Executive Team Shakeup at Chugach Alaska
Chugach Alaska
While Chugach Alaska Corporation searches for a new president—with Josie Hickel announcing her retirement—the Alaska Native corporation for the Prince William Sound region has chosen a new CEO, and other members of the executive team take on new positions.
Jonathan Dalrymple
Chugach Alaska
The incoming CEO Jonathan Dalrymple becomes responsible for overseeing Chugach Alaska Corporation’s business enterprise, portfolio of operating companies and investments, and the 4,500 employees who support them. In that position, he works alongside Board Chairman Sheri Buretta, Chief Operating Officer Peter Andersen, and Chief Financial Officer Angie Astle, who had been interim CEO since June.
Dalrymple was most recently Vice President of Strategy, Business Development, and Program Services for VSE Corporation, a Virginia-based supply chain management company. His twenty-five years of business development experience also includes leadership roles at Raytheon, L3, and Textron Systems.
“I’m honored that the Board has entrusted me to continue building upon Chugach’s legacy that has been defined by a number of remarkable leaders over the last five decades,” Dalrymple says. “Chugach has all the characteristics of a successful business: an impressive operations footprint, respected reputation, talented people, and unlimited growth potential. I look forward to partnering with the executive leadership team and employees to continue building a winning business and driving long-term sustainable growth for Chugach.”
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May 2024
Dalrymple is a US Navy veteran. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from the University of Georgia and an MBA from SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy. Dalrymple will relocate to Anchorage with his family.
“After a comprehensive nationwide search in partnership with executive recruiting firm Herd Freed Hartz, the board is pleased to have found the ideal candidate to continue charting our course for future growth,” Buretta says.
Katherine Carlton
Chugach Alaska
To assist the transition, Katherine Carlton is promoted to the role of Vice President of ANCSA and Community Affairs, which encompasses many of the outgoing president’s former responsibilities. Carlton, a Chugach Alaska shareholder, had recently become Vice President of Operations for the corporation’s Chugach Commercial Holdings (CCH). Carlton earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting at UAA, a master’s degree in executive leadership from Alaska Pacific University, and she attended the advanced management program at Harvard Business School.
Chugach Alaska Board Chairman Sherri Buretta calls Carlton a “talented, nimble leader.” She continues, “Katherine possesses many leadership skills which can be utilized in various areas of the organization, making her the right leader to assume the responsibilities for Chugach’s important community and cultural initiatives. Her appointment to VP of ANCSA and Community Affairs, along with Josie’s extended transition period, will make for a seamless transition that will continue the critical work of advancing community development within the Chugach region.”
Gwen Welch
Chugach Alaska
Stepping in as Vice President of Operations at CCH is Gwen Welch. Serving as the finance leader of CCH for the last three years, Welch has risen through the ranks of Chugach Alaska Corporation over the last twenty years. Welch earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UAA and an MBA degree from Jack Welch Management Institute (founded by the late former CEO of General Electric, no relation).
Of Welch’s time in the finance department, Astle says, “She is a versatile leader whose skills both in finance and operations are a perfect combination to take on this important leadership role. Moreover, she is very respected throughout the organization, and I look forward to her leadership as we continue to build momentum and grow CCH.”
Making History
The track of oil and gas development in Alaska shows the footprints of bold companies and hard-working individuals who shaped the industry in the past and continue to innovate today. The May 2024 issue of Alaska Business explores that history while looking forward to new product development, the energy transition for the fishing fleet, and the ethics of AI tools in business.