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\nA Work Ready Alaska Conversation
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\nAlaska employers consistently cite the lack of work-ready applicants as one of their biggest challenges\, with many noting that new hires are entering the workplace without basic employability skills. Covenant House Alaska?s Covey Academy is closing this gap with Work Ready Alaska\, a certification that builds essential soft skills such as communication\, teamwork\, problem-solving\, and professionalism. The program also provides practical supports like resumes\, driver?s licenses\, interview preparation\, and first aid certification.
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\nOnce job seekers are work-ready\, Covenant House Alaska (CHA) partners with a wide range of business partners to create structured pathways into Alaska?s most in-demand industries including hospitality\, transportation and construction. A panel featuring CHA staff\, CHA alumna\, and business partners will discuss how this innovative program equips young Alaskans with the tools to succeed while strengthening Alaska?s workforce pipeline.
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\nModerator: Joe Hemphill\, \;Chief Development and External Affairs Officer\, Covenant House Alaska
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\nPanelists:\n
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- Daniel Clements\, Senior Director of Programs\, Covenant House Alaska \n
- Laile Fairbairn\, \;Locally Grown Restaurants \n
- Laura Melbostad\, \;Director of Strategic Engagement\, SALT \n
- Jen Schrage\, Signature Land Services \n
\nPLUS\, a member presentation from \;Logistics\, LLC.
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\nPRESENTED BY...
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Daniel Clements is a seasoned program leader with over a decade of experience working with under-resourced youth and individuals facing mental and behavioral health challenges. Currently serving as the Senior Director of Programs at Covenant House Alaska\, Daniel oversees a diverse continuum of emergency shelters\, transitional housing\, education\, and holistic care services. His leadership has spanned rural and urban settings\, guiding program development\, strategic planning\, and healing-centered approaches across multiple states. Daniel is also a certified crisis intervention instructor and holds specialized training in experiential therapies\, motivational interviewing\, and substance use treatment. Deeply committed to expanding opportunity and reducing service barriers\, he combines operational acumen with deep empathy to drive meaningful\, community-centered outcomes. \;\n \;\n
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Laile Fairbairn is a West High grad who came back to Anchorage in 1995 after ten years out of state for college and work in advertising. Upon her return\, she opened up Snow City Cafe which celebrated their 27th anniversary this year. The cafe has held the title of Best Breakfast by Anchorage locals every year since 2003. Since then she has founded two other popular restaurants ? Spenard Roadhouse\, South Restaurant + Coffeehouse\, and is the managing partner for Crush Bistro\, and also for the restaurants? administrative services business\, Locally Grown Restaurants. These companies employ more than 300 people.\n
\nLaile was recently named a James Beard semi-finalist for Outstanding Restaurateur. She has also received the ATHENA Society Leadership Award\, the UAA Culinary Arts Celebrity Chef Invitational Award for Extraordinary Commitment\; Association of Fundraising Professionals Alaska Outstanding Business in Philanthropy\; Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneurial Excellence Gold Pan Award\; Visit Anchorage?s All Alaskan Award\; and\, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Top 40 Under 40. She is currently a board member of Anchorage Downtown Partnership\, Anchorage International Film Festival\, and the UAA Culinary School Advisory Board.
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Intentional\, strategic\, and people-centered\, Laura Melbostad brings over 30 years of leadership experience to her role as Director of Strategic Engagement at SALT. With a career that spans finance\, executive coaching\, and organizational development\, Laura is known for her ability to move big ideas into clear\, actionable strategies?always with an eye toward human impact.\n
\nSince joining SALT in 2024\, Laura has helped expand the firm?s strategic engagement offerings\, drawing from a deep well of knowledge in operational systems\, performance improvement\, and executive mentorship. Her career includes driving firmwide cultural and financial turnarounds\, developing financial models for complex mergers and acquisitions\, and designing performance frameworks that prioritize both accountability and well-being.
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\nA certified executive coach (ACC) and graduate of Oregon Institute of Technology\, Laura?s expertise lies in building trust-based systems that support growth?from individuals to entire organizations. At SALT\, she collaborates closely with tribes\, nonprofits\, and mission-driven institutions to guide strategic planning\, operational design\, and culture-forward leadership practices. Her work is deeply aligned with SALT?s mission to empower people through design and dialogue.
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\nLaura?s approach is grounded in clarity\, empathy\, and systems thinking. She has coached executives across Alaska and beyond\, helping them make values-aligned decisions\, track progress through custom KPIs\, and adapt quickly to change. Whether facilitating planning retreats or advising leadership teams\, Laura brings a calm\, focused energy that helps people move from uncertainty to alignment.
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\nBorn and raised in Southern Oregon and a proud Alaskan since 1994\, Laura believes that impactful work happens when strategy\, culture\, and community intersect. She?s a listener\, a connector\, and a catalyst for lasting change?making her an integral part of the SALT team and a valued partner to clients shaping what comes next.
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Jen Schrage \;is a life-long Alaskan with deep roots in the Anchorage community. After 15 years of sales and marketing experience in radio and television\, and 25 years of property management and real estate acquisitions\, Jen and her husband Tim\, established Signature Land Services--a leading contracting service company specializing in snow removal\, concrete\, and asphalt paving. \; She oversees major client relations\, marketing\, and contract management of commercial snow removal accounts along with asphalt paving contracts for commercial and residential properties. \; She is an outdoor enthusiast and an active volunteer with a variety of organizations including Covenant House Alaska where she received the Women Helping Women Award for Passage House\, and Junior Achievement receiving the Denali Award from JA for her contributions to the business community in Anchorage. She was also just recently inducted in the Anchorage ATHENA Society. \; \;She serves on the board of directors for the Alaska Women?s Gold Nugget Triathlon\, Associated General Contractors of Alaska\, Ninestar Education and Employment\, and the University of Alaska Foundation.\n \;\n
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