Vol. 2, No. 11 • July 17, 2007
To the beat of a different drum
Dave Marquez
NANA Chief Operating Officer
Dave Marquez has been NANA’s Chief Operating Officer for three months. Here are a few of his observations about the corporation and how it compares to other companies he worked for before joining NANA.
You have visited a number of NANA operations throughout the country. What did you see?
We are doing very important work. Whether we are preparing vehicles to go to Iraq, training soldiers, providing engineering services to the resource industries, managing facilities on the North Slope and on military installations throughout the country, designing roads, buildings and airports, or welcoming guests to our hotels—NANA’s people provide excellent services.
How will you personally contribute to NANA?
NANA has been very successful in generating revenue; it has been less successful at creating net income. We need to look for ways to be more efficient while increasing revenues. I was brought on board to bring to NANA processes that need to be in place as the company matures.
How does the NANA Board of Directors compare to others?
It is unusual for staff to get to know board members as well as we do at NANA. The boards of many major corporations are often made up of handpicked supporters of the chairman. The NANA board comprises shareholder representatives from each NANA Region village, plus two at-large shareholder representatives. A number of board members serve on several boards—the NRC board, the NDC board, and on the boards of the individual business units. They take their roles very seriously, ask tough questions and challenge management to perform according to high expectations.
What strikes you as a difference between NANA and other corporations?
There is a difference between NANA investors and investors in other companies. Many large companies have institutional investors who buy and sell stock regularly, meaning that the contribution of one company in the portfolio is not that significant. For NANA shareholders, what we deliver makes a big difference in the lives of our owners—whether we deliver jobs, services or dividends. NANA companies are committed to creating opportunities for shareholders. Many of our companies host interns, make significant scholarship contributions and provide more jobs—$31 million in salaries were paid to shareholders last year. We can all be proud of that.
Condolences
Rick Morlock, a long-time NANA Management Services employee, tragically lost his life in a boating accident on July 7. He was a good friend, valued co-worker and a great member of the broader Alaskan community. We will all miss him, and our deepest sympathies are with his family during this time of loss.
TKCC Hole in one
TKCC Employees present $25,134 check to Aqqaluk Trust President Charlie Curtis.
What do 144 golfers representing 39 companies have in common? For many, it’s the love of the game. For all, it was the opportunity to support the Aqqaluk Trust.
The TKC Communications 5th Annual Charity Golf Tournament, benefiting the Trust, raised $25,134 from team fees and sponsorships, making it the largest fund raising event in the history of the Aqqaluk Trust. As a token of the Trust’s gratitude, Aqqaluk Trust President and NANA Board Member Charlie Curtis gave the TKCC team a gift— a carving of an Inupiaq hunter on a dog sled, made of materials from the NANA region. The carving was placed in the office reception area as a reminder of the important work we do, and our commitment to shareholders and each other, including continued support of the Trust mission—to preserve and enhance Inupiaq culture through educational scholarships and programs for deserving shareholders.
How does your web site grow?
The purpose of NANA’s website (www.nana.com) is to give the corporation an online presence, increase visibility of the corporation, to provide information to shareholders and to showcase services to prospective clients and business partners. Web sites are typically evaluated according to three primary criteria: look, content, and usability.
Web sites need continuous improvement. As we prepare to update our current site, we would like to hear your ideas for how we may want to consider improving it. Please answer any or all of the following questions. The deadline for submitting your input is July 31st and everyone who participates will have their name entered for a drawing to win a NANA logo jacket. Please email your responses to robin.kornfield@nana.com.
Here are some questions to consider:
- Does the design of the web site represent NANA’s image of professionalism and credibility?
- Does the design grab attention and is there at least one thing about it that is memorable? Consider the color choice, layout, and visual interest.
- Is the site user friendly? Does it load quickly enough?
- Is the site easy to navigate and find what you’re looking for?
- Is the site well organized? Is it easy to understand how to get around the entire site, and around each page?
- How can the site help you do your job or reach your customers better?
- The nana.com site is where NANA shareholders go for updates about their corporation, for address change forms and other information. What improvements would you like to see to improve shareholder information?
- The No. 1 reason users go to a web site is for the content. Is the content interesting and useful? Is it clear what content is being provided and how to find it? Is it compelling enough to make you want to continue to navigate through the site?
- How would your friends who don’t work for NANA answer these questions?
- What new fresh ideas do you think are missing from the web site?
Thank you for helping us as we being our redesign process. Please send your responses to robin.kornfield@nana.com.