Southeast summit to boost local leadership

Southeast business, tribal and government leaders meet this week in Juneau for the Southeast Conference’s Mid-Session Summit.

Executive Director Shelly Wright says the event has a leadership focus.

Motivational speaker D.J. Eagle Bear Vanas
Motivational speaker D.J. Eagle Bear Vanas

That includes a keynote presentation by Native American motivational speaker D.J. Vanas titled “Integrating the Warrior Culture into Your Culture.”

Wright says a community character-building session is also part of the leadership focus.

“There’s always room for a refresher, there’s always room for re-invigorations, which is basically what this is. It’s not necessarily, ‘Let’s teach you more skills,’ but (putting) insight and excitement into what your skills are,” Wright says.

Southeast Conference members will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Alaska Marine Highway System with screenings of a new documentary, produced by KTOO-TV.

The conference first organized to push for development of the ferry system.

Summit sessions run all day Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Juneau’s Centennial Hall. The documentary will screen at a noon luncheon Thursday. There’s a fee for lunch, and a larger registration charge for the whole conference.

Wright says the group’s fisheries, mining, energy and other panels will meet during the summit.

“We do break-out committee work where we can see people face to face, and give people a chance to go see their legislators if they need to, and kind of turn it into a work meeting,” she says.

The conference holds its annual meeting in mid-September in Sitka.

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