A Message from the Executive Director
Dear Members, Last month, I had a very grumpy day. It was a bad day in our world anyway: amid the pandemic, an announcement came out cancelling cruise sailings, and hundreds of people were laid off and businesses closed. Oil supplies piled up as planes were grounded and cars stayed parked in driveways, and the price of oil actually went to the negative. I watched my colleagues and friends, who began 2020 with the brightest outlook in years, make the most difficult decisions of their careers. Then, someone sent me a YouTube video of a young Alaskan calling for a rent strike. I wasn’t even sure what that meant, so I watched it, and then wished like hell I hadn’t. A young man in his Carhartt jacket pontificates about how landlords don’t deserve to have rent paid, and nobody needs to pay their bills during this time, and even if you have money, don’t use it to pay your bills. “Join the rent strike!” I was so discouraged. Here we are, with our economy crippled, and we have individuals who don’t care and in fact are bucking their responsibility to meet their obligations. I spent the day grumbling about how our youth ended up entitled and with no desire to contribute to society. Where had we gone so wrong? Then, rather divinely, I got an email from Logan Hanneman sharing a photo of him wearing AMA logo
have inspired them. In addition to Logan, I heard from Owen Phillips, who has spearheaded efforts to bring awareness to our resource industries. Sara Perman has an extensive background in resource development and shares that with Campfire kids. Karina Waller shared that for her little student’s state report on West Virgina, she wanted coal mining gear to describe their economy. And Steve Connelly, who reminded me that on our very first Alaska Mining Day, his kids wore Pebble swag to high school. June 1 marked the start of my eighth year at AMA. Way back then, now AMA President Bill Jeffress told me that we’ve got to get young people more involved in our industry. That is more apparent than ever, but after getting the responses I did about young people doing good, I am comforted that we’re starting with a great foundation of great young people. I’m not that “young person” we’re going after anymore, but I am more determined than ever to find them and rope them in! If you too need an attitude adjustment, I think the contents of this issue will help. Be well,
Deantha’s niece, Chloe, loves to volunteer at AMA events.
gear on the ski circuit. He joked that he really enjoys the questions he receives from those generally opposed to our industry and likes to debate about responsible Alaska mining, and he congratulated us for our efforts to get changes to mining claims statutes. It was exactly the attitude adjustment I needed. It occurred to me that there are so many great young people around us, and I was crazy for letting that little rent strike punk ruin my attitude. So I reached out to our members and asked them to share their stories of young people who
Deantha Crockett Executive Director
Executive Board Bill Jeffress, President SRK Consulting, Anchorage Bartly Kleven, First Vice President Kinross-Fort Knox, Fairbanks Lorali Simon, Second Vice President Kim Aasand, Treasurer Aasand & Glore LLC, Anchorage Branch Chairmen Ted Hawley, Anchorage Lorali Simon, Denali Mark Huffington, Fairbanks
Committee Chairmen Kevin Adler, Convention Howard Grey and JP Tangen, Federal Oversight Paul Glavinovich, State Oversight Follow us anytime: Online at AlaskaMiners.org Like us on Facebook at Alaska Miners Association Follow us on Twitter @alaskaminers On The Cover: Northern Star Resources Limited acquired 12,500 isolation gowns,100,000 N95 masks and 400,000 ear loop surgical masks as part of its $1.5 million donation of personal protective equipment. It’s the largest donation to the State from a private entity.
The Alaska Miner is the official journal of the Alaska Miners Association, published eight times a year exclusively to our members.
It is published in partnership with the Alaska Miners Association by Fireweed Strategies LLC, 4849 Potter Crest Circle, Anchorage, AK 99516.
We actively seek contributions from our members and the mining industry. Please email story ideas and photos to Lee Leschper. Advertising Rates and New Tips For advertising information, or to submit news, story ideas and photos, call or email Lee Leschper at 907-957-6025 or Lee.Leschper@FireweedStrategies.com Alaska Miners Association Staff Deantha Crockett, Executive Director Jennifer Luiten, Membership and Fundraising Director Darlene Strickland, Bookkeeper/Membership
Liz Cornejo, Haines Jim Clark, Juneau
Houston Morris, Kenai Blake Bogart, Nome Andrew Spokely, Ketchikan/Prince of Wales
www.alaskaminers.org I The Alaska Miner I June 2020
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