Patricia Morales
Production
Patricia Morales
Visual Content Designer
She answers to “PJ” because “there’s a lot of Patricias in my family.” Growing up as a Navy brat, PJ earned an associate degree in graphic design from Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, Virginia. However, jobs were scarce, so she worked at a credit union. Having a gun shoved in her face during an armed robbery convinced her to leave that career, and she enlisted in the US Army.
During her five-year tour, PJ trained as a technical engineer. Drafting is a little like graphic design, at least. She continued working with the Corps of Engineers as a civilian while finishing her bachelor’s degree in graphic design from the online college Full Sail University. The military applied those skills, too, after she moved to Alaska and became a designer at JBER Life, the magazine published by the 773rd Force Support Squadron. She was also its social media manager, but she sought more opportunities to apply her digital experience. That led to AKBizmag.com.
At Alaska Business, the title of Web Manager encompasses only part of PJ’s job. In addition to maintaining the website and the weekly newsletter The Monitor, she assists the art director with photo selections and graphic design.
What happens when a city with fewer than 300 residents becomes a major freight and tourism hub, despite being accessible only by boat, plane, or a one-lane highway/railroad tunnel managed on a strict schedule?
If you’re in the City of Whittier, you get busy. The city has two separate transportation planning efforts underway, including a safety action plan under the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All initiative, which focuses on improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and emergency responders. The second is Whittier Moves, the city’s transportation master plan, which serves as the long-term roadmap for growth.