Anchorage Daily News

Coast Guard Capt. Mark Hamilton has been named commanding officer, Sector Anchorage. Hamilton just completed an assignment as deputy commander at Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach in California, where he had oversight of more than 440 people, five Coast Guard cutters, three small-boat stations and one air station. He holds a biology degree from Williams Jennings Bryan College and a master's in environmental management from George Mason University. His predecessor, Capt. Mark DeVries, is retiring and will remain in Alaska with his wife and son.

Holly Zachman, MBA, has recently joined The Wilson Agency as vice president of marketing and business development. Her responsibilities include overseeing and implementing marketing and business plans, coaching the team of benefit and wealth management advisers, managing HR functions and assisting in developing and attaining goals for the company. The Wilson Agency is an employee benefits consulting firm.

The Department of Law has announced that Lance Joanis was hired as Kenai district attorney, a position now occupied by June Stein, who is transferring to Anchorage for a statewide position with the Rural Prosecution Unit. Joanis will assume his duties Aug. 1. Joanis most recently supervised the property crimes section in the Anchorage district attorney's office. Before moving to Anchorage, he was district attorney in Bethel, serving the Yukon-Kuskokwim region.

Margaret D. Stock has been awarded the 2008 American Immigration Lawyers Association's Michael Maggio Pro Bono Award at the AILA annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. Stock is a graduate of Harvard Law School, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Army War College (Master of Strategic Studies, 2006). She was honored for outstanding efforts in providing pro bono representation to deserving aliens in the field of immigration law. Stock is an attorney in private practice in Anchorage and a lieutenant colonel in the Military Police Corps, U.S. Army Reserve.

Nabors Industries has named Dennis Smith to oversee Nabors Alaska Drilling and its joint venture holdings with Cook Inlet Region Inc., specifically Peak Oilfield Services Co., Precision Power LLC, and Alaska Interstate Construction LLC. Before joining Nabors in 1992, Smith was a 14-year resident of Anchorage, where he served as chief executive of Pool Arctic Alaska. In his new role, Smith will also continue as director of corporate development with Nabors Industries Ltd., based in Houston. Smith is involved in all facets of the company's business while holding direct responsibility for interaction with the capital markets, marketing and management development.

Bristol Bay Native Corp. announced recently that Deryl Wright will join the corporation as vice president of business operations. A Choctaw tribal member, Wright served most recently as president and CEO for Chickasaw Nation Industries in Ada, Okla. Chickasaw revenues increased from $815,000 to more than $300 million during his tenure. In his new position, Wright will oversee the business operations of the corporation's 28 subsidiaries. All company CEOs and managers will report to Wright.

Debi Schmit has joined Pebble Partnerships as manager, business development. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from the University of Phoenix. She most recently worked as a bookkeeper and office manager for W&K Development in Scappoose, Ore., where she was responsible for analyzing city, state and federal laws to ensure operation conformation; the preparation and submission of financial reports for investors and owners; and writing policies and procedures.

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