After Year of Challenges, AMCC Looks to the Future

Jay Barrett/KMXT

It was quite a year just past for the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, a non-profit group that works for the health of the oceans, small boat fishermen and the communities they live in. In mid summer it was revealed that AMCC was the victim of embezzlement. Dave Kubiak, a Kodiak fisherman, is the chairman of AMCC.

— (AMCC 1 57 sec "You know, AMCC operates … a trusted member.")

Accused of the embezzlement is Travis Robinson, age 36 of Anchorage. He remains at large. Kubiak says between 80,000- and 110,000-dollars was charged on company credit cards and taken from petty cash. He said it’s been a struggle for the small organization to get the charges reversed through the credit card companies, and speculates that even if the perpetrator was brought to justice, AMCC will never recoup all of the losses.

Kubiak said the entire staff had to be furloughed while volunteers filled in. He says contributors and supporters have helped sustain the organization in the aftermath of the ordeal:

— (AMCC 2 44 sec "There was a tiny minority … ever happen again.")

For 2010, Kelly Harrell will take over from Dorothy Childers as the executive director. Kubiak says Childers is happy to return to the program director position she had before taking over as the interim director in May. Change in command is just one of many items on AMCC’s agenda for the new year:

— (AMCC 3 36 sec "Well, we’ll continue to work … lots of things to do.")

Kubiak says AMCC will continue to work on building awareness of ocean acidification and other environmental threats to the marine ecosystem and fishing:

— (AMCC 4 50 sec "The whole cap-and-trade … by watching the media.")

The Alaska Marine Conservation Council is based in Anchorage, but has board members in coastal Alaska from Petersburg to Dillingham.

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