Juneau Economic Development Council NEWS | March 2024 | |
Save the Date: May 4. Juneau Maritime Festival 2024 | |
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The Juneau Maritime Festival offers a wide range of engaging maritime activities, demonstrations, and events. It presents a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Juneau's vibrant maritime culture, dive into its history, and explore its thriving commerce.
This year's festival promises an exciting lineup, including Harbor Cruises, local Vendor Booths, Kids' Activities, Live Music, a U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Helicopter Demonstration, a Tug-o-War Competition, a Beer Garden, One People Canoe Society, US Navy, and more. Held annually at the Peratrovich Plaza, under the Elizabeth Peratrovich Mural, this community event is FREE for all to enjoy.
We are actively seeking sponsors, volunteers, and participants to contribute to the success of this remarkable event.
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Juneau Maritime Festival Raffle | |
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The Juneau Maritime Festival Raffle is back! Purchase raffle tickets TODAY for a chance to win amazing prizes!
Tickets are $10. The official drawing will be held on May 21, 2024 at JEDC. Winners do not need to be present at the time of the drawing. Visit www.jedc.org/maritimefestival/raffle to purchase your tickets today
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ALASKA DELEGATION CHOOSES JUNEAU and SECURES FUNDING FOR COMMERCIAL ICEBREAKER | |
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The Alaska delegation, U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski and Representative Mary Peltola, has successfully secured federal funding for the purchase of a Commercially Available Icebreaker, which will be homeported in Juneau!
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Homeland Security Appropriations Act includes $125 million for the icebreaker, which will be homeported in Juneau, Alaska. This funding is a significant milestone for US national security in the Arctic. Currently, the United States has only one operational heavy icebreaker and one medium icebreaker, while Russia has 55 icebreakers and China is set to surpass the U.S. fleet by 2025.
The delegation has advocated for additional resources to bolster the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker fleet. This funding is the result of years of advocacy by our Delegation and community leaders to Choose Juneau to homeport America's next icebreaker.
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2024 Innovation Summit Recap | |
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Stats of the Summit
The 2024 Alaska Innovation Summit was a HUGE SUCCESS! Thank you to all that participated in this annual event as we learned more about Scenario Thinking and the Tongass Forest Plan Revision and continued Charting a Course to the Future We Want.
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Innovators Hall of Fame Induction
The State Committee on Research (SCoR) inducted three outstanding Alaskan innovators whose inventions or innovations have impacted quality of life, economic development, the environment, and/or the welfare of the people of Alaska and the globe.
Join us in congratulating Tim Collett, Billy Connor, and Christine Resler as the 2024 inductees into the Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame!
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Alaska Airlines Pitch Contest
The Alaska Airlines Pitch Contest, co-hosted with the Juneau Chamber of Commerce, gave aspiring entrepreneurs a platform to pitch their business ventures to a panel of experts and Summit attendees. Contestants included: AirVitalize (Serena Allen), SuprSketch Corp (Aaron Cox), Prismatext (Zak Erving), Wild Coast Excursions (Peter Nave), Hey Bear! (Sarena Hackenmiller), and Muskeg Munchkins Baby Boutique (Holly Adams).
We would like to congratulate Serena Allen CEO; AirVitalize. for winning first place Judges and People's Choice. We would also like to congratulate Zak Erving CEO; Prismatext, for winning second place Judges and People's Choice.
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Scenario Thinking Introduction and the Tongass Forest Plan Revision
Dr. E. Jamie Trammell, an expert in Scenario Thinking, introduced attendees to this year's theme and explored plausible future scenarios for Alaskan communities and industries.
Chad VanOrmer from the U.S. Forest Service provided an overview of the Tongass Forest Plan Revision, discussing its importance and how attendees could be engaged in the process.
Attendees also experienced 33 Innovation Shorts, ten minute presentations delivered by fellow Summit Attendees.
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THANK YOU to our 2024 Innovation Summit Sponsors! | |
Investor of the Month: Alaska 529 | |
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JEDC Investor Program
The JEDC Investor Program offers comprehensive and consistent marketing. By joining the JEDC Investor Program, your organization will be recognized on all JEDC presentations, collateral materials, websites, and monthly newsletters.
Investment levels range from $350 to $10,000+ with increasing benefits.
Best of all, your investment supports economic development programming in Juneau and beyond!
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It only takes a spark to get a child’s imagination going. Whatever sparks your child’s curiosity today, put an Alaska 529 account in motion so you can prepare for tomorrow.
Since 2001, Alaska 529 has made it easy to save for education and study anywhere. We offer unique features, such as the ability for Alaskan residents to invest in education through the PFD and the University of Alaska Portfolio, that provide benefits to future University of Alaska students. Although Alaska is in the name, anyone can invest in the plan, regardless of state residency.
Open an account today with as little as $25, and put time on your side for a future full of potential.
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We would like to congratulate all the Alaskan teams that participated in the 2023-2024 season! | | |
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FIRST LEGO LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
Champion’s Award 1st Place: 3953 – Hungry Robots
Champion’s Award 2nd Place: 62563 – The Spikey Dogfish
Champion’s Award 3rd Place: 57179 – Yuraq Bots
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Congratulations to our FIRST LEGO League champion teams! All three teams will be traveling to nationwide competitions. Hungry Robots is going to FIRST Championship in Houston in April, The Spikey Dogfish is going to the Florida Sunshine Invitational in June, and Yuraq Bots is going to WPI (also known as The WAFFLE) in Massachusetts in June. | | |
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FIRST TECH CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS
Inspire Award 1st Place: 19953 - Scrap Metal
Inspire Award 2nd Place: 18185 - Lightbotics
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Congratulations to our FIRST Tech Challenge champion teams! Both teams will be traveling to FIRST Championship in April held in Houston Texas. | |
THANK YOU TO OUR 2023-2024 SEASON SPONSORS! | |
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FIRST in Alaska Raffle Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the FIRST in Alaska Raffle! We are thrilled to announce that Dominique Vandergoore from Anchorage has won the 1st prize, which includes 2 roundtrip Alaska Airlines tickets. Sherry Reid-Mote from Fort Greely is the 2nd prize winner and has won a $2000 Alaska 529 Scholarship. Elizabeth Geno from Juneau is the 3rd prize winner and has won the amazing GCI Tech Bundle.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our sponsors, Alaska Airlines , Alaska 529 , and GCI , for their generous support of this statewide program. #alaskacares
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2024 STEM Summer Camps will be coming soon!
This summer we will have LEGO Robotics camps for kids going into grades 1 through 8 plus some specialty camps, including the return of the popular Trades Camp for grades 8-10. Follow JEDC and FIRST in Alaska on Facebook for updates on details and when registration will open!
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Economic Indicators: Major Sectors | | |
Check out the 2023 edition of our Juneau and Southeast Alaska Economic Indicators Report exploring trends in employment and earnings, demographics, education, construction, business and industry, and more! | |
These numbers provide valuable insights into the economic landscape in Juneau. They reflect the employment opportunities and financial contributions of these industries, highlighting their significance in the local economy. Understanding these trends can help policymakers, businesses, and individuals make informed decisions and foster growth in various sectors. | |
Southeast Regional Eldercare Coalition | |
The Senior Regional Eldercare Coalition (SREC) is made of eldercare providers from across Southeast Alaska who have joined together to problem solve mutual issues, share information, and be a collaborative catalyst for change in the realm of eldercare services to support older adults in maintaining their independence at home for as long as possible. | |
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Eldercare Program Update
The Southeast Regional Eldercare Coalition is excited to introduce Tess Rouse as the new Regional Eldercare Advisor for Employment Services. In her role, Tess will be actively engaging with the community to recruit and develop a talented pool of direct service professionals who are dedicated to serving the elders in our region.
Additionally, SREC is collaborating with the University of Alaska Southeast to create a comprehensive Direct Support Professional (DSP) course. This course will equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide exceptional care to seniors.
Mark your calendars for the upcoming healthcare Summit scheduled for October 1-2 in Juneau at Centennial Hall. This summit will bring together healthcare professionals and experts to discuss important topics and advancements in eldercare.
Furthermore, we are diligently working on the development of a user-friendly website called Navi Tool. This website will serve as a valuable resource for both the workforce and eldercare information. Stay tuned for updates on its launch.
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Tess Rouse
Regional Eldercare Advisor for
Employment Services
SREC Program
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Tess comes to the JEDC Southeast Regional Eldercare Coalition (SREC) initiative with an extensive background in disability services. She has a master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling Education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa along with a bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Health Services from Western Michigan University. Along with her educational background she has worked in several disability related fields, most recently being with the Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as a Counselor and Business Engagement Specialist. She has a proven track record of establishing and maintaining relationships with partners, effective communication skills, and organizing business connections meetings. She is skilled in utilizing social media platforms for promotion and has experience in case management.
Tess moved to Alaska almost five years ago. Spending the first two years in Anchorage before relocating to Juneau in fall of 2021. One of her favorite things to do in Juneau is to get out on one of the many great hiking trails. Of course, she never hikes alone, one of Tess’s hiking companions is her cat Ramsey.
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JEDC encourages shopping locally and supporting local charities through the Local Change feature of the Local Frequency app.
Did you know Fred Meyer will donate to a charity of your choice when you shop with them?
Did you also know you can support STEM education in Juneau through the Alaska Development Corporation, a 501c3 Charity affiliated with JEDC? Choose Alaska Development Corporation via Fred Meyers or Local Frequency and support wonderful Juneau programs!
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Fred Meyer offers a Community Rewards program. When you shop with your Fred Meyer's reward card they will donate to a non-profit or charity of your choice! To support STEM and FIRST Robotics, including our STEM Summer Camp programs, make sure you choose Alaska Development Corporation for your donations.
How to opt in:
- Visit www.fredmeyer.com.
- Sign in or create an account.
- Click on "My Account".
- Click on "My Community Rewards".
- Search for "Alaska Development Corporation". Or your favorite Alaska non-profit!
- Click "Enroll".
Your purchases well help donate to our wonderful Juneau programs.
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Local Change is a feature in the Local Frequency app that allows users to opt in to round up their Local Frequency purchases to donate to a non-profit of their choice.
How to opt in:
- Download the Local Frequency app.
- Go to "More"
- Click on "Setup Local Change"
- Choose "Alaska Development Program" or a local non-profit of your choice.
- Choose a round up amount.
- Start Local Change
Your purchases well help donate to our wonderful Juneau programs.
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Creating more childcare capacity in Juneau by assisting new or existing
childcare providers to access, improve or expand the physical infrastructure needed to deliver a quality childcare program to more families.
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Southeast Alaska Revolving Loan Fund | If you have a project that will create or retain jobs in Southeast Alaska, Juneau Economic Development Council could be the lender you've been looking for. | | | |
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Garrett Schoenberger, Chair
Chancellor Aparna Palmer, Vice-Chair
Aaron Morrison, Treasurer
Melissa Kookesh, Secretary
Jake Carpenter
Trenton English
Marc Guevarra
Alexander Kotlarov
Brian Kleinhenz
Jill Weitz
Mayor Beth Weldon
Ella Adkison, Assembly Liaison
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JEDC's FIVE AREAS OF FOCUS
- Help Make Juneau a Great (Capital) City
- Strengthen Key Regional Industries
- Develop Talent
- Promote Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development
- Deliver Economic Services
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We invite you to invest in Juneau by becoming a JEDC Investor. Show your support of the work done to advance Juneau and Southeast Alaska's economy.
Supporting JEDC impacts the long-term economic success of Alaska's Capital City while creating a business climate that bolsters your business or organization.
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We welcome your feedback!
If you find JEDC News to be of interest and value, please forward the newsletter to your friends and colleagues.
Brian Holst
Executive Director
Juneau Economic Development Council
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