New Haines borough manager has Coast Guard, Tlingit roots

Bill Seward listens to assembly members during an interview Saturday. (Photo by Emily Files/KHNS)
Bill Seward listens to assembly members during an interview Saturday. (Photo by Emily Files/KHNS)

Personality won out over experience in the hiring for the next Haines Borough manager.

In a 4-2 vote, the Haines Borough Assembly backed William ‘Bill’ Seward for the job. Seward is a soon-to-be retired Coast Guard veteran who grew up in Alaska. He was chosen over Mark Karet, the candidate some borough staff strongly supported.

Turnover has plagued the top borough job for years. Haines has seen 13 permanent and interim managers in about as many years. This time around, the assembly paid $27,000 plus expenses for a search firm to lead the hunt for candidates. It culminated Saturday, when the assembly, borough staff and a citizens group interviewed four finalists in person.

Three candidates who previously were chosen as finalists withdrew from consideration over the past month. But Bill Seward and Mark Karet were the two who rose to the top Saturday, and they among the assembly’s initial favorites.

The other two finalists who visited were Alaska Public Offices Commission Director Paul Dauphinais and Washington-based Navy director Kevin Opple.

Seward is director of auxiliary and recreational boating safety at a Coast Guard base in Miami.

“I was groomed by the Coast Guard with core values: honor, respect, devotion to duty. Those are our core values and that’s what I’ll bring to this job.”

Seward said he’s pursuing this job because he “desperately” wants to move home to Alaska. He’s originally from Kodiak and is of Tlingit descent.

He said his budgeting and leadership experience in the Coast Guard will translate well in his first local government job.

“I think one of the keys to being a good leader is making sure the person at the lowest level knows what’s going on,” he said. “You’ve got to be transparent, you gotta be an open book and not keep secrets.”

Seward has spent 28 years in the Coast Guard.

Consultant Richard Fursman is tasked with negotiating a contract with Seward. Seward told the assembly during his interview that he would be able to start on June 20.

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