Chamber Director Roy
Receives Accreditation
Rachel Roy, Sitka Chamber of Commerce executive director, has been named an Accredited Chamber Executive.
In its recognition of Roy, the Western Association of Chamber Executives stated, ‘‘Rachel Roy, ACE, has consistently endeavored to upgrade her organization management skills, is representative of the professionalism that exists among Chamber of Commerce executives, and has successfully met all the criteria necessary for the accreditation.’’
At a three-day event recently held in Sacramento, Calif., Roy also received a Certificate of Management Service award in recognition of her ‘‘more than five years of service as a Chamber of Commerce executive and in sincere appreciation for outstanding devotion to public and community interest while serving as a leader of Chamber of Commerce activities.’’
Roy has been executive director of the Sitka Chamber and its destination marketing organization, Visit Sitka, since September 2015.
In its citation, the association said: ‘‘Over her seven years leading the Chamber, Rachael has re-energized the organization and grown its impact in the community. She has developed a reputation as a trusted, inclusive community leader.’’
Roy is the current Southeast Alaska Tourism Council board president, a member of the Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp 4, and serves as an active member on numerous economic development advisory councils and workgroups for both the Sitka community and Southeast Alaska region.
In 2009, she earned a master of business administration degree from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
Before leading the Chamber, Roy spent 10 years working in economic development for Sitka Tribe of Alaska and managed information technology projects for Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
Roy said she is grateful to be living and raising her children, Madison, 20, and Jacob, 10, in the community she grew up in.
Climate Connection: Conserving Our Hydropower
Sitka does not have enough clean hydropower to electrify both land transportation and building heating even in high water years. This was the startling finding of the Department of Energy’s technical consultation to our municipal electric department through the Energy Transition Initiative Partnership Program, presented to the Assembly on December 13, 2022.
Electrifying land transportation with electric cars, buses, and trucks will ultimately lower cost of living because maintenance and fuel are cheaper than for internal combustion engines. Electrifying building heating is also cheaper because heat pump technology is at least 3 times more efficient than resistive heating (like baseboard electric heat and electric boilers) and fuel oil heating. Now until 2032, we have federal tax credits and rebates (starting in 2024) that subsidize our acquisition of these technologies.
What happens when we don’t have enough hydropower from Blue and Green Lakes? We won’t run out of electricity. Our municipal electric department will just supplement what we have with diesel generators on Jarvis Street. This will raise our utility bills, since diesel is much more expensive than the water power from the dams. If Sitka keeps on growing and decarbonizing, we will need to invest in other renewables, such as wind turbines, preferably before we need to burn diesel.
In the meantime, how do we conserve our hydropower to cover as many of our needs as possible? If homes with resistive electric heat switched to heat pumps, the electricity saved would heat two additional homes. If we weatherized our homes with more insulation and fewer leaks, we would use less electricity (or fossil fuels if we have not switched to heat pumps). If we all changed our light bulbs to LEDs, we would use less electricity. If we replaced old appliances, like refrigerators and freezers with new Energy Star appliances, we would save electricity. New refrigerators use 75% less energy. If we invest in induction ranges, we save electricity compared to old electric ranges and improve our health compared to propane stoves. There are federal tax credits and rebates for many weatherization and conservation investments too, in addition to electric vehicles and heat pumps.
The energy transition merits an energy plan of how and when Sitka needs to add renewable power to avoid its diesel generators and its damage to the climate from fossil fuel combustion. In the meantime, we can extend how many households and businesses we can serve with what we have by conservation. Come to the Electrification Expo at Centennial Hall on March 18 to find out how to finance weatherization, conservation, EVs, and heat pumps.
––Kay Kreiss, Transition Sitka
Tidepooling Event
Offered by 4-H
Sitka Conservation Society’s AK Way of Life Club will host a family tidepooling event 3-4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Halibut Point Recreation Area at Magic Island.
The group will be joined by a visiting marine biologist and together they will learn about the tides and explore the tidepools.
The event is open to 4-Hers of all ages and their families. Contact Anna at anna@sitkawild.org for information or to register.
Wilderness Skills
Series to Run
A wilderness skills series will be offered by Sitka Conservation Society’s AK Way of Life Club 3:30-5 p.m. March 8, 22 and 29.
It is being held to develop and practice wilderness skills. Participants will learn how to live with wildlife, build fires and shelters, and other skills.
The series is open to 4-H youths ages 7 and older. Locations will vary depending on the content of each session. Contact Anna at anna@sitkawild.org for information or to register.
Sprockets Bike
Club to Meet
Youths ages 7-12 are invited to the Salty Spoke 3:30-5 p.m. Monday, March 20, for the monthly bike workshop.
At the workshop, participants have hands-on practice and learn about bike mechanics and maintenance which will prepare bikers to ride in the summer.
All skill and experience levels are welcome with or without a bike. Contact Emily at emily@sitkawild.org for registration and information.
Sitka Artists Being
Called for Exhibit
Sitka artists are being called to lend their artwork for ‘‘A Place of Stories’’ exhibit at Sitka Public Library for the month of April.
The Sitka Public Library and the Friends of the Sitka Library are celebrating the 100 years of the library’s existence. Various events are being planned for later this month, and on into April.
‘‘Have you ever been inspired by a good book or a certain author to create a piece of artwork?’’ asked exhibit organizer Sandra Fontaine. ‘‘Or just been interested in birds or bears or a sea creature, and used books to find the image you needed to get your creative juices flowing? Maybe Sitka itself, with its many interesting stories, has inspired you to create something. We need your work!’’
Artwork would be on loan to the exhibit for the month. For more information contact Sandra Fontaine at 907-738-4014.
