Serve on KEDC’s Board and Help Guide Our Work in Kodiak

Serve on KEDC’s Board and Help Guide Our Work in Kodiak

Kodiak Economic Development Corporation has two open seats on its Board of Directors. We invite community members to consider how their experience and commitment to Kodiak could contribute to the organization’s next chapter.

Over the past two years, KEDC has continued building partnerships and advancing projects that connect directly to living and working here. Board service offers an opportunity to help guide that work, consider where KEDC can contribute most effectively, and ensure the organization uses its resources responsibly.

Building on the work already underway

Housing has been a significant part of this effort. KEDC worked with the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development and partners across the island to develop the Kodiak Housing Action Plan. Community conversations, village visits, and public meetings helped shape its recommendations. The accompanying Housing Dashboard makes information available for residents and decision-makers to use. This work was made possible in part through a grant from the Denali Commission.

Our workforce efforts build on earlier experiences, including the 2024 Career Expo and Job Fair. Working with the Kodiak Island Borough School District and local employers, KEDC helped students explore careers through conversations with professionals, workplace visits, and practical preparation for applications and interviews. Students visited workplaces ranging from the hospital and veterinary clinic to marine fabrication facilities and a Coast Guard cutter. Their questions and feedback showed how valuable it is to see local opportunities firsthand and speak directly with the people doing the work.

In April 2026, the Kodiak Workforce Forum brought together 85 participants to examine workforce needs and opportunities. Employers, educators, and community partners identified concerns about hiring and retention, housing, and access to practical training. KEDC’s public report shares those findings to support continued planning and collaboration.

The first Confidence Café at Bean & Bloom extended that emphasis on learning through experience. Twelve community members, including four business owners or managers, practiced customer service and workplace communication through activities and discussion. The Career Expo helped students discover what work in Kodiak could look like; Confidence Café gave participants across career stages an opportunity to practice skills they could use in that work. Both approaches inform the Career Connections Partnership now being developed with community partners.

KEDC’s work has also supported local businesses and community-led projects. Through the Storefront Improvement Program, KEDC partnered with the City of Kodiak and KANA to support improvements at downtown businesses. The Recharge Our Community’s Economy workshops, delivered with Rural Community Assistance Corporation, helped residents develop projects addressing concerns such as childcare, walkability, and small business support. These efforts gave community members a way to work together on priorities they identified themselves.

In August, KEDC and Rural Community Assistance Corporation brought no-cost private well assessments and water testing to 15 Kodiak Island properties. More than 90 residents joined the waitlist, showing the demand for assistance that helps people maintain the homes our community already depends on.

Alongside this work, KEDC has supported mariculture business planning, feasibility studies, and coordination on processing-facility design. These efforts help local partners understand what future industry development would require and prepare for informed investment decisions.

What the Board contributes

The Board helps determine how KEDC builds on this work. Members review financial information, consider strategic decisions, and help ensure that commitments fit the organization’s mission and capacity. They also strengthen relationships with partners and potential supporters.

Members work with KEDC’s Executive Director to provide guidance and oversight, contribute through committee or liaison roles, and help explain KEDC’s work in the community. Preparing for meetings and following through on agreed responsibilities are important parts of that service.

Our direction for 2026–2027

KEDC’s strategic plan identifies three priorities that will guide Board discussions and organizational decisions:

Organizational Sustainability and Transparency. Strengthen KEDC’s financial foundation and share clear information about its work, resources, and progress. A dependable organization is better positioned to sustain its commitments to Kodiak.

Housing Action Plan Coordination. Bring partners together to advance the plan’s recommendations, identify practical policy and funding options, and keep the community informed as implementation moves forward.

Career Connections. Strengthen connections between education and local employers through career exploration, mentorship, and practical learning opportunities for students and jobseekers.

These priorities are grounded in service to community, partnership, transparency, practical results, and careful stewardship of resources. Board members help carry those values into decisions about which opportunities to pursue and how to measure progress.

Considering Board service

Your experience in Kodiak can contribute to this work. That may include understanding the challenges of running a business, working with students, managing resources, or serving the community through employment and volunteering. We welcome people who bring thoughtful questions, a willingness to listen, and the commitment to follow through.

Members attend monthly meetings and are encouraged to contribute a total of two to four hours each month, including preparation and work between meetings.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with upcoming Board consideration planned for October and November 2026. As part of the application process, the Executive Director will meet with you to share more information, answer questions, and discuss your interests and availability. The Executive Director shares applications with the Board for consideration, and the Board votes on appointments.

Explore Board Service and Apply

If you would like to talk first or complete an application by phone, contact Melissa Schoenwether, Executive Director, at melissa@kodiakedc.com or 907.942.6062.