The Crew - Marine Exchange of Alaska

MXAK CREW

Captain Steve White

Executive Director

(907) 463-5078

Steve joined the Marine Exchange in September of 2021 after serving 31 years in the Coast Guard. His last assignment was Sector Commander and Captain of the Port for SE Alaska.

He served 7 tours throughout Alaska including assignments to 4 ships, 2 of which he served as the Commanding Officer. His other tours included serving on a Coast Guard Atlantic Area ship, service with the Joint Forces Maritime Component Command, serving with Navy and Coast Guard forces in the Middle East and various other Coast Guard units. He has patrolled the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Seas, Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Steve sat on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council as the Coast Guard representative, served as the Enforcement Chair for the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission and was the Incident Commander for the Coast Guard’s Arctic Operations. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Management from the US Coast Guard Academy, a Masters in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War War College and completed a Military Executive Fellowship program with the RAND Corporation. He has a passion for the maritime environment and particularly Alaska. His wife and 3 sons enjoy fishing, boating, hiking and hunting.

Matt York

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

(907) 463-4640

Matt enlisted with the Coast Guard in 1989 and served on the PT HARRIS out of Honolulu, HI.

He was accepted to the Naval Academy Prep School in 1990 and graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1995, then took assignment as a Deck Watch Officer/Ops Officer on SWEETBRIER in Prince William Sound. Following a tour at Marine Safety Office Houston-Galveston in Port Waterways Management, Matt briefly left the Coast Guard for three years and was employed with World Kitchen in Corning, New York. Realizing that New York and civilian employment was nothing like Alaska and the Coast Guard, Matt returned to the Great State with tours in District 17’s Office of Compliance in Juneau, Incident Management/Pollution Response Brach Chief in Valdez, Ports and Waterways Coastal Security in Juneau and completed his twilight tour as the External Affairs Department Head for D17 where he retired after 24 years of Coast Guard service. Matt then spent a year and a half as the U.S. Forest Service’s On-Scene Coordinator for the Tongass and Chugach National Forests prior to being hired by MXAK. Matt and his wife Sue have three daughters: Madison, Molly and Shelby.

John Hollingsworth

Chief Operating Officer

(907) 463-4294

John joined the Marine Exchange in 2020 after retiring from the Coast Guard where he served for 26 years.

John joined the Coast Guard in Florida while still in high school. He graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1994, and began his career in Eureka, CA as a Deck Watch Officer on the ACUSHNET. With an interest in aviation, he attended U.S. Naval Flight Training in Pensacola, and received his wings in 1997. His operational aviation, staff and educational tours of duty took his family to Puerto Rico, Georgia, Purdue University, Washington DC, Kodiak, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and finally to Juneau, as Chief of Incident Management, where he was responsible for all search and rescue and pollution response operations throughout Alaska. John, Kim and their three children stay busy outdoors while fishing, camping, hiking, skiing, and whatever else their love of Alaska presents them.

Ken Phillips

Compliance Manager

(907) 463-3159

Originally from Arvada, Colorado, Ken joined the Marine Exchange in July 2013 after more than 22 years in the Coast Guard.

Ken spent time in Oregon, Wisconsin, Texas and Washington, DC but the majority of his Coast Guard time was spent at Alaska units in Anchorage, Kenai and Juneau. Ken’s background is primarily Marine Safety and Inspection, he wrapped up his Coast Guard career as the Supervisor of the Marine Inspection Detachment in Singapore. The Marine Exchange fit perfectly into his plan to return him and his family to Alaska permanently.

Shawn Mauldin

Chief Solutions Officer

(907) 463-3142

Shawn hails from Valdez, from which he joined the Coast Guard for a 24 year career.

During his time with the Coast Guard, he patrolled Southeast Alaska aboard the Coast Guard Cutter ANACAPA, navigated the Inside Passage as a DWO on the STORIS, experienced the Bering Sea aboard the STORIS, JARVIS and CHASE, and even made a couple open ocean transits to Hawaii, the last of which landed him on the shores of Guam, Singapore and Thailand. After earning his Masters in Info Systems, he returned to Alaska as the CG District 17 Command Center Chief, overseeing the multi-missioned, 24-hour watch in Juneau. To improve maritime domain awareness, he traveled to Moscow and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, brokering Border Service cooperation in managing the Arctic “Donut Hole”. The last 5 years of his career were focused on overseeing the CG’s Nationwide Automatic Identification System contract, developing, prototyping and deploying AIS to the Lower 48. Shawn first started working with the Marine Exchange team in 2005, and a decade later, he transitioned to full time employment.

Kristin Cadigan

Finance manager

(907) 463-4669

Kristin, daughter of a retired Coast Guard Captain, was raised in Juneau after transferring here when she was 10 years old.

After graduating from JDHS, she went to Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Computer Systems. Subsequently, she worked in Arizona and in Illinois before moving back home in 2001 to manage her family's business. With a keen interest in Accounting and Finance, she joined the Marine Exchange in the fall of 2010. Kristin enjoys photography, cooking, traveling, boating, and especially spending time with her husband and children.

Jonathan Wood

Assistant Finance Manager

(907) 463-4650

Originally from Kentucky, Jonathan joined the Marine Exchange staff in May 2014.

After graduating from Transylvania University in Lexington, KY in 2004 with an Economics degree, Jonathan spent a few years working with a local wealth management team at UBS Financial Services. When a career based around the stock market lost its luster, he decided to pursue his passion for the outdoors by relocating to Southeast Alaska and taking a job as a rafting guide in the spring of 2007. This “temporary summer vacation” turned into a 6+ year career in the outdoor industry working in such capacities as a mountain/raft guide, wilderness therapy field instructor and tour manager. In 2013, Jonathan hung up his guide hat and relocated to Juneau and, shortly thereafter, joined the Marine Exchange team.

kim valverde

Director of External Affairs

(907) 463-2607

Born and raised in southern California, Kim moved to Alaska in 2012 after graduating from California State University Channel Islands.

Fueled by a lifelong love of boats, Kim’s experience within the marine industry includes boat sales, marketing, marine surveying, and working as a deckhand. She enjoys being a part of Alaska’s close-knit maritime community and connecting people within the industry. Kim joined the Marine Exchange of Alaska in January of 2020 and looks forward to learning, applying her passion for Alaska’s maritime environments, and contributing to the mission of MXAK. In her off time, she loves spending quality time with her daughter, hiking, foraging, birding, and boating.

Rick Sypeck

Senior Maritime Information Specialist

(907) 463-4850

Rick has lived in Alaska for 20 years. Originally from Miami, Florida, he moved to Alaska after serving in the United States Marine Corps for 3 years.

While in the Marines he was stationed in California, North Carolina, and Okinawa, Japan as a Field Radio Operator, spending a portion of his time in Japan aboard the USS Blue Ridge. After leaving the military, he moved to Fairbanks and worked for DHL Worldwide Express and recently worked with Holland America/Princess here in Juneau. Rick has been a Big Brother with the Big Brother/Big Sisters program here in Southeast Alaska, which helps children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships. He loves walking to the face of the glacier in winter and playing Guitar Hero with his kids.

BrYAn Hinderberger

Chief Technical Officer

(907) 463-4292

Born and raised in the Midwest, Bryan first stepped foot in Alaska in 2006.

It wasn’t long thereafter that he became determined to make this great state his year round home. Bryan has lived in Skagway, Haines, Girdwood, and Unalaska. From 2012-2017 he worked in field operations at the Marine Exchange. He rejoins the team to develop new business opportunities in line with the Marine Exchange Mission and pitch in anywhere an extra set of hands or mind is needed. When not on the clock Bryan can be found overhead in 86D or out on a trail in and around Juneau.

Ed Mayer

Engineering Technologist

(907) 463-3939

A graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, New York, Ed joined the Marine Exchange in the fall of 2010.

He brings a wealth of electronics and technical experience to the Marine Exchange. Prior to joining the marine exchange in 2010, he was employed as a field engineer for a Florida based corporation which specializes in marine navigation and communications electronics. He's traveled to many destinations around the world installing, commissioning, repairing, and maintaining navigation equipment on passenger ships, cargo vessels and the occasional mega yacht. Ed met his wife Nikki in 2012 here in Juneau and has a daughter and two stepsons. He enjoys spending time with his family and getting out on the water.

Jen Dillon

Maritime Operations Analyst

(907) 463-4295

Jen likely acquired her wanderlust and fascination with underwater acoustics from her father, a former Navy submarine sonarman.

Her interests in marine biologics and ecological soundscapes have prompted a number of research projects from studying killer whale vocal development in San Diego, to quantifying tidal power potential in New Zealand, to detailing habitat use of Southern right and Bryde’s whales in South Africa, and investigating harbor seal and vessel interactions in Tracy Arm Fjord. She grew up in a variety of coastal communities in California, Washington, and Hawaii, but has happily made Juneau her homeport for the last 13 years. She loves adventuring, kayaking, bodysurfing, snowboarding, stargazing, fine literature, and absurd movies. Jen is proud to assist in the Marine Exchange’s mission and eager to learn from its operations.

Rob Mayer

IT Systems Technician

(907) 463-1290

Rob joined the U. S. Air Force right out of High School.

As a Communication Systems Radio Operator he served his first year at Clark Air Base Philippines in support of the Strategic Air Command. In 1991 the Air Base was evacuated as part of Operation Fiery Vigil, after which he became a member of the 1st Special Operation Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida. Over the next five years Rob provided voice and data communication between Commanders and Air Assets any time any place. Rob moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1996 where computers and networking became his primary career focus. By 2000, he had attained industry certifications from Microsoft and Cisco. For the next fifteen years he was involved in the design and support of Local and Wide Area Networks for enterprise level corporations including AT&T, The Department of Defense Information Systems Agency, and MasterCard. Rob joins his father and brother as a resident of Juneau. He plans to spend a lot of time on the trails of Juneau and also enjoys watching and photographing marine life.

Nick Hatch

Field Operations Supervsior

(907) 463-2607

Originally from Massachusetts, Nick joined the Marine Exchange technical staff in March 2013.

After graduating from the University of Vermont, Nick headed west to Oregon State University where he obtained a Master’s in Biology. He has lived in Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Hawaii and worked as a biologist for various federal agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Forest Service. He holds a 100 ton U.S. Coast Guard master’s license and also worked in Southeast Alaska as a mate on The Boat Company’s small eco tourist passenger vessel MIST COVE. Nick enjoys all types of outdoor activities and the ability to travel to the unique destinations in Alaska where he installs and services the Marine Exchange’s AIS sites.

COLLIN WIGFIELD-GORKA

FIELD TECHNICIAN

(907) 463-2607

Collin moved to Juneau from the East Coast to attend UAS in 2004.

His original plan was to stay for a year or two but ended up accidentally staying for 14 instead after falling in love with the town’s surrounding mountains and ocean. Collin has worked a variety of jobs over the years but almost always with the common theme of working with his hands outdoors. He spent three years maintaining cabins and trails for the Forest Service and did a stint at a gold mine as an environmental technician. He also ran the service department at a bike shop. In his spare time Collin can usually be found in the hills on either a mountain bike or skis. When he’s not on land you can find him on the water in his home-built wood power dory aptly named Kustom also known as Fathead.

Erik Bachmann

Field Technician

(907) 463-2607

Erik began his nautical career at an early age of 7 months when his parents purchased a Nor’Sea 27 sailboat.

Raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, his family spent summers on the pristine waters of Prince William Sound. He left the state in 2003 to pursue a degree in Geology from Montana State University. After spending time in Montana and Utah enjoying the skiing and mountain biking, he returned to Alaska working as a mining geologist and state geologist. Feeling the call of the sea once more, his wife, dog, and he spent the last 3 years refitting and sailing an old 36 ft sailboat from California to Mexico, across to Hawaii, and ultimately to Juneau, AK. In all, a journey of some 15,000 sea miles. He now holds a USCG captains license and is excited to explore more of the waters of Southeast Alaska.

Ed Shanley

Field Technician

(907) 463-2607

Raised in Juneau, Ed grew up on the waters of the inside passage of Southeast Alaska. He went on to earn a BLA in English and a teaching certificate from Montana State University.

After college, Ed turned his attention to guiding wilderness adventure trips as well as working in the field of telecommunications. He is excited to be working at the Marine Exchange improving maritime safety to the benefit of his many friends and family that earn their living on the water around the state. A passionate skier, Ed has worked on and been featured in a number of ski and snowboard films. When not seeking out first descents in the mountains, Ed is usually found enjoying the wilderness with his wife and son around their cabin up the Taku River.

Matt Barnaby

Maritime Information Specialist

(907) 463-3064

Matt was born to an Air Force family and spent his formable years in the low country of South Carolina, spending as much time possible doing all things ocean and water.

After graduating high school Matt enlisted in the Coast Guard serving as a Health Services Technician being stationed at USCGC STORIS, Air stations Borinquen and Sitka. After the Coast Guard Matt completed a degree in Biology from the University of Alaska Southeast and began work with the State of Alaska, eventually leaving to return to the maritime industry with the Marine Exchange of Alaska. When not working Matt enjoys time with his family, Hunting, fishing, trapping, playing and officiating hockey, and all things beer.

Jason HOrt

MARITIME INFORMATION SPECIALIST

(907) 463-3064

Prior to his time at MXAK, Jason worked as a math and science teacher in public schools outside Philadelphia while his wife earned her doctoral degree at the University of Pennsylvania.

Upon her graduation, they looked for a change of scenery, and found their way to Juneau. Jason spent 1.5 years working with at-risk youth in the Juneau School District before setting out on his most challenging, and rewarding career; that of Stay-At-Home Father. Jason has now joined the crew at MXAK and is thrilled to be using his science background to assist the maritime industries that operate in Alaskan waters. When not at the Marine Exchange, or with his family, Jason can be found out on a local trail, on the ice at the local rink, or on his electric bass guitar.

Denver Enoch

Maritime Information Specialist

(907) 463-3064

Denver was born in a small village on the outskirts of Straubenhardt, Germany.

He grew up the eldest of three brothers and spent many years traveling and experiencing incredible and amazing cultures, Japan, France, England, Sweden, Denmark, Mexico and many places within the the US. Eventually, life brought him to Alaska. While in Alaska, he spent nearly 10 years in Barrow, now known as Utqiagvik. Here he started his professional career in Technology and worked for both the NSBSD, as well as Ilisagvik College. Utqiagvik is also where he met his wife. They moved to Juneau where he was an IS Technician for UAS and developed an even greater love and respect for Alaska. He has lived throughout much of Alaska over the last 20 odd years, and everyday there has been a new adventure, and he can't wait to see where life will take him with the Marine Exchange of Alaska!

Amanda Landvik

Maritime Information Specialist

(907) 463-3064

Amanda was born and raised on the Oregon Coast. She comes from generations of ocean-loving mariners and fisher-people and has always felt most at home near the sea.

She came to Juneau in 2001 to pursue the vast opportunities that Alaska has to offer. She fell in love with Southeast and now, can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. Amanda is a proud mother of 3 boys and loves to take them hiking, fishing, swimming, sledding and snowboarding. Amanda joined the Marine Exchange of Alaska in August 2018 and is very excited to be a part of the MXAK organization.

Dave Loomis

MARITIME INFORMATION SPECIALIST

(907) 463-3064

Originally from New York, Dave first moved to Alaska in 2003 to pursue a wildlife biology career and has traveled extensively throughout the state.

Most of his maritime experience was associated with biological research that brought him from Alaska to Antarctica and many places in between. After leaving Alaska to complete a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Science at Oregon State University, he soon returned. Dave has always been fond of the coast and he eventually found his way to Juneau, and the Marine Exchange. Some of his favorite activities are hiking, fly fishing, camping and traveling. He is excited to explore a new career which continues with work that aids in environmental stewardship while providing a critical service that makes our coastlines safer for everyone.

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