Strategic Leadership Promotions at Optima Public Relations
Optima Public Relations
Optima Public Relations is carrying on after the recent passing of its co-founder, former state legislator Tom Anderson, with some senior leaders who were promoted earlier this year.
Becca Koonce
Optima Public Relations
Becca Koonce was elevated to Chief Operating Officer, where she now serves as the primary point of contact for all projects, collaborating closely with the leadership team on the firm’s services of media and public relations strategies, marketing, and political campaign consulting. Koonce joined Optima in 2022, coming from MSI Communications. She previously held management roles at the Anchorage Daily News and the Resource Development Council of Alaska, and she was a contractor for the Alaska Miners Association.
Current Issue
January 2026
Sarah Paulus
Optima Public Relations
Sarah Paulus was promoted to Chief Technology Officer, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to Optima over the past nine years. Paulus previously served as a lead web manager for the federal court system in Alaska and as a lead web technician at Alaska Pacific University. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Paulus is an Alaska Air National Guard veteran with military police experience.
Hut Away from Home
Workers rotate through micro towns established for the oil and gas, mining, or construction industries. Learn about life in mancamps and the contractors that support them.
Training Creates Potential; Practice Builds Value
Training alone is insufficient; without a system of skill development, learning lingers as unrealized potential. Brian Walch shows how managers can turn learning into lasting results.
Chugach Alaska Promotes Holdings President, Communications Exec
The Alaska Native corporation for the Prince William Sound region has a new person in charge of its holding company and a new head of communications.
We’re honored again this year to celebrate our partnership with Junior Achievement of Alaska, a nonprofit that educates local youth about enterprise, business, money, and financial literacy. In the special section, three Junior Achievement of Alaska students weigh in on their experience with the exceptional volunteers and teachers involved with the program.
And in Industry Support, we explore the range of varied services that industry in Alaska requires, from mancamps to spill response to off-grid energy solutions.
Outside the special sections, make sure to check out the 2026 Economic forecast, where Alaska leaders share their insights on what may lie ahead in the coming year. Enjoy!