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Communications & Marketing Staff

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That’s worth more than my house!

Senior Consultants Sylvan Robb and Jana Peirce got their hands on a lot of gold at yesterday’s tour of the Kinross Fort Knox mine outside Fairbanks. At yesterday’s gold price, the 22 pound mini-bar was worth $318,116.21. Fort Knox has grown substantially since the economic impact assessment Information Insights conducted in 2001. The mine now employs over 500 people in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Most interesting fact of the day: the mine has to crush and process 1 ton of very low-grade ore to make just $20 so efficiency is important in every aspect of the operation. The company also touts its impressive safety record: over 3.5 million consecutive man-hours worked without a lost-time accident.

Fairbanks Community Economic Development Survey Launched

Interior residents will have a chance to share their insights on the Fairbanks economy through an effort sponsored by the Fairbanks North Star Borough.  The web based survey, which went live today, will allow Fairbanksans to share their thoughts and insights on the area’s economy for the Fairbanks Community Economic Development Visioning Project.  Interested members of the public can complete the survey online until Friday, July 23. Survey questions are designed to solicit ideas from local residents on what’s working well in our economy, what might be upcoming opportunities and what barriers could stand in the way.

“Creating the Fairbanks economic development vision and strategy is really a community exercise,” said Kathryn Dodge, Economic Development Specialist for the Fairbanks North Star Borough.  She continued, “It’s the Community’s vision and plan, the Borough’s role is to support and facilitate developing and implementing it.”

The project includes several phases, including key stakeholder interviews, an online public survey, a community open house/workshop and an economic development summit.  Results of the effort will help guide local government and community economic development strategies, activities and policies.

Major components of Interior Alaska’s economy include the military, University of Alaska, local, state and federal government, mining, tourism, and oil industries.  Fairbanks, as the rest of Alaska, was hit with a milder version of the economic downturn that started in 2008, losing approximately 600 jobs in 2009 according to the Department of Labor.  Fewer jobs losses are expected in 2010.

“Fairbanks is uniquely positioned both in terms of the make-up of the economy and our far north location. Now we need to hear from our citizens – our entrepreneurs, leaders, and researchers,” said Mayor Hopkins.

For more information on the survey, contact Information Insights at (907) 450-2450.

New Web Intern: Emma Funk

Emma Funk is the new web intern for Information Insights.  She is a rising junior at West Valley High School, as well as a part-time student at UAF.  She enjoys photography, theatre, creative writing and kayaking. Over the course of the summer, she will be participating in Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre‘s youth production of Hamlet, as well as playing Juliet in the summer mainstage show, Measure for Measure. One of her original essays appeared in The Best Teen Writing of 2009.

Though she has not worked with Information Insights before, Emma has contributed photography and graphics work to Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater, the Alaska Summer Research Academy and the UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics. Emma will be working under Jana Peirce to assist with web development projects, as well as performing some administrative duties as needed.