Above Calendar Photo "Jewel Beach Conversations" by Julie Coyle submitted for our 2024 Relocation Guide Contest. Above Featured Photo: "Glass Float Sunrise" by Denise Link submitted for our 2026 Relocation Guide Photo Contest.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

Dear Chamber Members,

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I hope that your month and soon to be spring (I’m extra hopeful) are off to an amazing start. We kicked off our month on our final day of the Chamber’s first Kodiak Home Show in 36 years. The next weekend we went into a busy and fun couple of well attended Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies at Wildflower’s Smoky Hallow and at Kodiak Harvest Food Co-Op in their new location inside the Marketplace.

Even though this year our weather has been extra on the wintery side of things, it’s certainly been a busy and exciting start to the year, from a fabulous Coast Guard Appreciation Dinner on Friday, February 20^th to an incredible turnout at the Kodiak Home Show the next week, and to helping promote Sales Tax Free Day community wide, our team is dedicated to hosting small and large events that make an impact to our community on a personal level while aiming to positively infuse and ignite our local economy. Together we all support Kodiak’s economy and each other by shopping and investing local. Thank you to everyone who helped contribute to and sponsored these events.

We are absolutely loving our new merchandise for Crab Fest 2026. This year’s theme is “You, Me, & the Sea” with the logo design by Artist Valory Canfield arrived just in time to have it for sale at our Home Show Booth. It’s also available in our office Monday through Friday and online at kodiakchamber.org/shop. Next month we’ll have a booth at the Kodiak Women’s Show and you’ll be able to purchase it there too. You’ll find some images of this year’s Hoodies, T-shirts, Children’s Hoodies and more when you scroll below. Coming in April, look for the 2026 Crab Fest Poster by talented local artist Bruce Nelson, we’re pretty sure you’re gonna love it as much, if not more than we do. Scroll down for an image of this year’s poster.

In April come join us at the ComFish Alaska Trade Show, Forums and Fisherman’s Showcase April 16^th – 18^th downtown. May 2^nd is Community Clean Up Day and May 21^st – 25^th is Kodiak Crab Festival 2026, our 68^th year. This year’s theme is a fun one, get creative with it for your parade costumes and floats. Links to parade, event and performance registrations for Crab Fest are in this newsletter along with ComFish attendee registration info. Updates to our websites continue daily and weekly as our ComFish forum schedule and speakers are updated and the schedule of events for Crab Fest unfolds.

In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be adding a Sales Tax Committee and a Legislative Committee….if you’d be interested in serving on or learning about either of these two committees please contact our Administrative Assistant Alexa San Juan at chamber@kodiakchamber.org and let her know. We’re also in the process of revamping our Small Business Collaboration Group and making plans for several 12@12 luncheons and a few Coffee with the Chamber meetings throughout the year to increase our networking and educational opportunities.

Below you’ll find links and information on the online classes & workshops offered through the Alaska Small Business Development Center that are an added benefit with your Chamber membership, contact our team to learn more about how to take advantage of that service so we can help you get started. Just a heads up, later this year on September 14^th & 15^th we’ll be hosting 3 seminars for our members in partnership with the Alaska SBDC for members at the Marketplace.

Remind yourself to slow down and appreciate how truly good we have it here. We live in an incredibly beautiful island community with wonderful friends, neighbors, co-workers and families. An amazing place where we can learn, thrive and grow together, building relationships and forging friendships all while getting live just off the beach, next to the mountains, trails and streams. It might be northern but it’s truly paradise. Our business owners and operators work hard to deliver on all fronts too. Make sure you're taking advantage of the abundance of quality coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries, numerous retail stores, museums, community events and opportunities that truly elevate the quality of life for all of us living in Kodiak. Scroll all the way through this newsletter for information and updates on many of local businesses and events this month! Enjoy!

Warm Regards,

Ellen Simeonoff, Executive Director

Fully guided, First-Class trip to Greece!

November 2 - 10, 2026

9 DAYS/7 Nights

Early-Bird Special! $4,399, $4,299

Save $100 if booked & deposited before March 31, 2026

INCL. Airfare from Anchorage, First Class Hotels, Meals, & Many Day Tours!

To make your reservation contact:

Alexa San Juan at the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce

E-mail: chamber@kodiakchamber.org 

Telephone: (907) 486-5557

April 16-18, 2026|Kodiak Marketplace|Kodiak, AK

ComFish Alaska is Alaska’s premier commercial Fisheries Expo and is the largest and longest-running in Alaska. Over three days, ComFish Alaska brings together every aspect of commercial fishing, from equipment, technology, and gear exhibitors to government agencies and nonprofits. Forums on relevant topics are organized annually to share ideas and fishing information with the public and the fishing industry. Where Alaska’s fishing industry comes together.

We look forward to seeing you in Kodiak this April.

www.comfishak.com

Did You Know Your Chamber Membership Includes Free Business Training?

We know what matters to Kodiak’s business owners. Your time is limited, and you want support that actually helps.

As a Chamber member, you get access to Alaska SBDC business courses at no cost. You can get practical help when you need it, quickly and on your own schedule.

These easy to follow, on demand courses are built to help you:

• Tighten up your marketing without hiring outside help
• Find new opportunities to grow your business
• Build a stronger online presence
• Feel more confident using social media

Claim Your FREE Chamber Member Access

Enter member-exclusive code SBDC4FREE at checkout

Explore Free On Demand Workshops Now →

Whether you prefer on demand learning, live webinars, or in person trainings, your membership unlocks it all. Check below for upcoming live webinars and in person trainings.

Thank you for being a valued member of the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce. This benefit is exclusively available to current Chamber members, and we’re proud to offer you access to resources that support your success.



We hope you take full advantage of this exciting opportunity!

SAVE THE DATE!

February 26th

& 27th

2027

*Event days and times are subject to modification

KODIAK HOME SHOW 2026

Exhibitor Feedback:

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 2026 Coast Guard Appreciation Dinner

"We Applaud You"

Congratulations to our 2026 Community Hero Award Winners:

Thank you to our Sponsors:

Scroll down through the newsletter for a listing of our upcoming Business After Hours.

Kodiak Crab Festival 2026

“You, Me, & the Sea”

MAY 21-25, 2026

kodiakcrabfest.com

2026 CrabFest LOGO

The 2026 Kodiak Crab Festival Logo was designed by Artist Valory Canfield

2026 CrabFest Painting by Local Artist Bruce Nelson

The 2026 prints will be in stock in April or early May.

Monthly Chamber Board Meeting in March

• Wednesday, March 18th
• 11:30 am
• Kodiak Chamber Conference Room

A Message to our Chamber Members from KANA:

Keep an eye out! We’re excited to share that live air quality sensors are now up and running in our community and around KANA facilities. PurpleAir monitors measure fine particle pollution and provide real-time air quality data for our area. This information helps us make informed decisions during smoke events and protect the health of our community.

Air quality especially impacts Elders, children, and those with asthma, heart, or lung conditions. Having local, real-time data means we don’t have to rely solely on regional reports. Instead, we can see what’s happening right here. You can check current conditions anytime by visiting purpleair.com and searching our location.

We’re proud to take this step toward stronger community health monitoring and preparedness!

Many of us in the Kodiak business community are also members of Kodiak Electric Association, which means we get a chance each year to vote in the KEA board election.

One familiar name on the ballot this year is Ron Acarregui. Ron has been a Kodiak Chamber member for more than ten years, currently serves as Vice Chairman of the KEA Board, and has more than twenty-five years of experience serving on the board.

If you received your KEA voting packet, take a few minutes to review it and cast your vote. Member participation helps keep our cooperative strong and connected to the community it serves.

Thank you for being involved.

FEBRUARY 18, 2026 – KODIAK – The Council of the City of Kodiak conducted a workshop on Saturday, February 7, 2026. It marks the beginning of the budget process for FY 2027 and the City Council reviewed staff recommendations for the coming budget process. One suggested outcome is the development of a long-range fiscal sustainability plan and City Administration will be working on this over the coming months.

Sales tax is the City’s primary funding source for general fund services. In the past, sales tax has provided a sustainable source of revenue to meet the needs of the community. However, due to lack of voluntary compliance with current sales tax regulations, several businesses within the City have not kept current on remittance of sales taxes, and revenues have not kept pace with expenses. This impacts all residents of Kodiak and places an unfair burden on those businesses that do comply. As a result, the City has initiated action to recover the lost sales tax revenue that was collected as business revenue and not remitted to the City as required.

“We recognize and thank those businesses that are doing their part in collecting and remitting City sales tax, and contributing to the community. We have a great quality of life with services provided to our community including police and fire protection, emergency services, paved roads, snow removal, library and recreational services. Though the City makes every effort to keep expenses down, the reality is that all services have become more expensive to both consumers and providers.” stated Interim City Manager Chris Hladick. Without a sustainable revenue stream, changes to city services may need to be evaluated and addressed in the near future.

The City is also engaging small vendors within the community to provide information, education, and assistance in determining if their business operation requires a City business license and sales tax remittance. Small business vendors who operate at craft fairs or other public events where services and merchandise are sold are part of our business community requiring licensing, and sales tax remittance.

The City of Kodiak strives to foster a fair and equitable business environment where we all contribute to providing the highest quality of life for our community. If you have questions whether your business is required to have a City business license and to remit sales tax, further information can be found on https://www.city.kodiak.ak.us/finance/page/tax-ordinances-rates-and-forms. The City encourages any business owner who is unsure of their requirements to contact the Sales Tax office at (907) 486-8650 to ask questions, review their obligations, or schedule a meeting to get current as soon as possible.

For more information, please contact Chris Hladick, Interim City Manager at (907)486-8640.

Ducks Unlimited

HAVING AN EVENT?

List Your Event on the Chamber Calendar

Chamber News & Views

Let's talk about what's new at your business!

Chamber News & Views is a weekly, two-minute, pre-recorded radio segment that airs on KVOK & HOT 101.1

Each segment spotlights one of our local Chamber Members and is recorded at the KVOK studio.

What is Discussed?

Maybe you have a sale coming up, or a new menu, or want to let the community

know about a new feature, event or changes at your business. We will help guide your message, but anything business-related is fair game!

Who Can Take Advantage?

Any Chamber Member is able to take advantage of this unique promotional opportunity. Anyone from the organization can be interviewed. You choose the direction and goal you'd like to accomplish, and we will work with you to achieve it! This is a completely FREE service we provide for our Chamber Members.

How Do I Get Started?

Contact Alexa to schedule an interview with Jen, via  email, stop by the office, or

call (907) 486-5557 to schedule an interview by calling the Chamber office. Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for (audience)? Why should they care (benefit)? What do I want them to do (call-to-action)?

Create a great offer by adding words like "free," "personalized," "complimentary," or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take action, so consider inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"

Contact our office to set up an appointment to share what's happening at your business through Chamber News & Views!

Membership Portal

Alaska Small Business Development Center

Visit https://aksbdc.org/ for more On Demand Workshops and More!

Workshops &

On-Demand Classes

• Combating Fraud & Identity Theft
• Creating a Compelling Commercialization Plan
• Avoiding Security Disasters for Small Businesses
• SBA Loans & What the Lender Requires
• Digital Marketing Trends
• Beginner's Guide Sell Your Products on Etsy
• Credit It is that important
• ADA Law What Businesses Should Know
• Financial Health of Your Business
• Anatomy of Modern Websites
• Bookkeeping Basics
• Creating Financial Projections for your Business Plan
• Developing a Marketing/Sales Strategy
• How to get a Business License in Alaska

Health Care for Chamber Members

As a Chamber Member, you and your employees have access to excellent health care insurance. Participation is available through Associated Industries, whose mission is to provide comprehensive healthcare products to Alaska employers at affordable prices. 

Please email us for more information.

Not a member? Join the Chamber

Interested in becoming a member?

The Chamber Membership gives your organization the tools and support it needs to succeed. With access to business resources, educational materials, advocacy, networking opportunities, and much more... 

Welcome our newest Pillar PIKE Sponsor

Nuniaq

If you're interested in becoming a PIKE Sponsor let us know.

Reach out to Ellen at 907-486-5557

or email: ellen@kodiakchamber.org or

Ericka via email at erickathompson@kodiakchamber.org

Chamber Board of Directors

President Sara Fraser

Past President Mary Beth Loewen

Vice President Robert Greene

Secretary/Treasurer Rebecca Skinner

Board Members              

Lindsay Knight, Emily Stewart,

Wesley Snyder, Sarah Vega,

Nicholas Mangini, Nichole Miles,

& Laura Mullican



City of Kodiak Representative

Josie Bahnke

Kodiak Island Borough Representative Aimee Williams

USCG Base Representative

Capt. Jeremy Hall

USCG Air Station Representative Capt. Timothy Williams

KEA Representative Dan Menth

Discover Kodiak Representative

Sabrina Hicks

Play Pull Tabs @ Henry's!!