Business People

Jessica Smith, planning & public involvement officer for CRW Engineering Group, LLC, will serve as the 2014-2015 vice president of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Smith is an Anchorage resident, with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. She is affiliated professionally with ASCE, Public Relations Society of America, American Planning Association, and the International Association for Public Participation. She has been employed with CRW since 2013.

Mayor Dan Sullivan recently announced that the director of Health and Human Services, Janet Vietmeier, has announced her retirement, effective Aug. 22. The mayor has appointed Melinda Freemon, the division manager of Public Health Initiatives and Partnerships, as the new director. Freemon has been in the health field for more than 30 years. She has a master's degree in counseling psychology and is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Clinical Supervisor. Freemon has served on numerous local and statewide councils and commissions related to behavioral health during her 32 years in Alaska.

Luke Hoffmann has joined URS Corp. as a staff geologist. Hoffmann recently graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelor of Science in geology. For the last 14 years, he has held various positions in Alaska, all pertaining to remote field work. Hoffmann's areas of expertise include environmental geology and mineral exploration.

Calista Corp. welcomes shareholders George Owletuck and Kirsten Kinegak-Friday to its team of employees. Owletuck is the government relations liaison and is responsible for coordinating, developing and conducting activities relating to federal, state and local government relations. He brings leadership experience and several years of working in government relations. He is a former University of Alaska Fairbanks professor and has held numerous leadership positions in the areas of fisheries, the environment and natural resources. Kinegak-Friday is associate general counsel at Calista. She is a graduate of Stanford University and University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. Her main legal focus has been on Alaska Native corporations and Alaska Native issues. She is a former Calista intern and Calista Heritage Foundation scholarship recipient.

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