Anchorage Chamber Presents 68th Annual Gold Pan Awards
Photo Credit: Vetre | Envato
The good times rolled at the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce’s 68th Annual Gold Pan Awards. The Mardi Gras masquerade on November 21 showered the “Brilliance of Bourbon Street” upon winners who’ve shown business and entrepreneurial excellence, as well as a loyal commitment to Anchorage through community service.
Big Easy in Rage City
In the competitive categories, five winners were selected among fifteen finalists.
Alaska Wealth Advisors won the chamber’s Business Excellence award. Runners-up were Katmai Oncology and Copper River Seafoods.
The winner for Entrepreneurial Excellence was FashionPact, a secondhand store with a rather unusual business model that shares the proceeds of sales with charities selected by donors and customers. Also nominated were Aspire Med Spa and macaron specialists Sweet Caribou.
The Distinguished Community Service award for small organizations went to plant retailer Green Connection. The Alaska Aviation Museum and event promoter Erickson Unlimited were also nominated.
Among larger organizations, the Distinguished Community Service award went to Camp Fire Alaska. Other nominees were Subway of Alaska and Global Credit Union.
Current Issue
September 2026
And the Nonprofit: Above and Beyond award went to Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis, better known as AWAIC. Anchorage Chamber members also nominated Catholic Social Services and youth athletics program Girls on the Run Southcentral.
In addition, the Anchorage Chamber presented a Volunteer of the Year award to Vladislav Finko, a marketing specialist at Alaska Wealth Advisors and vice chair of the Anchorage Chamber Young Professionals Group.
The chamber also recognized an ex-officio board member, Ryann Swalling of KPB Architects, with the 2025 Chairman’s Award. Swalling was a founding vice-chair of the Young Professionals Group and was awarded Young Professional of the Year by the chamber in 2018.
AOGA Announces 2026 Industry Award Winners
The Alaska Oil and Gas Association announced the individuals and companies honored with its 2026 Industry Awards at this week’s annual conference.
$410M Federal Grants for Ferry System Upgrades
Federal grants include $153.4 million to replace M/V LeConte, funds to develop a new Juneau ferry terminal, and cash for operations.
$10M Rebuild of Borealis Theatre at Alaska State Fair
The Alaska State Fair is rebuilding the Borealis Theatre on the fairgrounds in Palmer to increase audience capacity and improve facilities for visiting concert acts.
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.