KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The Afognak Native Corporation has a new president and CEO. Gregory Hambright’s official start date was May 1, but he’s been with the company for more than 10 years. Gerad Godfrey is the director of corporate affairs for Afognak Native Corporation and said Hambright will be relocating to Alaska from Alabama, where he currently works as a senior vice president at one of the corporation’s offices.
“He’s overseen and directed our technical services division and he’s helped grow that division into a very successful and profitable business line for Afognak Native Corporation. And he had quite an impressive resume prior to coming and working for us in 2004.”
Godfrey said the corporation engages in a number of government contracts so it has offices outside Alaska where those projects take place.
He said Hambright will be in Kodiak for the company’s annual meeting later this month at its new building on Near Island.
“Our annual meeting occurs on the 17th of May and it is being held in Kodiak where the board of directors election occurs. And so he will be attending that and I believe his wife will be in attendance as well.”
However, Hambright’s trip to Kodiak will be temporary, and his new role with the company will actually be based out of Anchorage.
“While we view the Kodiak office as our corporate headquarters from a business standpoint the amount of travel involved, anyone who’s lived in Kodiak for any amount of time knows that the weather can alter travel schedules dramatically. So if you need to get to D.C. or Florida or Virginia or California or wherever for a series of meetings or events, weather in Kodiak can make that problematic at times. So he will be working out of our anchorage office in midtown anchorage.”
Hambright was chosen from a nationwide search and replaces interim CEO Dusty Kaser, who came out of semi-retirement to fill in for the position when Dick Hobbs left the company.
“So Greg and Dusty have familiarity because they worked together prior to Dusty going into semi-retirement in 2007. So it makes the transition a lot easier since they have worked together and have a working relationship and familiarity with eachother.”
Afognak Native Corporation is approaching 1,000 shareholders. Godfrey said they are spread throughout the United States, but the highest concentrations of shareholders are in Kodiak, the Anchorage area and Seattle.
