s I step into the role of president for Associated General Contractors of Alaska, I find myself reflecting on the people, places, and experiences that shaped my path into this industry. Like many of you, my story is woven into Alaska itself, its history, its challenges, and its unwavering strength.
I am the daughter of an immigrant.
My father, Sig Jokiel, left the industrial pulse of Düsseldorf in 1960 to study at the University of Alaska, where he met my mother, who was raised across rural Alaska as the daughter of Bureau of Indian Affairs teachers. My childhood in the ‘80s and ‘90s was full of lessons shaped by a struggling economy, bank failures, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill. I was raised with an entrepreneurial spirit and grew up watching my parents navigate the economies of those decades. While friends asked for bedtime stories, I asked for business stories and my parents would read chapters from books by Lee Iacocca and Zig Ziglar.
I grew up on job sites, in ice rinks, in the back of a Cessna 185, and around people whose grit and determination defined what it means to be Alaskan. I am—and always will be—the proud daughter of a construction-working hockey player.
Those early experiences formed the foundation for the leadership attitude I carry today: the Northern Attitude.
We don’t wait for perfect conditions.
We don’t turn around when the work gets tough.
The Northern Attitude is quiet grit.
It’s showing up when it’s dark.
It’s building when it’s cold.
It’s sharing the common experience of isolation and lending a hand regardless.
It is the fierce belief that progress is always possible—because we show up, dig deep, and get it built.
This mindset runs through our contractors, apprentices, labor partners, engineers, operators, and every community our work touches. It is what has always set Alaska apart.
The next generation is watching us closely. We must ensure the doors of this industry remain open, accessible, and full of possibility.
Leadership today must include empathy. It must include willingness to talk about mental health, to normalize conversations that were once taboo. Even small actions—like beginning meetings with “box breathing” or other cortisol reducers—can create safer, healthier environments. Compassion is not separate from construction; it is a core competency that keeps our teams whole.
- 40 communities impacted
- 15 contractors mobilized
- 55 work authorizations issued
- $65 million in recovery
- 2 million pounds of material moved within days
What stands out is not the devastation, it’s the determination. Alaskans get up, gear up, and get it done. That’s who we are.
The math is clear: 90% federal. 10% Alaska. 100% smart.
Meeting the match means stronger communities, safer roads, improved ports, resilient energy systems, and opportunities for every contractor in this state. When Alaska meets the match, Alaska moves forward.