Kodiak Economic Development Corp. elects local electric utility staff member to Board of Directors

The Kodiak Economic Development Corporation (KEDC) elected a new Board Member during its 2024 elections earlier this month. Jessica Johnson, who is the manager of power generation at Kodiak Electric Association, will serve an undetermined amount of time on the KEDC Board of Directors.

According to the associate director, Melissa Schoenwether, the Board is currently revising their bylaws, which includes the term length for all Board members. Schoenwether says the bylaws will be approved during KEDC’s next Board meeting.

Prior to working at the Kodiak Electric Association, Johnson served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 21 years including eight at Base Kodiak.

Johnson joins five other KEDC board members, all volunteers, in leading the young nonprofit.
KEDC was first established almost four years ago in March of 2020 to distribute COVID-19 relief funds to local businesses and then became a nonprofit 501(c)3 in 2021.

Now the organization has two paid staff members – an Executive Director and Associate Director. The KEDC Board is currently led by President Karl Hertz, who held that role in 2023.

During the Board’s recent elections, Mark Anderson replaced member Greg Zadina as Vice President, while member Mike Pfeffer takes over for Anderson as Secretary & Treasurer.
The remaining Board Members listed on KEDC’s website are Cooper Curtis, Cyndy Mika, Thomas Panamaroff, Jascha Zbitnoff and Greg Zadina.
Ex-officio members include Captain Jeremy Hall, Mike Tvenge (Kodiak City Manager) and Aimee Williams (Kodiak Island Borough Manager).

The Corporation is currently partnering with the City of Kodiak and the Kodiak Area Native Association to develop the Storefront Improvement Program.
KEDC says its other goal for this year is to form the Kodiak Community Land Trust.