2024 Alaska Resources Conference Speaker Information:

 

Donald Allan, Greater Kuparuk Area Asset Development Manager, ConocoPhillips Alaska. Donald Allan is the Greater Kuparuk Area asset development manager for ConocoPhillips Alaska. Donald has been with the company since 2001. He began his time with ConocoPhillips in Aberdeen, U.K., supporting offshore oil and gas in a variety of roles, including reservoir, production, operations, and project development. He joined ConocoPhillips Alaska in February of 2014 and has served in various roles including commercial, business planning, operations, and development. Donald earned a Bachelor of Engineering in chemical engineering from Edinburgh University and a Master of Science in petroleum engineering from Imperial College in London.

Ryan Anderson, P.E. currently serves as Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF).  In this role, he leads the Department in initiatives that connect people and cultures through sound transportation investments that improve economic vitality.  He also serves on the Boards of the Alaska Railroad Corporation, the Alaska Gas line Development Corporation, and the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation.  

Anderson moved to Alaska in 1993 to attend the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Geological Engineering.  His career has spanned both mining and transportation, where he earned his Professional Civil Engineering license in 2003 working for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Throughout his career he has taken lead roles in the development of large capital works projects, operations of multi modal transportation networks, and working with culturally diverse communities throughout Alaska.  

Joe Balash, Senior Vice President External Affairs, Santos Alaska. Joe Balash is the Senior Vice President of External Affairs for Santos Alaska. He joined Santos in 2019 following 20 years of experience in a variety of state and federal government roles, primarily in Alaska. Most recently Joe served as the Assistant Secretary for Land and Mineral Management for the U.S. Department of the Interior from 2017 to 2019. In this role he oversaw four divisions including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Land Management. Previously he served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan and is a former Commissioner for the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.  Joe graduated Magna Cum Laude from Pacific University in Forest Grove Oregon with a B.A. in Politics and Government. 

Joseph L. Bundrant, son of company founder Chuck Bundrant, is the Chief Executive Officer of Trident Seafoods Corporation. Starting with a single vessel, the Billikin, in 1973, Trident is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The company operates a fleet of modern offshore vessels, shore-based primary processing operations and critical independent fleet support services, located in coastal communities throughout Alaska. Trident's Northwest presence includes value-added facilities in Seattle, Anacortes, Bellingham and Everett. With secondary processing facilities & sales offices located around the globe. Trident has grown to become the largest vertically integrated seafood harvesting and processing company in North America.

Born on the remote island of Kodiak, Alaska, Joe literally grew up with a fish in each hand and since then has continued the tradition of growing the family-owned business from the inside out; nurturing loyal employees and fishermen while extending Trident’s brand and trusted reputation around the globe. Married to his high school sweetheart for over 35 years, Joe and Mary Bundrant live in Richmond Beach, Washington and take great pride in their growing family including their 5 children and 5 grandchildren.

 Bryan Butcher is CEO/Executive Director of Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, a role he has served in since August 2013.

He served under Governor Parnell as Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Revenue from January 2011 to August 2013, and prior to that as AHFC’s director of governmental relations and public affairs. He’s also worked for 12 years as a senior aide to the House and Senate Finance Committees of the Alaska Legislature.

Bryan holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Oregon. As a lifelong Alaskan born in downtown Anchorage, he is committed to the community.

Bryan enjoys watching the Oregon Ducks and other sports, reading, and spending time with his wife and two adult children.

Scott Dane, Executive Director of the American Loggers Council, has been involved in logging association administration for over 20 years.  First with 17 years at the Associated Contract Loggers & Truckers of Minnesota, and then the last 3 ½ years with the American Loggers Council.  But well before that he had a connection with Alaska having graduated from Bob Reeve High School on Adak.  From that time his resource interest was in fishing where he worked as a deck hand on local halibut and crab boats which led him to attend the Great Lakes Maritime Academy where he received his Merchant Marine Engineer License and subsequently sailed for 15 years.  During his second career in the timber industry he has successfully assisted in the development of legislation and programs at the local, state, and federal level.  In his recent position he has provided the leadership to expand the American Loggers Council state representation to 45 states, increased revenue by over 60%, was a collaborative partner with the USFS / FSA in developing the $200 million Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers and the $5 million Biomass Transportation Incentive Pilot project, and was a partner in the recent historic Memorandum of Understanding between the USFS and the American Loggers Council.  The American Loggers Council office is in Washington DC. 

Julie Decker Since in 1994, Julie Decker has worked in the Alaska seafood industry in a variety of positions, including seafood processing, commercial fishing and diving, and executive management for trade organizations.  Currently, Decker is President of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA).  

Decker lives with her husband in Wrangell, Alaska.  They raised their two children commercial fishing on the F/V McCrea. 

Decker has served on various boards and committees, including the United Fishermen of Alaska, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Wrangell Borough Assembly, Alaska Mariculture Alliance, and Global Seafood Alliance. 

Decker holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, and a Master of Public Administration, with a concentration in Natural Resource Management, from University of Alaska Southeast.  

 

Jeremy Douse is the Deputy Director of the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection.  Prior to this position he worked for the Division as the Northern Region Forester, Fairbanks/Delta Area Forester and Fairbanks Area Resource Forester.  Additionally Jeremy has worked as a forester for the US Army Garrison Alaska, and with Tanana Chiefs Conference.  Jeremy has been practicing forestry in Alaska for 22 years and has worked across the state from the temperate rainforests of Southeast to the boreal forests of the interior.  Jeremy moved to Alaska in 2002 after completing his degree at Colorado State University.

 

Tyson Gallagher serves as Chief of Staff to Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy. Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, Gallagher has over 13 years experience working on Alaska policy and budget issues.

Gallagher began working for the State of Alaska in the Office of Governor Sean Parnell, and then in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). While at OMB, he worked on transportation and revenue issues, as well as coordinating the Governor’s capital budget, and participating on behalf of the Administration in the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO). After leaving OMB, Gallagher served in the Commissioner’s Office at the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) where he focused on Community Engagement.

Interest in politics took him to the legislative branch, where he worked for Representative Lynn Gattis during her tenure on the House Finance Committee.  In addition to work on both the Department of Administration and Education budgets, he worked on bipartisan legislation for the Representative including addressing the opioid crisis and improving telehealth in Alaska. Outside of his state government experience, Gallagher spent nearly five years managing government relations at GCI working on telecom issues on both the state and federal level. Gallagher returned to state service in 2021, when he took the position of Deputy Chief of Staff in Governor Dunleavy’s first administration, and has served as Chief of Staff since July, 2022.

Frank Garrison is an attorney in Pacific Legal Foundation’s Separation of Powers practice. He primarily litigates cases on the Clean Water Act, the Antiquities Act, and commercial fishing, among other issues.

Frank was inspired to become a constitutional litigator in law school when he read Professor Randy Barnett’s book, Restoring the Lost Constitution, which describes how the Supreme Court during the New Deal eviscerated the Constitution’s protection of private property rights and all but abandoned the Constitution’s separation of powers. Frank decided from that moment to dedicate his career to restoring the Constitution’s protections of individual freedom.

His commitment to constitutional rights led him to a clerkship with PLF after law school, where he discovered his passion for litigating environmental law cases. During his time at PLF, he saw firsthand how federal administrative agencies use broad delegations in environmental statutes like the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act to invade peoples’ property rights. Frank then worked as a legal associate in the Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies, where he authored amicus curiae briefs before the United States Supreme Court. He then defended the individual rights of employees as a staff attorney with the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. Frank returned to PLF because it is the nation’s most relentless organization fighting against unconstitutional government overreach.

Frank was born on a small farm in Indiana and earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University (go Hoosiers!). He also obtained a J.D. from St. Thomas University College of Law and an LL.M in environmental law from American University’s Washington College of Law.

When he is not fighting for liberty, Frank enjoys watching and playing sports, reading, traveling, and listening to the Grateful Dead.

Shane Getson currently serves as a Member of the Alberta Legislative Assembly, sitting in the Government Caucus.
He was first elected as MLA for Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland on April 16, 2019 and was re-elected on May 29, 2023.
Mr. Getson’s other legislative roles include serving as both the Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Corridor Development and Chief Government Whip.
In his time as an elected official, Mr. Getson has served on several legislative committees, sub committees, and international organizations representing the Alberta Government. Currently, Mr. Getson is also a member of PNWR, CSG, and Energy Council. In addition, he has led two significant task forces: one on economic corridors, and the other on career education. Mr. Getson has been a strong advocate for Alberta’s economy through his participation and leadership in these groups.
Prior to serving as an elected official, Mr. Getson was the owner of Major Projects Consulting Company, a civil engineering technologist, and a private pilot. He has over 28 years of experience in industrial construction projects including sectors such as oil and gas, mining, road construction, telecommunications, and rail and forestry.
As a resident of Parkland County for over 10 years, Mr. Getson is also a husband of over 20 years and a proud father of four children. Outside of his MLA duties, he loves shooting sports, trail riding, spending time with his family, promoting aviation, piloting his plane, taking pictures of our beautiful province, and sharing that joy with others. Mr. Getson believes that Alberta is the best place on earth to live, work, and raise a family, and as an elected official he works hard to ensure that it remains that way.

Scott Habberstad is a lifelong Alaskan currently residing in Anchorage with his lovely bride Amy, daughter Catheryne, and son Jack.   Scott graduated from Ketchikan High School in 1989, and then attended flight school, earning his multi-engine commercial land and sea ratings. He returned to Ketchikan to fly for Taquan Airlines in the summer and attended college in the fall at Boise State University. Scott graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing in 1997 and returned to Ketchikan to continue his flying career; shortly after returning, however, he pivoted to advance his business career accepting a job with the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau as the Director of Marketing. In 2001, Scott went to work for Alaska Airlines as an account executive in Anchorage and was later elevated to Manager of Regional Sales, Alaska; today, he is the Managing Director, Alaska Market. Scott                                                           is active in the community currently serving:

• Resource Development Council, President
• Alaska Travel Industry Association, Past Chair
• Visit Anchorage, Past Chair
• Alaska Air Carriers Association, Executive Committee,
• Alaska Resource Education, Board Member.
• Kenai River Sports Fishing Association, Jr. Classic Chair
• Providence Alaska Foundation, Board Member Emeritus

Marleanna Hall joined Bering Straits Native Corporation as the Director of External Affairs and Public Relations in 2023.

Hall was previously with Teck Alaska as the team lead for community and public relations for Red Dog Mine operations. Prior to that, Hall served as the executive director for the RDC. In her roles with RDC, she advocated for responsible resource development projects across the state for 15 years.

Hall earned a Bachelor of Business Administration Management from the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

Hall was born and raised in Nome, and currently resides in Anchorage.

John-Henry Heckendorn has worked over 100 Alaska political campaigns and initiatives in the last 12 years, helping to launch SCG in 2015, and also working as Policy Director to Governor Bill Walker (I-AK) and Aide to Airbnb founder and CEO Brian Chesky. John-Henry graduated Whitman College with degrees in politics and economics and as an All-American in intercollegiate debate. He has served on the Board of the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust and as a commercial fishing deckhand in Bristol Bay.

 

 

 

John Hendrix is proud to be the owner of Alaska’s only 100% Alaskan owned oil and gas production company.  John grew up in Homer Alaska and earned his civil engineering degree from the University of Tennessee.  John’s professional career has taken him to every continent that produces oil & gas. John began his oilfield career with Schlumberger on Alaska’s North Slope. He later joined BP where he held several engineering and managerial positions across BP’s worldwide producing assets. He founded the Production Technical Limits and Base Management practices which is still embedded globally today at BP. In 2005, John joined Apache Corporation, serving for five years as the GM and Managing Director of Apache’s Egyptian joint venture. In 2011 John returned to Alaska to serve as GM of Apache Alaska. John served on Governor Walker’s cabinet as Chief Oil and Gas Advisor from 2016-2018. In 2020 John founded HEX and purchased Furie.  Alaska was founded on oil & gas from Cook Inlet, and its John’s intent to prove there is more oil & gas to be discovered and developed in the future.

 

Jim Jansen is the Chairman of Lynden Inc. an Alaska based transportation company with operations globally. Lynden operates trucks, tugs and barges, Hercules aircraft and Hovercraft. Jim began with Lynden in 1967 as a truck driver and heavy equipment operator. He has worked for Lynden for over 50 years, as dispatcher, terminal manager, Alaska General Manager, President, CEO and currently Chairman.  He led an outstanding team of Lynden people to build Lynden into Alaska’s leading truck, air, marine transportation, construction and logistics company. He resides in Anchorage, Alaska with his wife Vicki of 53 years, 3 children and 6 grandchildren.

Benjamin (“Benjy”) Johnson is the president and CEO of BlueCrest Energy. Growing up in Kenai, he watched the early progression of the Alaska energy industry and then worked his way through college on the Cook Inlet platforms.  He began his Petroleum Engineering career with ARCO in the early days of North Slope development, and he has held key roles in Alaska’s oil and gas progress. Over the past four decades, he has served in various technical and executive leadership positions throughout the entire US involving energy and business development. In 2013, he was one of the founders of BlueCrest Energy who made the game-changing discovery and is now developing the large Cook Inlet Cosmopolitan oil and gas field. 

 

Representative DeLena Johnson represents District 25, including Palmer, Butte, Lazy Mountain, and the Walby Lake area. DeLena grew up in Talkeetna, a small community of 1044 people. She graduated from Susitna Valley High School in 1981 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from UAA and an associate degree in Electronics from Mat-Su College.
DeLena and husband Steve raised and schooled their five children in Palmer and now have three grandchildren. In 1984, DeLena started an award-winning property development company specializing in unique Alaskan properties. She went on to serve as president of the Palmer Museum of History, served two terms as Mayor of the City of Palmer, and was elected President of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.
Rep. Johnson has been elected five times to serve in the Alaska State Legislature. In the 30th State Legislature she served on the House Resources, State Affairs, and Energy Committees. She was elected House Minority Whip while serving in the 31st Alaska State Legislature and was a member of the Education, Legislative Ethics, Legislative Council, and Rules committees. Currently serving in the 33rd Alaska State Legislature, she is Co-Chair of Finance – Operating Budget, and a member of the Legislative Ethics Committee and the Judiciary, University, and Commerce and Economic Development finance subcommittees.
DeLena continues to focus on what is important to her constituents. She remains committed to being pro-life, fiscally responsible, and conservative.

Jeff Landfield moved to Alaska in 2004 from New Mexico with a friend when they were 19. He graduated from UAA in 2009 with a BA in History and minor in Economics. He unsuccessfully ran for the State Senate in 2012 and 2016 before spending a year abroad in Australia. After returning to Alaska, he started the Alaska Landmine political news website. Since 2019 he has spent every session in Juneau covering the Legislature. In 2021 he started the Alaska Political Report, a subscription  newsletter about Alaska state government. He picked up the word “loose” in Australia, which many wish he hadn’t. 

 

Karen Matthias, Executive Director, Alaska Metal Mines. Originally from British Columbia, Karen was a Canadian diplomat with assignments in Russia and Moldova before coming to Anchorage in 2004 to open Canada’s first Consulate in Alaska. She left the foreign service in 2010 and started an Anchorage-based consulting company, specializing in the mining, marine transportation, and government sectors. Karen serves on the boards of the Alaska Chamber and the Resource Development Council. When not advocating for greater production of essential minerals in Alaska, she can often be found hiking with her family.

Arthur W. Miller, Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Miller is Chief Executive Officer of Chugach Electric, a position he has held since July 2022. In this role, he has responsibility for the largest electric utility Alaska, serving over 91,000 members and more than 113,000 service locations. In his more than three decades at Chugach, Mr. Miller has held several key positions prior to being named CEO including Sr. Vice President, Regulatory and External Affairs; Vice President, Regulatory and External Affairs;  Executive Manager, Regulatory and External Affairs; Director, Regulatory Affairs and Pricing; and manager and analyst positions. He has extensive experience in the electric utility industry and played a key role in the 2020 acquisition of Municipal Light & Power by Chugach. Miller has an M.S. in Economics from the University of Wyoming and a B.S. in Business from Colorado State University.

 

 

Haley Paine serves as the Deputy Director for the Alaska Division of Oil and Gas. Over the last couple of years, she has assisted in the development of a regulatory framework for CCUS through House Bill 50; as well as partnered with the University of Alaska and industry to establish the statewide CCUS workgroup. Prior to joining the Division in 2015, she held multiple research roles with the Alaska Center for Energy and Power and Idaho National Laboratory. She has a Masters degree in Natural Resource Management from UAF and a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Regulations and Permitting from UAA.  

 

  David Parrish RDC Past President 1994-1995

 

 

 

Renée Limoge Reeve is the Vice President of Government and Community Relations for Cruise Lines International Association in Alaska. She has over 20 years of experience in government relations, working in the US Senate, the Alaska State Legislature and with Alaska-based trade associations. Most recently, Renée served as State Director for U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan. In her personal time, she serves as Chair of the American Cancer Society Alaska Advisory Board. She lives in Anchorage with her pilot husband Michael and their yellow Labrador puppy, Fenway.

 

Dan Robinson is the Chief of Research and Analysis at the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. He writes frequently about the state’s economy and his team at Research and Analysis produces many of the state’s key economic data sets, including job numbers, wages, unemployment rates, and demographics. He has an economics degree from Utah State University and a law degree from Cornell.

 

 

Ernest Scheyder is a senior correspondent for Reuters covering the green energy transition and the minerals that power it. He previously covered the US shale oil revolution, politics, and the environment, and held roles at the Associated Press and the Bangor Daily News. A native of Maine, Scheyder is a graduate of the University of Maine and Columbia Journalism School. His book, The War Below: Lithium, Copper and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives, was longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award.

 

 

Matt Shuckerow is the owner of Fathom Strategic Communication, an Anchorage-based communications, public affairs and consulting firm serving clients across a wide range of industries, including government, non-profits, small businesses, trade associations, and political campaigns. Over the past 15 years, Matt has managed media operations for various clients, government officials, and political campaigns. His previous roles include serving as Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Communications Director for the late Congressman Don Young, Deputy Communications Director for U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Spokesman and Press Secretary for Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy (R-AK), and Campaign Manager for U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan's 2020 re-election. A lifelong Alaskan born into a fishing family in Kodiak, Matt spent nearly a decade in Washington, D.C. before returning to Alaska in 2018.

 

 Lorali Simon was born and raised in Alaska and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in public administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Lorali is the President of the Statewide Board of the Alaska Miners Association; Secretary for the Washington Coal Club; and a board member of the American Coal Council and Resource Development Council of Alaska. Lorali joined Usibelli Coal Mine in 2010 and serves as the Vice President of External Affairs. Lorali lives in Palmer with her husband, Regg, and their Golden Retriever, Ulu, and wiener dog, Tulip. Fun fact: Lorali has 18 nieces and nephews.

 

 

 

Jillian Simpson is the President & CEO of the Alaska Travel Industry Association. She is fortunate to have spent the last 25 years working in Alaska tourism. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Arctic and Northern Studies through UAF. Her most prized time is spent traveling the state with her two daughters.

Tom Walsh is a managing partner and founder of Petrotechnical Resources of Alaska, LLC (PRA), an integrated oil and gas consulting firm, based in Anchorage.  Tom has worked as an exploration and production geophysicist on Alaskan oil and gas projects throughout his 44-year career.  Since cofounding PRA in 1997, Tom has focused on managing integrated teams of oil and gas consultants in support of E&P projects for major oil and gas companies, independents, utility companies, government agencies and Alaska Native Corporations throughout the State of Alaska.   Tom lives and works in Anchorage with his wife and business partner, Chantal Walsh.

 

 Rick Whitebeck

Joe Young. Joe moved to Tok in 1962, Graduated from Chimacum High School in Washington in 1972, Joined the Operator International Union 302 in 1972 working on building the Haul Road to Prudhoe Bay and road construction. He then worked on the North Slope from 1980-1990 and started Young's Timber in 1993.