Alaska Business Hall of Fame Selects Five New Members
Five business leaders are joining the Alaska Business Hall of Fame, selected by their peers and to be honored by Junior Achievement.
The Laureates
Gail Schubert, President and CEO, Bering Straits Native Corporation
Born in Unalakleet, Schubert earned an undergraduate degree from Stanford University, a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management, and a Juris Doctorate from the Cornell University School of Law. She worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and two Wall Street law firms before practicing law in Anchorage. She has served on the Bering Straits Native Corporation board since 1992; she was hired as executive vice president and general counsel in 2003 and was promoted to CEO in 2009. She became the corporation’s president the following year.
Greg Romack, Chairman, Davis Constructors
Joining the company during the building boom of early ‘80s, Romack has led Davis Constructors through ups and downs. In its forty-five-year history, the company has completed almost 550 projects worth almost $2.5 billion, from wood frames to concrete to structural steel. A graduate of the University of Idaho in business administration, Romack worked early in his career for the Anchorage public works department.
Jeanine St. John, Vice President (retired), Lynden Logistics
A career that ended last December started twenty-seven years earlier managing Lynden’s work with BP. That continuing relationship with Alaska’s oil business earned St. John the Chuck Becker Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alaska Support Industry Alliance last fall. She had served as a board member of the Alliance for more than twenty years, including a stint as president. Now she says fishing, hunting, and quilting will fill her retirement, along with working with charities.
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April 2024
Peter Grunwaldt and Tim Worthen, Co-Founders, Premier Alaska Tours
Founded in 1995, Premier Alaska Tours specializes in showing visitors the parts of the state away from the water. The company packages tours on motorcoaches and rail cars from Seward to Anchorage, Denali National Park, and Fairbanks. The team acts as the “behind the scenes Alaska expert” operating land tours on behalf of cruise lines and other large companies.
The Ceremony
Selection for the Alaska Business Hall of Fame is based on demonstrated support for Junior Achievement’s programs, demonstrated commitment to Alaska business, and direct impact toward furthering the success of business in Alaska.
In 1987, Junior Achievement of Alaska began the Alaska Business Hall of Fame to honor outstanding individuals of Alaska business. Past laureates include entrepreneur Austin “Cap” Lathrop, merchant Z.J. Loussac, aviators Noel Wien and Charles West, broadcasters Augie Hiebert and Alvin Bramstedt, bankers Elmer Rasmuson and D.H. Cuddy, grocers Larry Carr and Barnard Gottstein, former governors Wally Hickel and Bill Sheffield, publisher Robert Atwood, and Vern McCorkle, credited with creating the Hall of Fame as publisher of Alaska Business Monthly.
The announcement comes far in advance of the induction ceremony, scheduled for January 19, 2023, at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center. Alaska Business is a title sponsor of the event. Since the retirement of longtime emcee Mark Hamilton, the new hosts of the induction dinner are retired Coast Guard Admiral Tom Barrett (inducted in 2018 for his work as Alyeska Pipeline Service Company president) and Cook Inlet Tribal Council CEO and President Gloria O’Neill. Tickets and tables can be purchased online at alaskabusinesshalloffame.com.
In their company kitchens, the Corporate 100 blend wholesome ingredients with exquisite utensils to create the scrumptious ambrosia that keeps employees gratified and contented. Meet the top Alaska employers ranked by number of Alaskans on their payroll, and learn the recipe for success. This issue also includes a focus on economic development initiatives in Anchorage and Kodiak.