Member News
Does your business have exciting news it wants to share with the rest of the Anchorage Chamber membership? To submit an announcement, log in to your Anchorage Chamber profile and complete a News Release. For assistance accessing your account, call (907) 272-2401.
Anchorage Chamber staff will review and approve all submissions.
Congratulations to Anchorage Public Library's Elizabeth Nicola
We are thrilled that our very own Elizabeth Nicolai is among the 10 librarians selected for this year’s American Library Association #ILoveMyLibrarian award! As the Youth Services Coordinator, Elizabeth’s accomplishments include a visionary effort to distribute library cards to every child in ASD, helping the library swiftly adapt its services in the pandemic, and distributing thousands of STEM kits to learners of all ages as part of the library’s curbside pick-up offerings. She also successfully secured
Governor Mike Dunleavy issued an official proclamation recognizing Alaska School Choice Week 2021
School Choice Options In Alaska There are a variety of school choice options available for many of the 200,000 children living in Alaska. Families in Alaska can choose from traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, and homeschooling. Our guide to school choice and education options in Alaska provides detailed, unbiased, and easy-to-use information to help parents find schools or learning environments that best meet their children’s needs. DETAILED STATE
Health Fair
Our team will be measuring blood pressures, blood glucose and calculating body mass index. If results are high, the participate has the opportunity to get free education from a registered nurse.
Announcing the Alliance to Activate Anchorage
ANCHORAGE – The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Visit Anchorage, the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation, and the Anchorage Downtown Partnership have come together to form the Alliance to Activate Anchorage (AAA), a non-binding, consensus-driven coalition on economic and workforce goals to improve stability and activate growth in the community. The AAA is comprised of two board representatives from each organization who will further strengthen the connections that already exist at the executive and
United Way of Anchorage's 2021 Walk 4 Warmth: Feb 5-14
United Way of Anchorage is proud to host the 2021 Walk 4 Warmth, a week-long fundraiser for AK Can Do, Alaska’s statewide COVID-19 response fund. The fund provides direct support to families and individuals struggling to cover basics such as paying rent and utilities. Last year over 7,000 of our neighbors were helped with rent, mortgage, and utility payments, but with the pandemic persisting on and unemployment up 27% from last year, the need is still great, and we hope to ensure all our neighbors
Electricity rates drop for all Anchorage customers
Anchorage residents started the year with a drop in their electric bills, thanks to the recent sale of Municipal Light & Power to Chugach Electric. The reduced rates went into effect Jan. 1, 2021, and show up on this month’s bills.“These savings validate the decision voters made when they approved the sale of ML&P to Chugach,” said Bill Popp, AEDC President & CEO. “We knew that more efficient, less expensive electricity was possible for all of Anchorage and we’re proud of our advocacy and the
Wilson Albers Employees Relieve $640,000 Dollars of Medical Debt for local residents
Local insurance, human resource and retirement plan services firm teammates offer assistance with mounting debt in 2020 Anchorage, AK, (Dec. 23, 2020) – Wilson Albers, an Alera Group Company, LLC employees today announced their alleviation of $640,000 of Healthcare Debt. This gift is part of more than $18 million in healthcare debt being relieved by Alera Group employees for struggling households across the country. Alera is one of the youngest and fastest growing privately-held, national insurance, human
Spirit of Youth Nominations are Open
Do you know a teen or youth group doing something positive in your community? Nominate them for Spirit of Youth recognition!Spirit of Youth knows that there are good things happening in our state and young people are often at the heart of them. For 23 years, Spirit of Youth has empowered Alaska’s youth through statewide, media-based youth recognition programs. Spirit of Youth relies on community members to let youth know they matter by making a nomination for recognition. Nominations help create
FEMA Hosts Public Meeting with Private Sector to Discuss COVID-19 Response
FEMA will host a virtual public meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 15 with members of the private sector to discuss ongoing COVID-19 response issues involved with the Defense Production Act. This meeting will provide an overview of a five-year voluntary agreement established in August 2020 as part of the Defense Production Act. This agreement aims to enhance coordination and cooperation between the federal government and private industry in response to COVID-19 and future pandemics. The voluntary
Alaska USA Federal Credit Union and Alaska USA Foundation donate $20,000 to Covenant House Alaska, challenge other businesses to give back
ANCHORAGE, Alaska—Alaska USA Federal Credit Union and the Alaska USA Foundation donated a combined $20,000 to Covenant House Alaska to continue its mission to provide services for youth experiencing homelessness. In addition, they are challenging other Alaska businesses to join in on the effort to uplift the young people at the shelter. The donation will fund services at Covenant House Alaska that include providing warm clothing, meals and the tools its young people need to feel supported and safe during
Save up to 25% on Flights to Alaska & Ski in over 470'' inches of snow!
AIR + SKI PACKAGE Reach the Last Frontier of Skiing and enjoy over 470 inches of snow in under 5 hours from most major US cities! Get our package deal to SAVE on your flight, room and lift ticket. Starting at: $300 weekend / $250 midweek. The Alaska Airlines package includes a ski lift ticket per registered adult, per night of stay and one Alaska Airlines coupon code for 25% off coach fares published at alaskaair.com; valid for up to four (4) guests traveling in the same reservation. You will receive a
Community Artist Projects Underway with COVID Radio
Anchorage Concert Association partners with Meghan Holtan for hyper-local radio Anchorage, AK - Anchorage Concert Association created the Community Artist Project to partner with local artists to create short-term projects that provide connections between communities throughout Anchorage while social events, venues, and performances remain limited due to the COVID-19 crisis. The first of these projects is COVID Radio. Designed by Meghan Holtan in partnership with Anchorage Concerts and the Anchorage
thread Awards Additional $940K in COVID-19 Support to Child Care Statewide
thread, Alaska’s Child Care Resource & Referral Network, recently awarded $940,000 to 260 licensed early childhood and afterschool/school-age education programs statewide as part of its COVID-19 Quality Initiative 2. To address the continued needs of early childhood education programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, thread partnered with The Alaska Community Foundation and the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) to provide this COVID-19 Quality Initiative 2 support. The
16 Anchorage restaurants selected to keep lights on and neighbors fed
New group of restaurants to be part of successful innovative public/private program Anchorage AK – Sixteen restaurants have been selected by lottery to participate in the new round of the Anchorage Restaurant Rescue program. The program, a partnership of the Municipality of Anchorage, the Alaska Hospitality Retailers Association, and United Way of Anchorage began on Nov. 2, 2020. Restaurants have provided both premade and hot meals to children, families, and seniors through nonprofits like from Kids Corps
The BuyAlaska Directory is here!
In October 2020, the Alaska Small Business Development Center relaunched BuyAlaska, a program designed to support the small businesses we serve. In partnership with over 30 leading organizations across Alaska, BuyAlaska connects consumers to Alaskan-owned businesses and encourages shopping small before turning to national retailers. We are pleased to let you know that BuyAlaska has just launched a directory for Alaskan-owned businesses. Creating a listing is simple and will guide customers to your
SBA and Treasury Announce PPP Re-Opening; Issue New Guidance
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, announced today that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will re-open the week of January 11 for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers. To promote access to capital, initially only community financial institutions will be able to make First Draw PPP Loans on Monday, January 11, and Second Draw PPP Loans on Wednesday, January 13. The PPP will open to all participating lenders shortly
Block 96 Flats Development
Downtown development brings 100% market rate apartments Anchorage Community Development (ACDA) announces a historic private public partnership with Debenham Properties to construct Block 96 Flats a new downtown housing community. The development brings the first 100% market rate apartment community to the Park Strip North district of downtown Anchorage in over 40 years. “Debenham Properties is excited to partner with ACDA to bring downtown living to Anchorage,” said Shaun Debenham owner of Debenham
Anchorage Museum reopens after Emergency Order 16 with a new schedule, welcoming visitors Thursday through Sunday
The Anchorage Museum reopened Jan. 7 with a new schedule, welcoming visitors four days a week: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. The Discovery Center and MUSE Restaurant remain temporarily closed. Now on view is Extra Tough: Women of the North, an exhibition celebrating the stories and perspectives of Northern Women. In a North being shaped at unprecedented rates by the forces of climate change and globalization, women’s voices and visions provide rich ground for
Security Aviation acquires a second Learjet 45
ANCHORAGE- Security Aviation, an Anchorage-based Part 135 on-demand charter operator, announced the addition of a second Bombardier Learjet 45 to its existing fleet, the only such aircraft available for charter in Alaska. The new Learjet is Wide Area Augmentation Systems (WAAS) capable, meaning it uses an extremely accurate navigation system developed for civil aviation. It is also Advanced Airborne Censor (AAC)-equipped, and equipped with BR modification and gross weight increase kit to allow for
Municipality Reboots Restaurant Relief to Sustain Jobs, Feed Hungry
Anchorage restaurant owners can apply to provide meals to kids, families, seniors Anchorage AK – Restaurant owners: Here’s another chance to keep your kitchens humming through the pandemic and your workers employed – and serve some of the most appreciative customers you’ll ever know. The Municipality of Anchorage has allocated $600,000 to extend the successful restaurant relief meals program into 2021. Through the program, administered by United Way of Anchorage with the Alaska Hospitality Retailers
Announce Ascent Launch
Please join U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza on Thursday, January 7 at 1PM ET for a live webinar to announce the launch of Ascent. Ascent is a first-of-its-kind digital online learning platform geared to help women-owned small businesses grow and scale their existing business. With Ascent, female entrepreneurs will be able to utilize this platform that brings a modern, e-learning experience specifically targeted for women business owners. Click here to register. This
Northrim Bank and its employees donate over $785,000 during 2020
ANCHORAGE, AK- As we close 2020 and look forward to 2021, the 335 employees at Northrim Bank reflect on their contributions made during the past year. As a local, community bank, Northrim takes its commitments to Alaska very seriously. Throughout 2020, Northrim was proud to be able to provide for its local communities with charitable contributions to support Alaska. This year, the Bank not only continued its traditional contributions, but also saw the need to help those who were impacted by the COVID-19
Wilson Albers Employees Relieve $640,000 Dollars of Medical Debt for local residents
Local insurance, human resource and retirement plan services firm teammates offer assistance with mounting debt in 2020 Anchorage, AK, (Dec. 23, 2020) – Wilson Albers, an Alera Group Company, LLC employees today announced their alleviation of $640,000 of Healthcare Debt. This gift is part of more than $18 million in healthcare debt being relieved by Alera Group employees for struggling households across the country. Alera is one of the youngest and fastest-growing privately-held, national insurance, human
News Release: 1/20/2021
Altman, Rogers & Co. Proudly Celebrates Serving Alaskans for 30 Years Anchorage, AK, Release: January 1, 2021. For Immediate Release Altman, Rogers & Co. commemorated its 30th anniversary as a certified public accounting firm in early January 2021. “Altman, Rogers & Co. is incredibly excited to be celebrating our 30-year anniversary in 2021. Our core values: leadership, experience, achievement, and dedication, have always been at the forefront of our firm and we strive to live by them. These values
SBA Extends COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application Deadline through Dec. 31, 2021
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced that the deadline to apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program for the COVID-19 Pandemic disaster declaration is extended to Dec. 31, 2021. The deadline extension comes as a result of the recent bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress and enacted by President Trump on Dec. 27, 2020. To date, the SBA has approved $197 billion in low-interest loans which provides working capital funds to small businesses,
Acting Mayor Issues Emergency Order EO-17 “Easing Up”
ANCHORAGE, AK — Today, Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson signed Emergency Order EO-17 in response to the changing conditions of COVID-19 in the Municipality of Anchorage (MOA). EO-17 carefully eases up restrictions from the modified hunker down status in December while keeping certain limits in place to prevent the virus from reaching the extremely high-risk levels experienced in November. The order will take effect on Friday, January 1, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. and remain in effect until revoked. In the last
Alyeska staff, TAPS contractors pass 30 million hour safety milestone
Alyeska president Brigham A. McCown recently announced to company staff and TAPS contractors that they had collectively passed a significant safety milestone: 30 million consecutive hours worked without a Days Away from Work Case (DAFWC). The announcement was made during a call that lauded the workforce for an exceptional safety record in 2020. The workforce technically reached the milestone on November 10, but the entire month’s hours worked had to be collected and processed before the milestone could be
GCI joins Covenant House Alaska in spending one night outside for Alaska’s youth
ANCHORAGE, Alaska— As Alaskans look ahead to Thanksgiving and consider what they are thankful for, GCI is encouraging families in Anchorage to think about a part of the community that is often forgotten: youth without a stable home or support system. GCI is teaming up with Covenant House Alaska for the Virtual Sleep Out: Anchorage Edition 2020 to show solidarity for youth in Alaska experiencing homelessness. GCI Senior Vice President of Consumer Services Paul Landes will be giving up his bed and is asking
Alaska's Hospitality Industry Needs Your Help
Dear Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Members: The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce is asking for your support of the hospitality industry in Anchorage. Their request is outlined in this editorial letter to Alaskans on behalf of: Brewers Guild of Alaska; Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant, and Retailers Association; Alaska Travel Industry Association; Anchorage Downtown Partnership; and Alaska Hospitality Retailers. They are asking everyone to carefully follow health guidelines to curb the spread of
Anchorage Gig Economy Gets a Boost
ANCHORAGE – Local gig economy workers have the support of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, with its board approving the development of the Anchorage Gig Economy Network and establishing a committee that will prioritize opportunities that foster growth for the budding economic sector. The chamber appointed Far North Fashion blogger Lesli Olson to its Board of Directors and to chair an ad hoc committee responsible for further developing the effort. “Gig workers are a strong segment of Anchorage’s
