Anchorage, ALASKA – Lifelong Alaskan Dave Karp has joined the Rasmuson Foundation board of directors.

Karp, who was raised in Nome but has lived in Anchorage for the past 34 years, is the senior vice president and managing director for Saltchuk in Alaska. He joins the board for a three-year term, replacing Curtis McQueen, who stepped down after seven years of service.

Karp credits his unique childhood in Nome for inspiring his entrepreneurial spirit. The same work ethic that led him to sell handmade gold-panning kits to support his sled dogs as a high schooler eventually led him to take charge as the CEO of Saltchuk’s aviation businesses, which include Alaska’s Northern Air Cargo and Northern Air Maintenance Services.

Karp brings a deep understanding of Alaska’s issues and potential to the board. His roles with Saltchuk and Northern Air Cargo have connected him to every corner of the state, providing perspective on Alaska’s challenges, including food insecurity—a problem he and his family stepped up to personally address in their community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when they ran a “micro food drive” that ultimately collected 800 pounds of food for Anchorage’s Catholic Social Services.

Karp serves on multiple local boards, including Northrim Bankcorp, The Waterfall Foundation, The Alaska Children’s Trust, the Resource Development Council of Alaska and the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation. He enjoys putting his auctioneer skills to work on behalf of the many nonpro�its he supports, appreciating the opportunity to be on the front lines of philanthropy.

The Foundation board currently includes 12 directors, with six seats held by Rasmuson family members and six seats held by Alaska community leaders. At its December meeting, the board also renewed the terms of two current directors, Jay Gibbons and Judy Rasmuson, and extended Board Director Marilyn Romano’s second term. The board welcomes Karp and thanks outgoing director McQueen for his dedicated service.

About Rasmuson Foundation Rasmuson Foundation is a private family foundation based in Anchorage, Alaska, with a mission to empower Alaskans to help each other. The Foundation was created in 1955 by Jenny Rasmuson, a Swedish missionary, and her son, Elmer, to honor her late husband, missionary and banker E.A. Rasmuson.