FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Gus Schumacher, the Anchorage Olympic cross-country skier, a [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s rural schools are on track to access faster interne [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska, [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]
Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m. [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
CG Officer Tells Why He’s Right for Top Job
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
A finalist for Sitka city administrator stressed his overarching values of “service, honesty and respect” as well as his management skills Thursday in an hour-long job interview with the Assembly.
“In this job definitely it’s about service,” said John Leach, a career Coast Guard officer who is currently the senior aeronautical engineering systems manager at U.S. Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C. “I looked at the (city’s) organizational chart over the past few weeks. There’s one thing missing from the chart. The top box there doesn’t say ‘citizens of Sitka’ on it. I think that should be at the top.”
Leach was the first of the two finalists for the administrator job to be interviewed in person. The other finalist is Craig Cugini, a civilian administrator at the Fort Greely military base near Delta Junction, Alaska, who will be interviewed here on Sept. 27.
Leach, 41, oversees a budget of $354 million, and is the systems, airworthiness and logistics expert for the Coast Guard fleet of more than 200 aircraft and 36 mission systems.
“I don’t have any executive or administrative experience, as it relates to municipalities,” Leach said, “but to say I don’t have any executive or administrative experience in other settings is not true. I’ve got a pretty big responsibility in the Coast Guard now.”
John Leach, an applicant for city administrator, and his wife, Andrea, talk with Sitkans during a meet and greet event Thursday at Harrigan Centennial Hall. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Leach has told the Assembly he currently has a good job and career in the Coast Guard, but wants to return to Sitka, where he was stationed from 2015 to 2018 as aeronautical engineering department manager at Air Station Sitka. His wife and two sons live in Sitka.
Leach was one of the semi-finalists that the Assembly interviewed by videoconference over the past few weeks.
“I said in my first interview that I never came into this because I wanted a career in city administration or city management,” he said Thursday. “I want to be in Sitka, I want to do good things in Sitka. ... I think I’ve got valuable skills that can help move things forward. I do see this as an opportunity to help the city.”
Assembly members had a number of questions about style, the applicability of his skills in the military to a civilian job, and transitioning into a role managing a financially strapped city government.
Leach, a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, said he expects it will take time to adapt to the lack of formality in civilian life, but his education, training and experience will help him make the transition.
“I know there’s going to be practice necessary to get really good at it, but that’s leadership in generally,” he said. “There are a lot of skills you learn that can transition over as long as everyone is understanding of where each other’s coming from, and we’re marching toward the same mission.”
The Assembly had a list of questions to choose from but were free to ask their own. Many of the questions reflected some of their concerns and past experiences related to keeping the Assembly and public up to date and informed (“transparency”), understanding the chain of command at city hall, following direction, and respecting good ideas from any quarter.
Leach told the Assembly he understands he’s to take direction from the Assembly, which takes direction from the public. He said he values teamwork that comes from respecting what others have to offer – “crowdsourcing” – but also wants to be sure his actions align with both his supervisors and those who work under him.
“I take the tasking from the Assembly, and I have to assume the tasking from the citizens of Sitka, that’s what they want,” he said. “As I move forward, one thing I do want to make sure of is ‘alignment’ ... If that’s the case, I’ll march forward.”
He held off on giving his opinion on current budget issues, but on a question about setting a direction on “direction and vision,” he said it would first be “getting everyone working together again.”
“There’s Assembly versus staff, or staff versus staff, or citizens versus Assembly,” he said. “It just seems that there’s so much of that ... The first thing I want – that long-term vision – is I want everybody together, working to make the city better.”
Some of the most pressing issues in the community are cost of living and affordable housing, he said.
“Those are things that are important to the citizens right now,” he said. “And if there’s a way we can start moving forward in that direction, that would be helpful.”
Asked what he regards as his strengths and weaknesses, he said the two for him are a little bit the same.
“I like to jump in and just tackle things, that’s what keeps me going,” he said. “I like to get things done.” His related weakness is that working hard to get things done makes it difficult to find a good “work-life balance.”
The Assembly noted that Leach said his Coast Guard commitment means he won’t be available for the Sitka job until late February.
“If you’re willing to take that gamble, and wait for my timeline, I think you’ll be pleased,” Leach said.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....