I’m grateful for my years in Cordova and thrilled to give back to the community by supporting the Cordova Community Foundation.
As some of you know my residence is Anchorage where Nancy and I raised our boys. But I’ve been fishing here since 1986, and I was very involved with PWSAC and CDFU, in particular. We bought a little place in Cordova in the early 2000s where the family would stay for part of the summer and the kids played Little League baseball. I’ve spent a lot of time in Cordova over the years, even though it’s been seasonal. And I’ve always felt more a part of the Cordova community than that of Anchorage. Cordova has been a significant and meaningful part of my life and career, in fishing, and fisheries management and policy. The truth is that my somewhat haphazard path to Cordova and the Copper River gillnet fishery influenced the rest of my life and career in Alaska.
What stood out for me back in the late 1980s is still true today: Cordova is an incredibly vibrant, creative and resourceful community. There are so many talented and thoughtful people who make this a fantastic place.
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard the past few years to establish the Cordova Community Foundation! I want to help maintain and strengthen what makes Cordova special for future generations, and the CCF provides the structure for doing just that.