I was born and raised in the Rocky Mountains, and I attended the University of Utah where I majored in skiing and received a minor in skateboarding. After loitering on the U of U campus for four years I decided it was time for a change of scenery. So, in a master stroke of genius, I decided to sell everything and move to the east coast to get my graduate degree (MBA) from a prestigious college to round out my education. I had no clue how I was going to pay for it, but I was undaunted, prepared for an adventure, and I heard the big apple calling.

So, there I was with $1,020 in my pocket and everything else I still owned was in my backpack when I landed in Anchorage, Alaska on November 3rd, 1983. The extra $20 bucks came from my Dad at the SLC airport where he dropped me off. He patted me on the back and in his loving tone said good luck finding yourself kid… Thanks Dad!

I suppose you could say I followed the Rocky Mountains north to Alaska, but in truth, it was a flight attendant for Western Airlines. Did I just date myself?

The landing was routinely uneventful, you couldn’t see anything because it was already dark, and the snow was blowing horizontally from north to south as it buffeted the aircraft which landed hard. I had anticipated exiting the aircraft as I boarded it, through a jetway. Nope! They lowered the stairs, and everyone walked to the gate, carry-on in tow, during a full-on blizzard!

The airport was tiny back then, and it seemed very ramshackle and dirt poor. I wondered if the jet had been caught up in a mysterious vortex returning passengers to a prehistoric date in time in the Arctic version of “The Land That Time Forgot”. Sure enough, in the terminal, there was some sort of Woolly Mammoth display and I was convinced this diversion had been a big mistake. I was clutching tightly the Anchorage-to-LaGuardia portion of my ticket in my hand to make sure it did not get lost in the blizzard. Now, I was hearing the big apple calling ever so loudly.

My flight attendant friend met me at the airport and informed me we were going to meet her parents for drinks at their house. Really??? Already? I felt sort of like she was presenting me as a trophy, and I was on display. Tired from travel and wanting to be a good guest I did not protest, too much.

On the way to her parents’ house, an interesting and pivotal event occurred. We stopped at the intersection of Jewel Lake and Dimond Blvd., I looked up at the street sign and gasped “they can’t even spell Diamond correctly”. Okay, one would think that was odd enough, but my companion looked at me and, in a deadpan manner said: “Do you mean that’s not how you’re supposed to spell Diamond?”. She was completely serious. Ironically, she would move from Anchorage to be based in SLC and I would remain in Alaska.

It was several years later I learned Dimond Boulevard was named after a prominent territorial judge in Alaska. Mystery solved!

The following day, we took a drive to Girdwood (Ski Resort) along the Turnagain Arm on the Cook Inlet. It had gotten very cold the night before and hoars frost covered everything. The day was brightly lit by the sun which was cresting low on the southern horizon. It seemed a fanciful fantasy and as days go it was a beautiful, crisp clear day. Chain link fences became solid sheets of frost while trees seemed to droop under the weight of the frost clinging to them. It reminded me of the winter palace scenes in the movie Dr. Zhivago. It was as stunning as it was breathtaking but as breathtaking as it was, nothing could prepare me for what came next.

At a certain point along the Seward highway, you pop up over the coastline and can finally see the opening to the Turnagain arm with mountains soaring out of the sea while pack ice moves on the oceans’ tide. I knew at that exact moment I would not leave Alaska and every time I venture out of Alaska for business or pleasure I long to return home. I hadn’t found myself yet, but I did find my home. Or, perhaps it found me. Thanks, Dad!

There would be many more breath-taking moments… Discovering Alaska, finding myself, and more. Those moments that take my breath away don’t seem to be in short supply, even to this day, 35 years later. As a father of two and a husband to my wife, who is a survivor of breast cancer, I know what is truly important in my life.

I have worked in the local aviation and telecom industries and I have bootstrapped my own businesses from the ground up. I know how hard building a successful business can be, the sacrifices, and how difficult the decision to sell that business can be. I’ve bought, built, and sold my own businesses. I’ve been there. I know.

Most recently I served as the Large Project Manager for the Department of Transportation and Natural Resources effectively becoming the Geospatial Information Officer (GIO) at the State of Alaska for nearly 13 years. I was honored nationally for the achievements of my work to map Alaska, and I received an Alaska Legislative Citation in 2007. This was a passion-driven effort and there were many moving parts.

The accolades and awards have piled up over my career, but-frankly-they are merely a product of my work ethic, integrity, drive, and passion. I will work hard for you and I will work judiciously to strategically align your interests with a credible and complimentary interest to arrive at the best outcome for both parties.

I love doing this and I find it as fun as it is rewarding. Not a day goes by that I don’t learn something new and useful. That said, I don’t have all the answers, but I know where to go to get them.

Very truly yours,

Nick~