Message from Executive
Director:
20 February 2007
Dear Members and Friends of the Center:
2007 is off to a rapid start. The Trade Center has been very busy as the
New Year gets underway, in January conducting the 2007 Statewide Economic Forecast
Luncheon in Fairbanks and Anchorage and planning for a series of events and programs that
will occur later this year. Most of you know already that this is a special year for the
Trade Center—we are celebrating our 20th Anniversary. We plan to
conduct a number of special events to commemorate this milestone and, in addition, we will
introduce new programs and services to serve you better.
Speaking of the New Year, let me wish you Gung Shi Fat Tsai—the
traditional Chinese New Year greeting that means “Congratulations and Get Rich!”
On Sunday (18 February) I joined with some 900 other Alaskans to celebrate the Chinese New
Year at an event held at East High School.
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Enter the Dragon
The Chinese New Year celebration, that took place at East High School last Sunday, started
with the entrance of several dragons to the auditorium. This was followed by a number of
music and dance performances. It was a delightful afternoon of food and entertainment to
celebrate the “Year of the Golden Pig.” |
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This annual gathering was
organized by the Alaska Chinese Association and featured Chinese food and a variety of
cultural performances. The celebration got off to loud and colorful start as several
dragons entered the auditorium to the beat of drums and bells.
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2007 is the “Year of the Golden
Pig”, an especially auspicious year for good fortune. Our congratulations to Edwin
Chan, the president of the Alaska Chinese Association, and his group that conducted the
event. Be sure to mark you calendar
now so that you so you won’t miss our upcoming luncheon meeting: On Wednesday, 7 March,
Harold Heinze, the CEO of the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority,
will provide an important update on the status of various scenarios to commercialize Alaska’s
North Slope gas reserves. Heinze will present “Connecting Alaskans to the
Their Natural Gas” at the luncheon that begins at 12 Noon and is
conducted at the Wells Fargo Bank Building (5th Floor Boardroom) on the corner of Northern
Lights and “C” street.
Japanese Consul Yoshio Uchiyama will be the
featured speaker at our luncheon on Wednesday, 4 April. Japan is Alaska’s
long-standing number one trading partner and a major investor in Alaskan industries. We are
looking forward to Consul Uchiyama’s presentation. This event will also be held at
Wells Fargo Bank, beginning at 12 Noon. To make your reservations for these luncheon
meetings, please call the Center at 278-7233 or let us know by e-mail: info@wtcak.org
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“Gung Shi Fat Tsai”
Greg Wolf, the executive director of WTCAK, exchanges New Year’s greetings with Edwin
Chan, the president of the Alaska Chinese Association. |
Visit our web site,
www.wtcak.org,
regularly for announcements, special reports and other updates. I hope to see you at our
upcoming events.
Best Regards,
Greg Wolf
Executive Director
"Serving
Alaska's Business Community Since 1987" |
