March 3 & 4, 2022

The Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage

Happy New Year to all our wonderful member communities! May 2022 be filled with adventure, safety, good health, stability, and new opportunities throughout the SWAMC region.

The SWAMC annual Economic Conference and Membership Meeting at The Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage on March 3 & 4, 2022 is a great way to start. We have all sat through endless numbers of Zoom meetings, teleconferences, full email inboxes, and it is time to network face to face as we have in the past (with voluntary and required COVID protocols in place, depending on the situation.) The Captain Cook has been an industry leader with their comprehensive and responsible mitigation protocols and continues to assess conditions and put safety measures in place that allow for us to gather at our conference with confidence. Our agenda is packed with relevant and helpful information: Support in getting broadband funding and systems to our communities in 2022; providing a Recovery and Resilience Plan for our municipalities and their stakeholders; Presenting new job and investment opportunities, training, and planning in the mariculture industry; and updates on fisheries research, policy, and international and domestic markets.

We will have updates from our state and federal legislators, introductions to candidates running for governor, and a look to the future from the DHHS team we have all depended on during the past two years. There is more, but you need to attend to participate in everything we have planned! It has yet to be determined if we will be hosting an online stream of the two-day conference, but we will post individual presentations and panels on our website after the conference ends. Visit our 2022 conference page for all the conference information, including registration, hotel booking code (at a reduced rate), and future updates to the agenda as we line up speakers and finalize the schedule. You can also sign up as a sponsor on the website. We are always grateful for the support of our sponsors that provide the resources we need to host the conference. We are planning to hold our traditional President's Reception in the Quarter Deck on March 3rd and hope to have a strong showing from our communities at the silent auction. Our message for this year’s conference is “Emerging from the Storm” and that feels just about right. We will still have williwaws and gusts keeping an eye on the horizon, but we know how to handle those now, and the seas are calming. Please join us March 3 and 4 in Anchorage at The Captain Cook. We’ve missed you. 

Shirley Marquardt

SWAMC Executive Director

SWAMC is accepting nominations and candidates for our Board of Directors to represent the Aleutians/Pribilof associate seat. Candidate and nomination forms are due no later than Feb. 7, 2022 and area available on our website. Come join our dynamic board in promoting economic opportunities to improve the quality of life for Southwest Alaskans.

Your SWAMC Membership

As we approach annual conference time, don't forget to check the status of your SWAMC membership. The membership year follows the fiscal year - July 1 through June 30. You can easily renew your membership online. If you have any questions about membership or your membership status, please give us a call at 907-562-7380 or email mfriedenauer@swamc.org.



We value all our members and the support your membership provides SWAMC to continue serving the interests of Southwest Alaska communities. We work for you! Thank you for your support.

Have an announcement or story to share with the region?

Let us know! We may be able to include it in our next newsletter.

Call (907) 562-7380 or email mfriedenauer@swamc.org.