04/11/2019 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

         SB 100-NAMING WILLARD E. DUNHAM RESIDENCE HALL                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:36:20 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER announced the consideration  of SENATE BILL NO. 100,                                                               
"An Act naming the Willard E. Dunham Residence Hall."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:36:33 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE, bill  sponsor, said the bill  was introduced at                                                               
the request  of the people  of Seward.  Mr. Willard Dunham  was a                                                               
great man who passed away March  1. After the earthquake in 1964,                                                               
he  worked to  rebuild Seward.  He was  the founding  director of                                                               
AVTEC [Alaska's Institute of Technology]  and served from 1969 to                                                               
2019. He  worked to bring the  Alaska Sea Life Center  to Seward.                                                               
He always put  his community and Alaska first. He  was an amazing                                                               
man.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MICCICHE  said the  bill renames  AVTEC dormitory  as the                                                               
Willard E. Dunham Residence Hall.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:38:19 PM                                                                                                                    
CHEYENNE  GIRMSCHEID,  Intern,  Senator  Peter  Micciche,  Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska,  said Mr.  Dunham spent  his                                                               
life working toward  and advocating for a better  quality of life                                                               
in his community. He worked  for the Alaska railroad before being                                                               
drafted  into the  Army and  was  stationed in  Fairbanks in  the                                                               
early 50s.  After his  Army service,  he worked  on the  docks in                                                               
Seward until the 1964 earthquake  wiped out the docks, along with                                                               
most of the town.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS.  GIRMSCHEID said  this led  him to  work full  time with  the                                                               
Department of Labor and the City  of Seward. He had an impressive                                                               
record  of community  service and  employment  projects. Some  of                                                               
these projects included the Spring  Creek Correctional Center and                                                               
the Seward  Library and Museum.  He was  mayor of Seward  for two                                                               
years and  sat on nearly  every city task force,  commission, and                                                               
committee  over  a  60-year  period.   One  thing  that  came  up                                                               
repeatedly in  her discussions with  AVTEC staff was  his passion                                                               
for Alaska  and his dedication  to Seward. As director  of AVTEC,                                                               
he reminded  his students and  staff of  the goals of  the school                                                               
and Seward itself. These are  the values that Willard Dunham left                                                               
impressed on  those around him  and the values that  AVTEC wishes                                                               
to honor and remember.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER noted the letters  of support from the community and                                                               
asked if  they had reached  out to the  family. He asked,  out of                                                               
concern  for  due  diligence,  if there  was  any  opposition  to                                                               
renaming the hall.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS. GIRMSCHEID said  the person she spoke to with  AVTEC had been                                                               
in contact with family, friends, and coworkers.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:41:36 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE  said the community  is excited about  the bill.                                                               
Mr.  Dunham was  beloved  by  his community.  They  have lots  of                                                               
support.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked if the building already had a name.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. GIRMSCHEID answered  that it was just the  Third Avenue AVTEC                                                               
facility.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  REINBOLD   said  Mr.   Dunham  sounds   impressive.  She                                                               
generally  has  a  challenge with  naming  things  after  persons                                                               
because  people have  no idea  why  that person  was chosen  over                                                               
others. She  asked if  a there  can be a  plaque on  the building                                                               
that  states why  the dormitory  is named  after Mr.  Dunham. She                                                               
thinks  informative  plaques  are  critical  for  people  in  the                                                               
future.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. GIRMSCHEID said the city is  collecting funds to buy a plaque                                                               
that will do that.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:43:48 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER opened public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:43:59 PM                                                                                                                    
CATHY  LECOMPTE, Director,  AVTEC, Seward,  Alaska, testified  in                                                               
support of SB 100. She said  the ribbon cutting will be September                                                               
27. The  plaque is being purchased  by the city of  Seward and it                                                               
will explain  who Mr. Dunham  was and  remind students to  live a                                                               
life of public service in honor  of Mr. Dunham. He was an amazing                                                               
man. Because of his efforts  at AVTEC, thousands of Alaskans have                                                               
gone through  AVTEC and been trained  for work and have  had good                                                               
careers. They continue to do that to this day, 50 years later.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:44:55 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER closed public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:45:13 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:45:44 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER reconvened the meeting.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MICCICHE said  that because  it is  a state  building, a                                                               
name change requires  a bill. Mr. Dunham was a  friend of his and                                                               
a mentor. He  provided the ultimate example of  public service in                                                               
the state of Alaska.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER asked the will of the committee.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:46:25 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  COGHILL  moved to  report  SB  100 from  committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER found no objection and SB 100 passed from the                                                                      
Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.