Vol. 2, No. 14 • November 30, 2007
President's Message
Helvi Sandvik
NDC President
Greetings! It has been a busy fall! But as I think back on the past few months, I have come to realize that in this fast paced world we live in, every season is hectic, filled with productive activities.
One of the challenges we have as a dynamically growing company is keeping in close contact with our geographically diverse operations. Sometimes getting to where we need to go is an arduous process. This week, our NDC Board and management team has been traveling to visit some of our companies located in the Southwestern part of the country. For our Board members, this meant leaving their villages in Northwest Alaska Sunday evening, to arrive in time for a Tuesday morning meeting.
We started with a visit to Ikun, LLC, in San Diego, California. Ikun is one of NANA’s newest companies. We sell natural gas to retail, industrial, and wholesale customers in California. We also provide technological support to customers looking for ways to most efficiently satisfy their energy consumption requirements. In addition to meeting with customers and suppliers, we had the opportunity to observe one of Shell Energy’s gas trading floors—which was fascinating to those of us from Rural Alaska who are accustomed to having to roll 53 gallon drums of diesel fuel to heat our homes.
It was also fascinating to take a close look at a shiny black Aston Martin car—the kind James Bond drives—in the parking lot outside Shell. The owner was complaining about having to pay $3.45 per gallon for gas. But when he heard from Board members Robbie Kirk and Levi Cleveland that gas sells for in excess of $8.00 per gallon in some of our communities, he didn’t feel so bad anymore. I was imagining how quickly I could drop a load off at the community dump if I had that car in Kiana.
In San Diego, we also re-connected with Shelby Stastny, our former Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Government Contracting. It was Shelby who guided NANA as we entered into the Government Contracting business so successfully. Shelby retired from NANA at the end of 2005. He and his wife, Ellen, are now busy serving as missionaries for their church as they transition into the retirement mode. Shelby looks pretty young to me … I think too young to retire.
Seeing Shelby, and interacting with the Ikun staff once again is a reminder that the successes we have enjoyed as a company are due to the incredibly talented and dedicated workforce that we have been blessed with as a company. We will always be grateful for those who have made contributions in the past, for those who are contributing today, and those who will join us in the future!
NANA in classroom at WHPacific designed Santa Fe Indian School
From San Diego, we traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to visit the Rocky Mountain Region offices of WH Pacific (formerly ASCG, Inc.) We expect the next few days to be filled with project visits, client visits, and time for interaction with the management team and staff. NANA purchased ASCG Inc. from our neighbors to the north, the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, in 2005. It is a well respected architectural and engineering firm with 17 offices stretching from Barrow, Alaska, to El Paso, Texas. WH Pacific is the largest Native American owned A&E firm in the country.
For our Board and management team it is rewarding to see the results of our investments and to reaffirm that this strategic acquisition will deliver on our expectations. For the employees of WH Pacific, who have spent the past two years continuing their excellent performance under a new ownership structure, it is important for them to get to know, on a more personal level, the owners of NANA. Upon arrival in Albuquerque, we found a group of enthusiastic professionals, proud of their accomplishments, and excited to be able to provide a hands-on demonstration of their capabilities to our Board members.
As we continue our travels this week we will arm our Board members with a deeper understanding of what we do as a company. We fully expect that when they return to their villages they will be filled with comfort that the investments they authorized in the past are fulfilling our expectations of future long-term contribution to the financial and professional success of NANA!
Safety first
When I was contemplating employment with NANA I was deeply impressed with the core values we all know so well—honesty, integrity, fulfilling commitments, and treating all people with dignity and respect. What a simple, but absolutely profound set of guiding principles. If only every corporation had only three simple pronouncements directing its decisions, what a better world this would be.
What I found particularly exciting was how directly these three principles underpin three important concerns I have as Chief Operating Officer: Safety, Ethics and Compliance. Focusing on safety, how can we treat all individuals with dignity and respect and not provide a safe workplace for our employees, contractors and customers? We have to walk as well as talk our core values.
Having employees make an internalized individual commitment to safely is the biggest challenge companies face in trying to put into practice a corporate safety culture that encourages safe operations—on the clock and after the workday is over—so that employees and contractors go home safely and extend these safety practices beyond the workplace. Although safety systems can never be foolproof, effective safety leadership is key. Increasing employee participation and personal responsibility are critical steps to nurturing a corporate culture that makes safety its top priority.
NANA strongly urges employees to make an unconditional commitment to safety and be personally involved in taking steps inside and outside the workplace to making safety a top-of-mind awareness. Without such an individual commitment the best company safety program will fail. Be safe at work and encourage your fellow workers to also be safe. At home, encourage safe practices by your family members and friends. At NANA we want all our employees to be able to go home at the end of the work day to family and friends safe and healthy.
Are you ready?
When the October 2007 fire storms swept across Southern California, at least 1,500 homes were destroyed and more than 500,000 acres of land burned from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.-Mexico border, killing nine people, and injuring 85, including 61 firefighters. With the evacuation of 346,000 homes reaching 950,000 people, NBC Nightly News reported that it was the largest peacetime movement of Americans since the Civil War era.
Emergencies can strike anyone, anytime, and usually without warning. In the case of the California fires, rescuers moved quickly—but the fires kept up at the same speed. What would you do if your water, gas, electricity, and phones were cut off, all businesses were closed, and you were confined to your home for several days? Relief workers will eventually arrive on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away. Do you have a plan for you and your family of what to do until help arrives?
The American Red Cross recommends having a comprehensive, step-by-step plan for disaster preparedness, whether it’s for an earthquake that hits your community, a gas leak threatening the neighborhood, or a weekend trip turned tragic. This way, you can ensure that you, your family and your business are well prepared before a disaster strikes. Making a plan, building a kit, and getting trained are the three key steps to saving a life, whether it’s your own or someone else’s. For detailed information on being prepared and how to buy or build a lifesaving disaster supply kit, go to www.redcross.org/beredcrossready.
It’s about peace
Most of us remember a day when December meant saying “Merry Christmas” to anyone we passed on the streets, regardless of our own religious beliefs and without ever entertaining the thought that their faith might have nothing more to do with believing in Christ than February 14th has to do with believing in St. Valentine, a Roman martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. Even though Santa is really nothing more than a kissable fat man, at the risk of offending anyone and to keep from violating the separation of church and state, more and more we are giving him the boot—along with the stars, the tree, the songs, and any other symbols and customs associated with December 25th.
But what may seem like a politically correct step forward is actually a step back in time. For years, secular winter festivals that celebrate winter solstice have been a custom in many cultures. In fact, Christmas was created by the early church to entice Pagan Romans to convert to Christianity without losing their own winter celebration traditions. Whether you are Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu, this time of year has come to be regarded as the season of goodwill, peace and celebration worldwide. Bodhi Day, celebrated on December 8, is the Buddhist holiday commemorating the day that Buddha experienced enlightenment. Monks and laymen stay up all evening practicing meditation—a reminder to Buddhists that with the right effort anyone can become enlightened. Kwanzaa, named for the Kwanza River, is a one-week festival honoring African-American heritage. Observed almost exclusively in the United States from December 26 to January 1, Kwanzaa includes seven days of celebration, featuring candle lighting, drinking libations, a feast, and gift giving. Boxing Day in the United Kingdom is a day when stores sell excess Christmas inventory at reduced prices, reflecting a time years ago when it was common practice for the servants to carry boxes to their employers when they arrived to work on the day after Christmas. Employers would then put coins in the boxes as special end-of-year gifts, comparable to the modern day concept of Christmas bonuses.
Worldwide, celebrations such as these—and even Christmas—have less to do with religion and more to do with simply celebrating this time of year. Although signs of the times are often signs of change, during this winter season, let peace and goodwill be the shared message of the day as we all agree there is no greater gift than being able to share it with friends and family. So, wherever you are and whatever you celebrate this month, from all of us at NANA, may you enjoy a healthy, heartfelt season.
NANA/Colt celebrates 10 Years in Alaska
The NANA/Colt recent anniversary luncheon recognized employees who have worked there for 10 years. Left to right: Stuart Parks, Robin Krajnik, Jolanta Pasikowski, Theresa Breuning-Azzam, Janina Kozinski, Doug Geary, Jim Krajnik, and Elmer Salontai.
The NANA/Colt fire and gas team working in a client facility.
NANA/Colt Engineering is celebrating its 10th anniversary of providing quality contracting services to the oil and gas, mining, and electric utility industries in Alaska. Focusing on quality in multi-discipline engineering and design, project management, procurement, project controls and construction management, the firm has grown to be one of the largest Alaska-based engineering companies in the state with more than 500 employees.
“We pride ourselves in being a leader in maintaining and designing the next generation of North Slope facilities as we continue to develop innovative ways to maximize resources,” Stuart Parks, Business Development Manager says.
About 30 percent of the staff works on the North Slope providing plant engineering services in client field operations facilities, and the remaining staff comprises the Anchorage and Kenai offices and includes engineers, designers, and support staff across all major disciplines, as well as the largest fire and gas detection and suppression team in Alaska. The firm is known for its commitment to quality and safety, which can be seen through detailed project management, project controls support, quality programs, and an exceptional safety record—now at more than 2.5 million hours without a lost time accident. Serving clients such as BP Exploration and ConocoPhillips Alaska, NANA/Colt attributes its growth over the past decade to its core values—encouraging ongoing communication with staff and clients.
WHPacific unveils new logo
Moving forward in the same way that the people of the NANA Region have for 10,000 years: that’s the message behind the new logo that brands WHPacific, formerly known as ASCG Incorporated, and marks a restructuring that consolidates all of its operations under one name, unifying operations and strengthening the capabilities of all 18 offices.
The logo is one of the first ideas that were presented to the company, John Rense, WHPacific President says, and responds to employee input to keep it simple, uncluttered and timeless. The arrow also ties back to the NANA logo that features an Inupiat hunter holding a spear. This creative element also has universal appeal because for centuries, people from around the world have depended on some style of lance, spear, arrow, or harpoon for subsistence hunting and fishing.
“For us,” Rense says, “the arrow is a pointer to a successful future, and a pointer that comes with many stories including the unique connection to our Native American owners and clients.”
Profile of a winning company
Akima (pronounced AH-kim-ah) means “to win” or “winner” in the Iñupiaq language. This spirit is evident in its dedication to providing quality service and remarkable leadership, resulting in long-term employees in some of the most competitive industries in the world. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Akima is a family of six companies: Akima Corporation, Akima Facilities Management, Akima Intra-Data, Akima Logistics Services, Akima Construction Services, and Akima Infrastructure Services. Collectively, these companies employ about 1,500 people who provide services in range management, warehousing, fuels and transportation, readiness and specialized training, integrated logistics, records management, design-build, and homeland security for all branches of the U.S. Department of Defense and civil agencies such as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Akima is owned by two Alaska Native Corporations—NANA Development Corporation (80 percent) and The Aleut Corporation (20 percent)—that were created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971, legislation designed to encourage long-term investment and self-sufficiency for Alaska Natives through a system of corporate ownership.
Akima employees take honors
Murugan Subramiam was honored in September for being elected as an Associate Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a program for professionals who have contributed to important engineering or scientific work, have produced original work of outstanding merit, or have otherwise made outstanding contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or astronautics.
These Akima employees have been at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for more than 20 years.
Akima’s excellent service is what continues to increase its stellar reputation and get the company noticed by both industry peers and a wide range of clients. Here are a few employee accomplishment highlights:
• Murugan Subramiam and Thomas Anderson work for Akima on a NASA-led project to build the International Space Station (ISS), a research facility currently being assembled in space. The Akima team distinguished itself early this year when they determined potential sources for computer failures that temporarily disabled the space station. The two received the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Group Achievement Award for their work in ISS computer recovery.
• Six outstanding Akima employees from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office have been on the job for more than 20 years. The Akima-DTSV team processes patent and trademark applications from U.S. and international inventors.
• The 341 CS Base Multimedia Center at Malmstrom Air Force Base was recognized as a “Professional Team” by the Inspector General following an intensive four-day compliance inspection this summer. Christy Mason, Brook Gerard, John Turner, and Bob Stillwell received the honor.
• The Cherry Point Box and Crate Section had a flag flown in their honor in August to recognize the group for its outstanding customer service in building and packing wooden crates for shipments sent to the Iraq Detachment Fleet Readiness Center East. Their work is critical because the boxes they build are used to transport needed parts, supplies, tools, and fragile equipment. Darrell Gaskins, Edna Respers, and George Whaley were also recognized for their outstanding attention to workplace safety.
Akima weather monitors
Eldon Heaton - Emergency Preparedness Officer for the NGA.
Akima personnel provide a range of services to help clients through hurricane season, which extends through the end of November. Heeding lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina at Akima contract locations that are most susceptible to hurricanes, staff operates under strict guidelines regarding preparedness and disaster recovery.
Eldon Heaton, Akima’s Emergency Preparedness Officer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in St. Louis, Missouri, tracks movements of tropical waves as they move across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Gulf of Mexico. In Florida, Akima operations at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville and at Hurlburt Field, are responsible for protecting all materials and equipment that could become a flying hazard, cause injury, or damage property and personnel, performing preparedness drills before hurricane season starts.
The USDA Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) focuses on preparing for severe winter snow and ice storms, which includes managing the supply of critical materials, equipment and supplies for removing snow, salting roads, and securing the infrastructure so that the client’s facility can stay open for business.
Akima awarded support contract at Fort Gordon
Akima Facilities Management has been awarded a contract to provide installation support services at Fort Gordon, Georgia. The one-year contract has four one-year renewal options and includes the public works, maintenance and supply functions that support more than 17,000 army personnel on the 56,000-acre facility.
Akima will also be responsible for support services that include public works and logistics, mobilization-related missions, deployment and contingency planning, resource management, facilities maintenance and repair, grounds and surface areas, plant operations, transportation and motor pools, and equipment supply and repair.
Akima’s key subcontractor on this contract, IAP Worldwide Services, has a 27-year track record at Fort Gordon. “Having IAP as our major teaming partner will ensure a smooth transition and continued mission support success at Fort Gordon,” Rick Craig, President of Akima Facilities Management said, adding that Akima won the competitive small business award because of the company’s impressive performance on similar contracts.