Commonwealth North

04/07/2026

Whether you think the dividend should be restored in full, restructured, or rethought entirely, this is a conversation you'll want to be part of.

Larry Persily opens with the history of the Fund and what voters expected when they approved it. Angela Rodell, former CEO of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, looks at how other countries manage their sovereign wealth funds. Then three legislators with very different perspectives debate what the Fund's promise to Alaskans should look like going forward:
Rep. Carolyn Hall (House Majority), Rep. Will Stapp (House Minority), and Sen. Robert Myers (Senate Minority).

04/07/2026

What's happening in Arctic waters? and what does it mean for Alaska?

Vessel traffic through the Bering Strait, port readiness, the icebreaker buildup, home-porting decisions, and the jobs and infrastructure these developments are creating in communities from Ketchikan to Nome.

Stephen Carmel, Administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration, and Tom Dans, the newly appointed Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, and Randy Ruaro of AIDEA will present.

After the program, stay for live music, appetizers, and conversation with our visiting speakers and the Commonwealth North community.

Gold Sponsors: Port of Alaska · JAG Alaska

Silver Sponsor: Maritime Partners of Alaska

03/26/2026

$3.8 billion.

That's how much money left Alaska last year in nonresident paychecks. Earned here. Spent somewhere else.

At our latest forum, five industry leaders laid out real career pathways to $100,000+ salaries in Alaska, none of which require a four-year degree. Seafood processing. Healthcare. Law enforcement. Construction. Maritime. The jobs are here. The training is here. Every one of those paychecks that stays in Alaska makes the whole economy stronger.

Watch the recap, then read the full summary with job listings, salary data, and training links at commonwealthnorth.org (click Briefs).

03/17/2026

$3.8 billion in wages leaves Alaska every year in the paychecks of non-resident workers. That is not a typo.

A lot of those jobs? They pay over $100K and don't require a four-year degree. So why are they going to workers from out of state instead of Alaskans?

That's what we're tackling at our next forum. Mike Jones, PhD will break down what the numbers really mean for Alaska's economy, and then you'll hear directly from industry leaders about where the opportunities are right now:

Transportation – Mari Selle, Alaska Workforce Alliance
Fisheries – Stefanie Moreland, Trident Seafoods
Healthcare – Florian Borowski, Providence Alaska
Construction – Heidi Olson, Alaska General Contractors
Public Safety – Capt. Scott Bartlett, Alaska State Troopers

If you're in workforce development, education, or the legislature — or you're a parent thinking about your kid's future — or you're weighing a career change yourself — this one's for you.

$100K Without a BA
Commonwealth North Economic Forum
Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Register here: commonwealthnorth.org/events

03/06/2026

500+ staff cut. Three schools closed. A $90 million deficit — with another $40 million already looming next year.

The Anchorage School Board just passed the most painful budget in a generation. But here's what most people don't know: Alaska's superintendents saw this coming.

Back in November, Commonwealth North brought five district leaders to the table — Anchorage, Kenai, Fairbanks, Mat-Su, and Juneau — for a candid, nonpartisan conversation about the state of Alaska's schools. What they shared was striking: record literacy gains, soaring AP scores, climbing graduation rates — all happening against a funding formula that hasn't kept pace in over a decade.

This wasn't spin. It was data. And it's more relevant today than when it was recorded.

Watch the full forum overview and read the breakdown here:
https://www.commonwealthnorth.org/district-dialogues-triumphs-trials-and-transformations/

02/19/2026

What if the reason Alaska can't attract major business investment isn't the level of its taxes — but the unpredictability of them?

That's the core argument in a new ISER study out of UAA. It's also the argument that got almost no attention when the Legislature cited the same research to justify its new tax bill this week.

Worth a read before this debate goes much further.

https://www.commonwealthnorth.org/fiscal-policy-the-tax-policies-on-the-table/

02/12/2026

If you were given all the variables, could you solve Alaska's fiscal situation?

https://www.commonwealthnorth.org/ #!event/2026/2/12/fiscal-policy-forum-the-tax-policies-on-the-table

Not only will Chief of Staff Tyson Gallagher and Deputy Chief of Staff Rachel Bylsma be joining us to answer questions about Dunleavy's fiscal proposal and the team at ISER, but participants will get to demo the Commonwealth North Inc interactive fiscal policy calculator that allows you to solve the state's fiscal situation.

Adjust different revenue options to see what the impact is to state revenue and the impact to the economy.

Pay a full statutory dividend and see how much revenue needs to be collected in new taxes to make up the difference.

Change the rate of the base student allocation BSA, to see how much revenue needs to be raised in order to support schools in a funding crisis. Drill down to see what the impact is by district.

Or cut all government spending & accelerate the outmigration of working age adults.

Once you have made your choices, your fiscal future can be submitted. We will be using the calculator to create a comprehensive report of what Alaskans want.

As a participant at tomorrow's forum, you'll be the first to see experience it.

Sign up for tomorrow's 4pm Fiscal Policy Forum: The Tax Policies on the Table

https://www.commonwealthnorth.org/ #!event/2026/2/12/fiscal-policy-forum-the-tax-policies-on-the-table.

01/23/2026

In the dim, wood-paneled glow of the Petroleum Club, a roomful of Alaskans gathered last week to confront an uncomfortable truth: our state, once a symbol of untamed abundance, has been idling in neutral. For a decade, from 2015 to 2025, Alaska’s gross domestic product has limped along at an anemic 0.4 percent annual growth, according to the state Department of Labor. Our population, that hardy mix of pioneers and transplants, has been shrinking — a slow bleed of outmigration driven by high costs, an underfunded education system, and the gnawing sense that opportunity lies elsewhere. Yet here, on January 15, 2026, amid the scent of leather chairs and the faint hum of natural-gas heaters, the “Positioning Alaska for Growth” forum convened by Commonwealth North offered a flicker of defiance: not grand manifestos, but pragmatic blueprints for reinvention.
Read the economic forum recap here:

Commonwealth North is Alaska's premier non-partisan public policy forum. Join us to learn more about critical policy issues facing Alaska.

01/17/2026

Did you miss the Commonwealth North Economic Forum: Positioning Alaska For Growth? Watch the replay on YouTube.

While the overall tone may not have been optimistic, what stuck out was the commitment we have to Alaska's future.

Our Speakers: Sector Visions and Expertise
Diane Hirshberg – Moderator Alaska's ~360,000-strong labor force added 5,300 jobs in 2025 for 1.6% growth, but healthcare and trade shortages linger amid outmigration and an aging workforce. Diane Hirshberg is the director of ISER and will give a brief overview of employment, outmigration, GDP, and regional trends.

Curtis Thayer – Energy Alaska's energy sector is anchored by natural gas and oil, fueling 80% of the Railbelt grid, while renewables like hydro and wind now contribute 30% and grow with federal incentives. Curtis Thayer has served as Executive Director of the Alaska Energy Authority since 2019, steering statewide energy policy and renewable integration.

Jon Bittner – Access to Alaska's Resources Alaska boasts $1 trillion in untapped minerals like copper, zinc, and rare earths, plus vast fisheries and timber, yet extraction drives only 5% of GDP due to remoteness. Jon Bittner is the External Communications Manager of MDFGlobal - Alaska Operations.

Sheri Buretta – Native Corporations Alaska Native Corporations like Chugach oversee $10+ billion in assets spanning energy, construction, and tourism, employing 20,000+ shareholders while managing 1.3 million acres. Sheri Buretta is Chairman of Chugach Alaska Corporation's Board, guiding economic ventures that prioritize Indigenous innovation and dividends. A veteran leader on the Alaska Federation of Natives Board since 1998 and former University of Alaska Regent, she advances shareholder training, partnerships, and cultural stewardship for regional prosperity.

Alexei Painter – Fiscal Policy Alaska's $15.4 billion general fund depends on 80% oil/gas royalties and Permanent Fund dividends, lacking income tax but facing deficits from undiversified revenues. Alexei Painter is the Director of Alaska Legislative Finance Division and applies a no-nonsense fiscal analysis of legislative budgetary decisions.

Larry Persily – Trends Venezuela oil, a natural gas pipeline, visa restrictions on tourism—how might all of these shape Alaska's future for years to come? Larry Persily is a seasoned journalist and policy analyst at the Alaska Beacon, specializing in energy, taxes, and fiscal strategy.

A forward-looking dialogue on Alaska's economic renaissance. On Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM AKST, the Positioning Alaska for Growth E...

01/13/2026

We have a last minute addition to Thursday's "Positioning Alaska For Growth" forum: Alexei Painter, director of Alaska Legislative Finance Division, will be talking about Fiscal Policy. The forum is this Thursday 4pm at the Petroleum Club in Anchorage. You can register online with this link.
https://lnkd.in/g25qeyaw

Our Speakers: Sector Visions and Expertise

Diane Hirshberg – Moderator Alaska's ~360,000-strong labor force added 5,300 jobs in 2025 for 1.6% growth, but healthcare and trade shortages linger amid outmigration and an aging workforce. Diane Hirshberg is the director of ISER and will give a brief overview of employment, outmigration, GDP, and regional trends.

Curtis Thayer – Energy Alaska's energy sector is anchored by natural gas and oil, fueling 80% of the Railbelt grid, while renewables like hydro and wind now contribute 30% and grow with federal incentives. Curtis Thayer has served as Executive Director of the Alaska Energy Authority since 2019, steering statewide energy policy and renewable integration.

Jonathan Bittner – Access to Alaska's Resources Alaska boasts $1 trillion in untapped minerals like copper, zinc, and rare earths, plus vast fisheries and timber, yet extraction drives only 5% of GDP due to remoteness. Jon Bittner is the External Communications Manager of MDFGlobal - Alaska Operations.

Sheri Buretta – Native Corporations Alaska Native Corporations like Chugach oversee $10+ billion in assets spanning energy, construction, and tourism, employing 20,000+ shareholders while managing 1.3 million acres. Sheri Buretta is Chairman of Chugach Alaska Corporation's Board, guiding economic ventures that prioritize Indigenous innovation and dividends. A veteran leader on the Alaska Federation of Natives Board since 1998 and former University of Alaska Regent, she advances shareholder training, partnerships, and cultural stewardship for regional prosperity.

Alexei Painter – Fiscal Policy Alaska's $15.4 billion general fund depends on 80% oil/gas royalties and Permanent Fund dividends, lacking income tax but facing deficits from undiversified revenues. Alexei Painter is the Director of Alaska Legislative Finance Division and applies a no-nonsense fiscal analysis of legislative budgetary decisions.

Larry Persily – Trends Venezuela oil, a natural gas pipeline, visa restrictions on tourism—how might all of these shape Alaska's future for years to come? Larry Persily is a seasoned journalist and policy analyst at the Alaska Beacon, specializing in energy, taxes, and fiscal strategy.

11/25/2025

Your voice matters—don't miss this golden opportunity to connect directly with your state leaders! Tickets are still available for Commonwealth North Inc's 18th Annual Legislator Meet & Greet. Head to our website NOW to snag yours and join the conversation shaping Alaska's future.

What to expect: An evening of live music, lively chats, and structured "speed dating" sessions with legislators—except with way more time for real, meaningful connections. No awkward small talk; just impactful discussions on the issues you care about.

Date: December 4th | ⏰ 5pm-9pm
Location: Anchorage Downtown Marriott

Huge thanks to our generous sponsors, ConocoPhillips & Trident Seafoods, for making this possible!

Legislators confirmed to attend (in no particular order):

Representative Will Stapp (Fairbanks)
Representative Donna Mears (Anchorage)
Representative Alyse Galvin (Anchorage)
Senator Matt Claman (Anchorage)
Representative Jubilee Underwood (Wasilla)
Representative Chuck Kopp (Anchorage)
Representative Ky Holland (Anchorage)
Representative Julie Coulombe (Anchorage)
Representative Dan Saddler (Eagle River)
Representative Genevieve Mina (Anchorage)
Representative Carolyn Hall (Anchorage)
Representative Mia Costello (Anchorage)
Representative Andy Josephson (Anchorage)
Senator Bill Wielechowski (Anchorage)
Senator Jesse Bjorkman (Kenai)

This is YOUR chance to build relationships that last beyond the ballot box. Spots are filling fast—register today and let's make Alaska stronger together! Who's in?
Tag a friend who needs to hear this.