Unconventional ideas led to innovative success
In Memoriam: Bill Webb made Alaska better
more than 30 years,” Craig said. “We went to Lucky Wishbone every Friday for lunch.” Following his work in the energy sector, Bill devoted himself to com- munity-focused projects in the An- chorage area. He was instrumental in developing the Anchorage Market and Festival (Saturday Market), growing it from 100 booths to more than 320. He also directed the three-day Bear Paw Festival in Eagle River and produced the Anchorage Arts & Crafts Empori- um, Holiday Food and Gift Show, and Christmas Village Show. In addition, Bill managed the pop- ular Made in Alaska program for 10 years. Two years ago, Bill received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, where he was named Director Emeri- tus. The honor included a special Leg- islative Citation from the 33rd Alaska State Legislature. Bill was a member of the Resource Development Council, Society of Pe- troleum Engineers, Arctic Power, Visit Anchorage and the Anchorage Cham- ber of Commerce. He also served as a founding board member of Charter College. “He lived life boldly and fully,” said Craig, “and he was never afraid of a new challenge.” “Bill was upfront and honest about his death,” Mathis said. “I don’t think he had any regrets. I’m blessed that he was part of my life, and I will miss him dearly.” Bill is survived by Barbara, his wife of 55 years; his grandnephew, Michael Ingerson; nieces and a nephew; and several grandnieces and great-grand- nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Ellis Webb; and his sisters, Janie Birkholz and Mary Garland. A memorial service for Bill was held in February in Anchorage.
William F. “Bill” Webb, 83, passed away on Jan. 24, 2026, at Providence Hospital following a long illness. Bill was born on October 17, 1942, in Kansas City, Mo., to Ellis and Jane (Backus) Webb. Growing up in Kan- sas City, he demonstrated early the industrious spirit and leadership that would define his life. Even be - fore earning his first paycheck, Bill achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. At age 16, Bill began working as a busboy at the Hillcrest Country Club in Kansas City. Through dedication and ability, he quickly rose to assis- tant manager of the 1,000-member club. This experience laid the founda- tion for a lifelong career in food ser- vice and hospitality-one that would eventually lead him to Alaska. In 1975, Bill and his wife, Barbara, accepted an assignment with Grey- hound Food Management support- ing construction of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. Asked years later why he stayed in Alaska for the next five decades, Bill answered simply, “It was home.” After first settling in Fairbanks, the couple moved to Anchorage in 1977. During pipeline construction, Bill found his calling in the “oil patch,” managing housing and food services for hundreds of employees on oil rigs, offshore platforms, and remote camps throughout Alaska and California. In the 1970s, Bill hired Joe Mathis to manage a pipeline camp, and later brought him on to work on an off - shore rig in the Beaufort Sea. The two remained close friends for more than 50 years. “He was not bashful. He didn’t shy away from being forthcoming,” Mathis said. “But everything was about mak- ing Alaska better.” In 1978, Bill founded Arctic Hosts, a company specializing in remote-site support services, including food ser- vice, security, housekeeping and other
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published in 2024 in The Link Magazine. The Alaska Support Industry Alli - ance turns 47 this year after decades of advocacy on behalf of its members. What the organization does most effectively is sending a message to Alaska’s elected officials that the state’s oil and gas industry is more than large companies, and that it includes hundreds of mostly local - ly-owned medium-sized and small companies who employ thousands of Alaskans. They are constituents of the politicians. Oil and gas are important to Alaska. Production from the North Slope has provided billions of dollars of royalty and tax revenue to the state, making possible a huge array of public ser - vices with no statewide broad-based tax as well as the annual Permanent Fund Dividend, a direct annual pay - ment that is particularly important to low-income Alaskans. In Cook Inlet, where the Alaskan industry began in 1957, the continued operation of offshore oil platforms and the onshore and offshore gas fields provides the energy for space heating and electrical generation, as well as the state’s main supply of gasoline and jet fuel that supports a growing air cargo industry at Anchor - age’s airport. None of this can be taken for granted, however. Almost as soon as Alaska’s oil was discovered in the 1950s and 1960s, out-of-state groups with special in - terests arrived and began working to throttle the economic engine driving the state’s growth, oil and gas. Closing off the state’s oil revenue and oil activity would slow the econo -
sury. Alaska citizens are affected when the industry hits headwinds, but the connection is indirect and not often well understood or recognized. The Alliance reminds elected of - ficials that they have an Alaska con - stituency affected directly when bad things happen. The Alliance gives a voice to workers in them, the service companies and support companies. It took a while for this to happen, however. The Alliance had not yet been formed but its major activity — advocacy — came out in full force at the 1979 joint federal-state lease sale on the slope. This was a com - bined offering, the first of its kind, of prospective undeveloped acreage offshore where the large oil finds had been made onshore. It was also the first time that op - position groups had organized to op - pose an expansion of exploration and development, particularly offshore where the operating conditions were difficult. The lease sales survived the initial lawsuits against the state and federal governments, but the opponents were also focused on urging the agencies to put stipulations, or conditions, on new leases that would make them dif - ficult to develop. Larger Alaska companies, particu - larly ARCO Alaska, were worried that an outpouring of opposition at public hearings held by the agencies might lead to those stipulations being at - tached, particularly if only a handful of large companies based out of state were speaking in favor of the sale. This is where the state’s nascent contractor and service community was called on to help. ARCO asked some of those service
essential operations. The company supported projects across Alaska, including specialized “cat trains” used for seismic exploration in the Arctic. One of Bill’s most meaningful roles was with the Alaska Support Industry Alliance. As general manager, Bill over- saw legislative advocacy in Juneau, membership development, and the planning of conferences and meetings. “One time in Juneau, the Alliance made bologna sandwiches for all the legislators,” recalled Mathis. “That’s because a bunch of bologna was what was coming out of the Capitol.” “Bill was politically savvy,” said longtime friend Paul Craig, “but he never lowered his ethics to get his way.” Craig met Bill while developing Trading Bay Energy. “We were trying to do the impossi- ble-build an independent oil and gas company in Alaska,” Craig said. “Bill of- fered to work on the project for a year in exchange for sweat equity.” Although Trading Bay was ultimate- ly sold, the friendship endured. “We’ve been very close friends for
my and the migration of working-age people to Alaska. Without the pros - pect of good jobs, over time people would leave. Eventually Alaska would essentially become a vast park with beautiful land, but few jobs that pay family wages, the kind needed to re - tain young people. It is this dire future that the Al - liance works to avoid by reminding government leaders that their actions affect thousands of ordinary working Alaskans. This is important because in Alaska the oil and gas industry lacks the kind of natural constituency that it has in most other states. In those places the industry produces mostly on private lands. Farmers and ranchers who are land and royalty owners are quick to mobilize when their producers are threatened. This isn’t the case in Alaska. Here the state owns the land where most oil and gas production take place. Royalties are paid to the state trea -
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THE LINK: The Official Magazine of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance | SPRING 2026
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