New harbormaster has roots in Seward’s maritime community

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 @ 3:41 pm | Alaska, Articles

For the Seward City News, February, 2008

Long-time local and life-long salty dog, Kari Anderson is Seward’s new Harbormaster.

Anderson will fill the position once held by Scott Ransom. Ransom retired earlier this month but will provide support through the completion of the North Harbor project in the spring. Ransom worked with the Harbor Master’s office for 25 years.

Deputy Harbormaster Jim Lewis will be the interim harbormaster until Anderson takes the reigns, February 25.

Anderson lived a whole of 14 days on earth before she was first introduced to maritime life. She spent her first four years of life on a tug boat with her parents, Sharon Anderson and John “Andy” Anderson before the family settled in Seward. The Andersons built the successful tug business that carries their name. One of the company’s tugs, the Kari A, is named after our new Harbor Master.

A Seward high school graduate, Anderson attended Duke University in the late 1990s where she earned a Bachelors degree in biology with a minor in economics.

Anderson advanced her career as a professional mariner when she attended AVTEC’s Master/Mate in 2001. She has captained boats ever since.

Anderson sailed for two winters on a schooner from Newport, Rhode Island to Key West, Florida, captained a tugboat for half a year in Anchorage, worked on boats in Hawaii and worked on a private yacht in Costa Rica and the Galapagos.

During these years, no matter which of the seven seas Anderson may have found herself sailing, she said she always returned to Seward in the summer to run tour boats into the Kenai Fjords National Park.

Seward became Anderson’s full-time home for the first time in nearly a decade when she returned in 2005. She then began working in the Maritime Department at AVTEC, initially as an instructional aid and eventually as an instructor for marine classes.

The following text is an email interview of Kari Anderson by this reporter.

Reporter: What are some of your first tasks, or goals for the Seward Small Boat harbor?

Anderson: My priorities would be as follows:

Maintain established safety standards, and continue to follow best management practices concerning environmental operations within the harbor. Encourage fire and port security training. Continue and update port operation manuals and procedures. Practice efficient management techniques, follow agendas and adhere to deadlines. Attain the highest level of organization, and regularly consult priority lists.

Represent and listen to the needs of our community and industry. Develop harbor policy with these needs in mind, and seek advice from those who have encountered similar problems or opportunities. Receive, research, and respond to public inquiries in a polite and timely manner.

Facilitate and encourage communication between Seward and other ports within Alaska and around the world. Maintain our premier port status, and seek opportunities for growth. Recognize the port of Seward is part of international commercial, shipping, and tourism industries and maintain positive relationships with each of these entities.

Reporter: What do you expect to happen during the transition from Scott Ransom’s administration to yours?

Anderson: My goal is to create a smooth transition and foster the positive environment that exists in the harbor right now. I’m excited about this new challenge, and I look forward to being an integral part of the growth and change in Seward.

My goal as Harbormaster is to lead by example while working to make the port of Seward the best it can be. I want our Harbor to be a place where other city and marina planners come to get ideas, and model their own communities after. I want designers to come to Seward to specifically see an example of a ‘great harbor,’ and I want the community to be proud of it.

Reporter: Your family has a long history in Seward. How will your many years as a Seward resident affect your decision-making and project planning as Seward’s new Harbormaster? As a long-time resident, what do you think the Seward Small Boat Harbor means to the residents of Seward?

Anderson: I’m pleased that this city decided to hire a ‘local’ for this position. I think an important part of stepping into a position like this to understand existing relationships between professional entities in town. And I feel that I have a big advantage in this area because have worked in the harbor for over 10 years now. I have recently served on the Port and Commerce board which has helped me to stay current on city policies and issues.

Anderson said she can also tap into local expertise and wisdom. “In addition to the two previous Harbormasters [who still] reside in Seward, I can draw on the experience from local business owners and harbor users to seek advice or suggestions,” Anderson said.

Reporter: What are some hurdles you see for the harbor in the coming months and years, out to 15 years. What exciting new things?

Anderson: I want to make sure the current projects are finished in a timely manner and according to engineering specifications and the city’s wishes. The demand for slips within the Harbor is only going to grow in the coming years, and this will continue to be a challenge to accommodate everyone. I am looking forward to assisting with the development of the ‘new southern uplands’ area (I’m not sure what is the official term for this area), and re-evaluating current land use around the Small Boat Harbor.

Reporter: Why did you want to devote you time and talents to being Seward’s harbormaster.

Anderson: I look forward to the variety in this job, outdoor physical work combined with mentally stimulating components; communication, planning and becoming further involved in the community, all things I like. I honestly don’t have further political or career aspirations, quality of life is very important to me and enjoying my occupation is a priority.

Contact Russell Stigall at russellstigall@gmail.com. See more of Russell’s work at www.russellstigall.com.