CIRI’s development of quality business partnerships continues to afford us key opportunities for sound investments. Throughout my years as President and CEO of CIRI, I have always strived to encourage and develop crucial relationships with quality business partners, with other Alaska Native corporations and with Alaskan leaders. The human factor of how we treat others is as important to them as it is to us.

I am pleased to inform you that we are currently in the process of pursuing an investment in the wireless phone industry, which has become available to us as a result of our relationship with our business partners.
We are repaid for the respect we accord to our business partners in many ways, not the least of which is the respect CIRI gains for its manner of doing business. It is my fervent hope that CIRI’s next President and CEO will continue to place much importance and value on our business relationships.

I find it particularly gratifying that we are making this new investment as I prepare to make my departure from CIRI after 32 years with the company. While all of us are tempering our expectations for this investment, we feel confident that it is an excellent opportunity. It is not the scale of the investment that yielded us such spectacular results a few years ago, but we believe it is a good, solid endeavor with the potential to provide for substantial returns.

CIRI is an institution – a corporation – and it is also flesh and blood individuals. It is the people who determine its success. These people are the shareholders, the employees, the members of the board of directors and the management team. Each of us plays a key role in ensuring that we continue to give and receive respect. Continuing on the course we have charted will lead us to continued success.

As I prepare to depart CIRI, I am leaving at a time when we have substantial reserves of cash on hand, virtually no debt and participation in a number of sound investments. These are part of what makes this course possible for us.

In a very short time, I will go from being President and CEO of CIRI to shareholder of CIRI. This change will be a major one for me, as well as for CIRI. There is one thing, however, that remains the same no matter what, and that is the concern I have for CIRI’s future. It is a concern that is made up of the hopes and dreams I hold in my heart for what CIRI will mean to my grandchildren and their children. It is a concern that I believe many of you share. And it is a concern that will be met by good, sound, solid relationships built on mutual respect.