Alaska Business Hall of Fame Selects Class of 2024

Three business leaders are joining the Alaska Business Hall of Fame, selected by their peers and to be honored by Junior Achievement of Alaska.

The Laureates 

Sheri Buretta, Board Chair, Chugach Alaska Corporation

Born and raised in Anchorage, Buretta’s Alutiiq roots reach back to the Prince William Sound village of Tatitlek. She served on the board of the Tatitlek village corporation, and in 1998 she became board chair of the regional corporation, Chugach Alaska. The same year, Buretta also joined the board of the Alaska Federation of Natives. From 1999 to 2012, she was the director for the ANCSA Regional Association, and she was president from 2004 to 2008. More recently, Buretta concluded an eight-year term on the University of Alaska Board of Regents. In addition, she serves as a board director for Copper Mountain Foundation, Russian Orthodox Sacred Sites in Alaska, and Silver Salmon Creek Leadership Institute. She is also the director for Alaskans Standing Together and the Foraker Group Governance Board.

David Karp, SVP & Managing Director, Saltchuk/President, Naniq Global Logistics

Raised in Nome, Karp holds the only Saltchuk position based in Alaska. As the Seattle-based logistics company’s point man in the state, Karp is responsible for integrating its many subsidiaries on business development, public policy, and philanthropy. Those subsidiaries include Northern Air Cargo and Northern Air Maintenance Services, which Karp led as CEO of Northern Aviation Services until he became managing director in 2019. He has direct oversight of Naniq Global Logistics, sister company of Carlile Transportation, Cook Inlet Tug & Barge, Alaska Petroleum Distributing, Ryan Air, and TOTE Maritime Alaska, among others.

Mark Pfeffer, Founder, Pfeffer Development

The man who literally owns Anchorage City Hall came to Alaska in 1980 after studying architecture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He founded KPB Architects in his garage. His first big project was remodeling city hall, and he eventually purchased it from Weyerhaeuser. As a developer, Pfeffer put together deals for the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center, the old City Hall, and the Downtown fire station, and he refurbished the former Legislative Information Office on Fourth Avenue, now Anchorage Police Department headquarters. Pfeffer then ventured into car rentals, first with a center at the Anchorage airport, and then his consolidated rent-a-car business, Conrac Solutions, expanded to Austin, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, and Salt Lake City.