Executive Director’s Report
Dear AMA Members and Friends,
I’d be willing to bet that my mood was in great company when I cheered “Happy New Year!” at 12 a.m. on January 1, 2022. There are few things that inspire me to stay up that late, but I was really ready to close out 2021. It wasn’t because I looked back at 2021 with negativ - ity. It’s actually the opposite. Instead, as 2021 grew to a close I began to feel the vibe of, we’re done with this. We are not captive to a pandemic that will not see itself out. Perhaps I’ll fall short of adequately explaining, but in the latter months of 2021, I began to perceive that the world, regardless of philosophy and polit- ical belief, is simply ready to find a way to function again. The multiple events that took place this past year, which felt like a repeat of 2020, could have been discouraging. At first, many of them were. Honestly, canceling a second Annual Convention was a punch to the gut. Yet, instead of sitting stationary in a funk, our industry applauded our heartbreaking decision, and we all came together to discuss a long-term plan for AMA members to gather and succeed successfully. Time is going to tell how we can do it both safely, and in a way that benefits us. But in the meantime, we heard you tell us you wanted AMA to find the support to ensure the mission was being met at a time our Association was more critical than ever. So, we unveiled the Durability Project. Since its launch, we’ve seen miners step up to close the gap left behind by canceled fundraisers, and it is beyond humbling. And while we cannot thank these people from podiums and you cannot visit booths to learn about these companies, it is my sincere hope that you will make it a priority to know about the people and individuals who are now funding everything that we do, every single day. They are featured in this issue of the Alaska Miner, they are on our website, and they are be- ing profiled on our social media feeds. You’ll hear from some of them at upcoming branch meetings, and anywhere else we get the opportunity to remind what is now in our email signatures: This commu- nication and all AMA efforts are brought to you by
private contributions by AMA members and Durabil- ity Project sponsors. Without their support, AMA’s advocacy would not be possible. The real reason I’m excited for 2022 is because there is just so much we can do, and I feel like we’re all ready to do it, even if we have to find different ways to make a difference. I can assure you that the board members you’ll read about starting on page 23 feel the same. I am so excited to be working for this group. Our Statewide Officers are led by our President Bartly Kleven, who, I may have found myself re- cently wishing I was assigned to a corner in her office to just observe her at work. Her first column about permitting tips gives a glimpse into the ex- pertise and energy Bartly is bringing to AMA. The Directors with her across our statewide branches are brilliant, enthusiastic, and — compet- ing for best virtue — are fun and they are generous with their time. With this team, how can we not get excited? Happy New Year, indeed! All year long. Thank you for being the reason why.
Deantha Skibinski AMA Executive Director
2
The Alaska Miner
Winter 2022
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