November has been a busy month at the Chamber. We started out the month wrapping up an excellent turnout for Downtown Trick or Treat and two events, a 20 year Anniversary Celebration and Business After Hours at Kodiak Community Health Center then a Ribbon Cutting and "Grander Opening" at Kodiak Harvest Food Co-Op.

The next week the Chamber shared a Booth at Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle with the City of Kodiak to represent not only the Chamber for ComFish 2024, but to give the Port of Kodiak a presence at Pacific Marine Expo! We were pleased to help FNBA promote a Fraud Prevention Seminar at the Kodiak Marketplace and we participated in KEDC's Community Forum about the coming Coast Guard Expansion and what it means for Kodiak. We held Board Development Training mid month and we swore in new Board Members at our monthly meeting and voted in a new Chamber President, Mary Beth Loewen. At the end of our monthly meeting we took a tour of Base Kodiak with Captain Jeremy Hall.

Last weekend was the official kick off for the holiday shopping season and I've heard many positive stories of successful Black Friday and Small business Saturday sales & experiences. With the opening of the Kodiak Marketplace at the end of November there is a new energy of hope and excitement for Kodiak's retail future that has been long overdue.

As the days get shorter and we head towards winter, the Chamber team, our businesses and the Kodiak Community are all busy and ready for an exciting season of shopping for friends and loved ones! Ready for celebrations at home and at work, ready to get out and enjoy as many festive Community Events as possible. From music, dance, art, and light shows, to great food & drinks, shopping, weekend after weekend of holiday bazaars, photos with Santa, school winter concerts, the City's Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, the Harbor Lights Parade, and then the Annual Joe Floyd Basketball Tournament at the end of December....Kodiak does not disappoint this time of year. We know how to celebrate and embrace living to the fullest and we absolutely do.

I hope you will find time to look at the events mentioned in this newsletter as well as the Member benefits available for you to take advantage of. Our staff is new but we are highly motivated and dedicated to doing as much as we can to help you, our members succeed!

TONIGHT there is a Business After Hours at Kodiak Furniture starting at 5pm in their newly expanded showroom celebrating 35 years in business with an Open House! In December we'll have another Business After Hours at Grand Slam Toys & Games in their new location downtown at the Kodiak Marketplace, followed by our last Business After Hours of the Year Celebrating Winter Solstice at Kodiak Island Brewing & Still.

Our 4th Annual Business Holiday Decorating Contest takes place December 5th through the 13th! Businesses are still signing up so next week we'll let you know where to go to check out the beautiful and fun holiday decorations and how to vote for your favorites! It's a great way to invite the community in to see your business! Sign up by clicking here.

Important Deadlines to remember in December: Our Annual Holiday Decorating Contest, sign up by 10am December 1st; voting will be open December 5th - 13th; our Relocation Guide Photo Contest submissions are due December 18th and the 2024 Crabfest Poster contest submissions are due December 19th at 5pm.

Our Coast Guard Appreciation Dinner will be held on Friday, February 9th, 2024. The dates for ComFish Alaska 2024 have been set for April 11-13, 2024 in the brand new Kodiak Marketplace and Crab Fest planning is in the works for Memorial Day Weekend!

Please remember that if you have an event or sale coming up, a press release that you want to get out to our members, an open house or have some questions for ideas and plans you’re working on, be sure to reach out and talk with us or email us your flyer and information so we can share it with our membership. Lori, Linda & I are here to help.

Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season!

Quyanaasinaq,

Thank you so much!

Ellen Simeonoff

Executive Director

Kodiak Chamber of Commerce

I am excited to be on board as the new Community Relations Director! 

I’ve been making a lot of phone calls and visits to businesses, it has been wonderful reconnecting with so many businesses and old friends in the community. I have lived in Kodiak off and on since 197 the town has grown and changed in many ways over the years. It is great to see so many longtime businesses going strong as well as exciting new businesses now serving the Kodiak community!   Kodiak thrives on diversity and the opportunities for new business ventures are endless. To see young people in the community opening businesses, getting elected to office and getting involved is inspiring.

It has been fun getting back into the recording studio to do “Chamber News and Views”.  I have been doing the weekly spot since I started in Sept., and I look forward to talking with many more Chamber members. This is a great opportunity to highlight your business. Please email or call me to schedule your spot!

Starting in mid Sept. I have taken part in 3 Business After Hours (BAH) and a Ribbon Cutting! Chamber traditions are great to be a part of. Three more Business After Hours coming up: Kodiak Furniture, with their new expanded space, on Thursday Nov. 30^th, Grand Slam Toys, and Games in the Marketplace, Tuesday December 12^th and join us to wrap up the year at Kodiak Island Brewing and Still on Tuesday December 19^th!

Thank you to everyone who attended the Annual Meeting/Dinner, it was so much fun. Thank you to our generous business community! Your donations to the Silent Auction increased the Chamber’s Scholarship fund immensely!  Moonlight Madness and Downtown Trick or Treat were fun events. And we've gained 6 new Members since mid-September! 

Recently I was honored to take part in a tour of the Coast Guard Base at our last Board meeting, led by Capt. Hall. 

Thank you to the Board and all the Chamber members I have met and reconnected with over the first couple months on the job. And a special thank you to Ellen and Linda for helping me learn the ropes. There is so much to learn and do here at the Chamber!

Lori Siebe

Community Relations Director

Kodiak Chamber of Commerce

Be sure to join us at our Upcoming

Business After Hours' in November & December!

Galley Tables at Kodiak Marketplace

Shop, Eat, Drink & Gift Local

MEMBER RESOURCES

Job Openings currently on the Chamber Website

The Alutiiq Museum:

Retail Customer Service/Sales Position

Click Here for open positions on the

Chamber Website.

The Chamber is Offers Heath 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.

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... 

Contact us for more details

The next Board of Directors Meeting will be held Wednesday, January 10th at 11:30 am in the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce Conference Room.