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History of the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce In 1953, a few years before Alaska was granted statehood, the "All Alaska" Chamber of Commerce was formed for the purpose of promoting commerce in Alaska. The construction boom, brought about by World War II, was winding down, and Alaska’s business leaders recognized the need for an organized effort to develop a new, stronger economic base for Alaska. The first leaders of the Alaska Chamber discussed tax incentive legislation, development of the state’s forest and mineral resources, promotion of the tourism industry, and increasing agricultural production. With statehood, the name was changed to the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce, and the organization represented the first unified effort to have the voice of business in the state legislature. A few Alaska State Chamber leaders have gone on to become state and national leaders. Walter Hickel, once Chairman of Economic Development for the State Chamber, became Governor of Alaska, twice, as well as U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Former board Chairman Bill Sheffield later became Governor of Alaska, and U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski also once served as chairman of the board. The Alaska State Chamber still serves as the voice of business. Today, the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce has approximately 500 business members, represented by a 81 person board of directors which includes representatives of thirty-five local Alaskan chambers and the chambers of Seattle, Tacoma, Bellingham, Portland and the Yukon. Members annually select the priority issues they want addressed by the legislature. These become the focus of the State Chamber’s active lobbying program and range from issues that are ongoing, like fiscal planning and regulatory reform, to specific economic development issues in resource development and land access. Among its many achievements to date, the Alaska State Chamber successfully lobbied for paving of the Alaska Highway, launched the first Alaskan trade mission to Japan, and was instrumental in passage of major tort reform legislation. Newspaper articles on the formation of the All-Alaska Chamber of Commerce
Alaska State Chamber Past Chairs
Juneau Headquarters: 217 Second Street, Suite 201, Juneau, AK 99801 Phone: 907.586.2323, Fax: 907.463.5515, Email: info@alaskachamber.com Anchorage Office: 601 W. 5th Avenue, Suite 700, Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: 907.278.2722, Fax: 907.278.6643 Copyright © 2003 - Present, The Alaska State Chamber of Commerce, all rights reserved. Designed by WebWeavers Technology Group LLC™ |
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