy New Year everyone!

Sincerely,

Lindsay Knight
President
Our Sponsors
Kodiak Chamber 2019 In Review

Thank you to each of our members for yet another successful year at the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce!

After finalizing our 5 year strategic plan, the Chamber has a renewed focus on our members and community alike to stimulate economic prosperity. Interested to learn more about the 5 year plan the Chamber is working toward? Check out the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce Strategic Plan !

We've worked hard to expand member benefits to add even more value to your membership!

Free Chamber Benefits:
  • Membership includes membership with the Alaska Chamber of Commerce & U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  • Weekly News & Views radio segments featuring our members. Sign up with Jena.
  • Share your news in this Newsletter! Sign up with Jena.
  • Bulk Mailing Permit usage, get from Anastasia.
  • Use of Conference Room. Schedule using our new calendar.
  • Post Jobs and Events on our website by requesting with Anastasia.
  • Connect with a Small Business Development Center representative for personalized assistance with your business, or schedule education courses at the SBDC Kiosk in the Chamber. Ask Sarah for more details.
  • Host a Business After Hours or Ribbon Cutting. Schedule with Jena.

We took a stand:
  • Alaska Marine Highway System
  • Board of Fisheries Finfish Proposals

Member Events:
  • Ribbon Cuttings: 6
  • Business After Hours: 10
  • Educational Forums/Debates: 12
  • Shopping Events: 3
  • Annual Dinner: 9 Member Awards Given

Community Events:
  • Coast Guard Appreciation Dinner
  • ComFish Alaska
  • Community Clean-Up
  • Crab Festival
  • Summer Litter Patrol
  • Venture-Thru-Vehicles
  • Downtown Trick-or-Treat

Naturally, we couldn't offer the support and services to our members without financial and trade contributions from our generous Partners In Kodiak's Economy (PIKE) Sponsors: Alaska Aerospace ($10,000), KVOK/HOT 101.1 ($10,000), Best Western Kodiak Inn ($10,000), Alaska Airlines ($10,000), Kodiak Lions Club ($7,500), Lynden Transport ($7,500), Koniag ($5,000), Matson ($5,000), World Wide Movers ($5,000), Kodiak Daily Mirror ($2,500), Kodiak Area Native Association ($2,500), Leisnoi ($2,500), Kodiak Furniture ($2,500), The Den Catering ($2,500), Arctic Chiropractic ($1,000), Bella Aqua ($1,000), Kodiak Athletic Club ($1,000), The Frame Shop ($1,000), Providence Medical Center ($500).
January 24 th from 5:30-7:00 PM
Kodiak Athletic Club
3689 Rezanof Drive

Kodiak Athletic Club will be hosting an evening of health and wellness on January 24 th ! Learn all about all they offer, from personal training to circuit classes. Take advantage of your last opportunity to sign up for the $359 (regularly $559) Membership Special!

Chef Joel will be catering, so this might be worth the trip just for the fine French cuisine!! 

And as always, we'll have plenty of fun door prizes donated by both Kodiak Athletic Club and the Chamber of Commerce and we'll also have the ever popular Split-the-Pot!

Come out, have fun, learn a some new healthy habits, and do some good by supporting one of our locally owned businesses.

This is a   FREE  event open to  EVERYONE !

On February 7 th , the Chamber will be honoring the men and women of the Coast Guard at an appreciation dinner. Both Coast Guard Honorees and Chamber Members are welcome at the dinner. A limited number of tickets are available to Chamber members for this special evening and are on sale now. Your ticket purchase allows a Coast Guard Honoree attend at no cost. To purchase seats or a table, email or call the Chamber (907) 486-5557.

The evening will feature a "Taste of Kodiak" buffet with Seafood donations from Trident Seafoods, Ocean Beauty, North Pacific Seafoods, International Seafoods of Alaska, & Alaska Scallop Association and catering from Henry's Great Alaskan Restaurant, The Den Catering, MeLanies Crazy Cakes, & the Chart Room Restaurant.

For our Coast Guard attendees, one of the most anticipated portions of the evening is when each attendee goes home with a give away! The Chamber collects donations for the Coast Guard Honorees as give-aways during the evening, so if you’re able to contribute, please do! All donated items should be dropped off (or pick-up scheduled) at the Chamber by February 3rd, 2020.
Make your mark on Kodiak Crab Festival History! Participate in this long standing Kodiak tradition by entering your artwork in our logo and poster contest. The winners of each contest have the opportunity to win $200 and Crab Fest Merchandise!

This year, the theme is "Sea What Matters" - What matters most to you, the sea, preserving the beauty of Kodiak, recycling, spending time with family... we want to SEE it in 2020!

For full details and rules about the logo contest - http://www.kodiakchamber.org/logo

For full details and rules about the poster contest - http://kodiakchamber.org/poster

All logo submissions for the 2020 Crab Festival must reach the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce office, 100 Marine Way, by 5pm on Friday, January 3rd, 2020.
Chamber Board Sends Letter to
Board of Fisheries
Dear Chairman Morisky and Board members,

Kodiak’s Chamber of Commerce is the voice for the business community in Kodiak. We have approximately 260 members which include fishermen, processors, support services and fishery supply venders. Fisheries are the economic driver for Kodiak, as it’s third in the nation for volume of commercial landings in 2017; it must be preserved. Right now the Kodiak economy is under threat: In 2020 the Federal Pacific cod fisheries will not open; pollock quotas are down 20%; halibut harvests are also down and projections indicate continued decline; the herring fishery is severely depleted; and tanner crab has an extremely low guideline harvest level. Now, Board of Fisheries proposals from Cook Inlet and Chignik regions are attempting to reduce the economic returns from Kodiak’s salmon fishery. We need to protect our economy and request that you vote NO on proposals which could severely impact Kodiak’s salmon fisheries (proposals 58,59,60,61,62,63,64,37,65 and 66).

The Kodiak Island Borough (KIB) and the City of Kodiak commissioned a study looking at the Economic Impact of the Seafood Industry on the KIB [1] . Although the study is a bit dated, it does demonstrate the economic engine that drives Kodiak and the importance of the salmon industry. The study is considered by the Kodiak Chamber Board to still be extremely relevant. This study used the 2014 fishing year as a “snap-shot”. Several important points can be drawn from this study about Kodiak’s seafood industry in general and the importance of the salmon fishery in particular:
  • The commercial salmon fishery is caught by seine and set gillnets and provides harvest opportunity for hundreds of small businesses throughout the Kodiak Archipelago.
  • The salmon fishery contributed the highest value paid to harvesters of any fishery in 2014.
  • For every million pounds of salmon landed and processed in the KIB, $900,000 in total labor income is created in the KIB economy, including all direct, indirect, and induced effects.
  • For every million dollars paid to fishermen for salmon landed in the KIB, a total of $1.22 million in labor income is created in the KIB, including all harvest and processing related multiplier effects.
  • 28% of the total dollars paid to fishermen where paid to KIB resident salmon permit holders.
  • Seafood industry related jobs in the KIB indicates that the industry accounted for 38 percent of all Kodiak area employment.
  • Employment in the processing plants is dominated by salmon deliveries from June until September.
  • Kodiak’s seafood processors employ the highest percentage of local residents of any major production region in Alaska due to the year-round nature of our fisheries.
  • The community of Kodiak has made substantial investment in seafood industry-related infrastructure – public utilities, transportation connections, and maritime infrastructure. A healthy seafood industry is critical to the community’s ability to pay for these investments.

Adopting proposals 65 or 66 is expected to have an adverse impact on Kodiak’s economy. Based on internal research, the Kodiak Salmon Workgroup suggests that if proposals 65 and 66 were adopted, loss salmon revenue paid to Kodiak fishermen could exceed, on average, $5,000,000 annually. When the economic multiplier of dollars that circulate within the community is applied, that loss is compounded.

Regarding the Cape Igvak Management Plan, the Chamber does not perceive a need for a change. The plan provides a biological and economic safety net for the Chignik fishery through restrictive harvest opportunities for Kodiak permit holders based on Chignik escapements. During 3 of the past 5 years, when Chignik runs were limited, Kodiak fishermen did not fish at Cape Igvak. Kodiak fishermen have participated in this fishery for as long as the State of Alaska has managed the fisheries. The compromise reached by the Board 40 years ago is fair and working so should not be changed.

The history of the fishery, the fishery’s economic importance to the region, and alternative fishery resources are all part of the Board’s allocation criteria when considering salmon management changes. The Kodiak Chamber of Commerce believes that when the Board applies each of these standards as well as the remaining allocation criteria, your decision tips in Kodiak’s favor. We believe the board should vote no on proposals 58,59,60,61,62,63,64,37,65 & 66.

Yours in economic prosperity,

Sarah Phillips
Executive Director
(907) 486-5557

[1] Economic Impact of the Seafood Industry on the Kodiak Island Borough, prepared for the Kodiak Island Borough and City of Kodiak, prepared by McDowell Group, May 2016.
Do you feel moved to express your concerns or support to the Board of Fisheries? Find out more information about the proposals.

Meetings will be held from January 11th-14th at the Kodiak Harbor Convention Center with opportunities to testify likely on the 11th or 12th.

Stay tuned on the ComFish Alaska Facebook page and Twitter feed for updates as we have them.
December BAH - Grand Slam Toys & Games
The Chamber would like to thank, Grand Slam Toys & Games for hosting Decembers BAH. There were games, wonderful food and delicious
Kodiak Cocktails.
New ComFish Alaska Website is LIVE
ComFishAK.com is now live! You can register for you exhibitor booth, stay
up-to-date on who is coming, find out what the daily schedule will be and where to stay once you get here! Be sure to check it out!
Photo Relocation Guide
The Winner of the 2020 Chamber of Commerce Relocation Guide Cover Contest is Shane Parker who won $400!

The Annual Chamber of Commerce Relocation Guide
Photo Contest winners are:
1st Place, Bradley Pigagage, who will receive $350
2nd Place, Gretchen Powers, who will receive $200
3rd place, Fred O'Hearn, who will receive $50

We'd like to that everyone for submitting their wonderful photos! This was not an easy contest to judge! Please keep your eyes out this Spring for the Relocation Guide to see these and some of the other wonderful entries!
Get Text Reminders From The Chamber!
Never miss another Chamber educational or networking opportunity, event, Business After Hours or Ribbon Cutting!

Sign up for Chamber text message updates!

Text KodiakChamber to 31996
PSA - Run Water to Prevent Pipes Freezing
The City of Kodiak Public Works Department wants to remind the public with the recent cold spell to keep their water running from a faucet to prevent pipes from freezing.

During this cold spell without any snow cover, the ground is freezing to a lower depth than the past several winters. Some residents are starting to experience water service lines that are buried at a shallow depth freezing.
 
While the weather may fluctuate and get warm, we ask that the public please continue to keep the water running from a faucet even after the weather starts to warm up. The ground will stay frozen for an extended period of time so pipes will continue to freeze.

For more information visit the City’s online Winter Information Guide at http://www.city.kodiak.ak.us/publicworks/page/winter-information-guide .  If you have any questions, please call the Public Works Department at 486-8060.
Productive Procrastination:

Cards Against Humanity’s Secrets to Success

Segment 1: Jenn Bane is the Community Director of  Cards Against Humanity  and was employee #1 at the company.

Segment 2:  John Collopy , author of the book The Reward of Knowing, is the owner and broker of RE/MAX Results and its 38 offices across Minnesota and Wisconsin. With annual sales of more than $5.3 billion, RE/MAX Results is now one of the largest RE/MAX franchises in the world. 

Segment 3:  Rudy Ruettiger  played college football at the University of Notre Dame. Against all odds, as a walk on and part of the practice squad, Rudy got in a game at the University of Notre Dame. As fans repeated that famous chant "RU-DY, RU-DY," he sacked the quarterback in the last 27 seconds of the only play in the only game of his college football career. He started life as the son of an oil refinery worker and the third of 14 children. Today, he is one of the most popular motivational speakers in the United States... Now, there is a new documentary on Amazon Prime called “Rudy Ruettiger - The Walk on”.
Board of Directors
President  Lindsay Knight
Past President Stacey Simmons                                  
Vice President Julie Bonney                  
Secretary/Treasurer Jeff Sanford
Board Members               
Patrick Cummings · Ellen Simeonoff · Tyler Kornelis · Alex Turner · Ginny Shank · Diane Million · Daniel Eubanks · Tyler Wallace ·
City of Kodiak Representative Mike Tvenge
Kodiak Island Borough Representative Michael Powers
USCG Base Representative Capt. Jeffery Good
USCG Air Station Representative Capt. Bryan Dailey
KEA Representative Darron Scott
Discover Kodiak Representative Aimee Williams
Contact Us
Phone: (907) 486-5557
Executive Director: Sarah Phillips
Community Relations: Jena Lowmaster