Alaska Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development

10/06/2026

Cordova fishermen, small business owners and entrepreneurs... mark your calendars! Our Division of Investments loan officer, Ty Yamaoka, will be in town October 8-10 and ready to meet with you in person.

📍 Where: CDFU Union Hall
📅 When: October 8-10, 2026

Ty can speak with you about our Commercial Fishing Loan Program, Mariculture Loan Program and Small Business Loan options, whether you're exploring financing or already working with us.

This time of year, we're especially focused on supporting our current borrowers. If your annual payment is coming up and timing is tight, don't wait, let's talk through your options together.

To schedule a time to meet, call our office at 907-465-2510, or simply stop by the Union Hall.

What questions do you have about our loan programs? Drop them below!

10/05/2026

09/30/2026

A Petersburg sawmill is about to get a major upgrade.

Alaska Timber and Truss is getting a $2.5 million boost from a partnership between Spruce Root, Sitka Conservation Society, and DCCED's Division of Investments Small Business Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund. The investment will modernize the mill's equipment, expand its ability to process Southeast Alaska young-growth timber, and shift operations from diesel to Petersburg's hydroelectric grid.

The result: 10 new jobs, 5 preserved positions, and a stronger supply chain for Alaska-made wood products, including lumber already reaching communities like Scammon Bay and supporting rebuilding efforts in Western Alaska after Typhoon Halong.

This is the result of public investment, mission-driven lenders, and local business owners with a shared vision. Petersburg's mill could be the blueprint for the next chapter of Alaska's timber industry.

09/29/2026

You've been scammed. Now what?

This wraps up our crypto scam series, and it's the most important part: knowing exactly where to report it.

Here's your resource list, no acronym guesswork required:

📍 Alaska Division of Banking & Securities (DBS): the state regulator overseeing securities, investments, and banking activity in Alaska
📍 SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission): federal agency that regulates the stock market and investment securities
📍 CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission): federal agency overseeing commodities and derivatives markets, including many crypto scams
📍 IC3 (FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center): where you report online and internet-based crime directly to the FBI
📍 FTC (Federal Trade Commission): federal agency handling consumer fraud and deceptive business practices

Or skip the list and call us directly: 📞 907-269-8140

Reporting matters, even if you think it's too late to get your money back. Every report helps investigators spot patterns and stop the next scam before it happens.

Missed the rest of the series? Comment "SERIES" below and we'll walk you through it.

09/28/2026

Alaska's entrepreneurs have big dreams. Our loan officers help connect them to the resources that make those dreams possible. Now we're looking for someone to lead that team.

The Division of Investments is hiring a Loan Officer 3 to supervise our Juneau lending team and oversee all nine of our revolving loan programs statewide. This on-site Juneau role carries real leadership weight: guiding staff, upholding lending standards across every program, and ensuring the loans behind Alaska's economy are administered with integrity.

What you'd own:
- Supervising and coaching a team of loan officers, from workload to performance evaluations
- Ensuring every loan decision meets statute, regulation and division standards
- Traveling statewide to promote loan programs and support borrowers

We're a close-knit, mission-driven team: friendly, collaborative, and proud of work that strengthens communities from Juneau to the most remote corners of Alaska.

Comment "LOANOFFICER" below and we'll send you the link to apply.

09/21/2026

Scammers aren't lucky. They're professionals.

If you've ever fallen for a scam (or almost did), that's not a reflection of your intelligence. Scammers are trained to push you into a heightened emotional state, fear, urgency, excitement, panic, where clear thinking gets hard and fast decisions feel necessary.

The Division of Banking and Securities and the State of Alaska Department of Law want every Alaskan to hear this: there is no shame in being targeted. The shame game is part of how scammers keep victims quiet.

Talking about it is how we protect the next person.

09/16/2026

⚡ What's next for Alaska's energy future?

Join AEA CEO and Executive Director Curtis W. Thayer at the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce's "Make it Monday" Forum Luncheon for an update on energy projects, investments, and planning efforts underway across Alaska.

Learn about major Railbelt infrastructure projects, rural energy initiatives, renewable energy development, and other efforts shaping Alaska's energy future.

📅 Monday, Sept. 21
🕦 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
🔈 Anchorage Chamber "Make it Monday" Forum Luncheon
📍Petroleum Club of Anchorage

👉 Register at https://tinyurl.com/5b4fr65m

09/15/2026

Gift cards feel like credit cards, but they don't come with the same protections, and scammers know it.

Once that code is handed over, the money can be nearly impossible to trace back. But you're not out of options if you act fast:

1️⃣ Contact the company that issued the gift card immediately (example: Home Depot). They may be able to cancel the card or stop the shipment of goods purchased with it.

2️⃣ Report the scam to the FBI at IC3.gov so it's on record and can be investigated.

Scammers are counting on you to feel embarrassed or too late to act. You're not. Speed matters here, so don't wait.

Know someone who's dealt with this? Tell them to check the comments for what to do next. 👇

Want to catch up on the rest of the series? Drop a comment and we'll point you to it.

09/11/2026

Today, on the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, we remember the lives lost, honor the first responders and others who answered the call to serve, and recognize the spirit of unity that followed.

As part of the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, Serve Alaska, State Service Commission and AmeriCorps Alaska volunteers are putting that spirit into action across the state.

In Anchorage, Serve Alaska and Alaska Afterschool Network volunteers joined the Alaska Department of Health to prepare and package “Hope the Husky” wellness activity books for youth across Alaska. The books help kids learn how to make safe, healthy and kind choices at home, at school and in their communities.

In Sitka, Sitka AmeriCorps members and ArtistYear Fellows are partnering with the Sitka Cemetery Association on a community cleanup and beautification project.

Today, we honor, serve and unite.

09/09/2026

The Division of Investments is heading to Petersburg and Wrangell! 📍

Yvonne will be on hand to talk through the Commercial Fishing Loan and Small Business Loan programs, whether you're looking to purchase a permit, upgrade your vessel, or grow your local business.

📅 Petersburg
Sept 14: 9:00am - 11:30am and 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Sept 15: 9:00am - 12:00pm
📍 Assembly Chambers, 2nd Floor Municipal Building, 12 South Nordic Dr

📅 Wrangell
Sept 16: 9:00am - 11:30am and 1:00pm - 4:00pm
📍 Wrangell Assembly Chambers, 205 Brueger Street

Walk-ins welcome, or book your spot ahead of time by calling 907-209-6874.

Drop a comment if you're planning to stop by, or tag a fellow fisherman or business owner who should know about this!