A gathering of NOAA Fisheries employees applauded as the Progress Pride flag was raised June 1 just after noon at the Hurff A. Saunders Federal Building in Juneau.

It was the first time in history that a Pride Flag was raised at the Juneau federal building. The momentous flag-raising event followed opening remarks given by Regional Administrator Jon Kurland and Deputy Regional Administrator Jamal Moss.

Pride Month commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising.

The familiar rainbow flag is a symbol for Pride Month, dedicated to the celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights. In recent years, the flag has been updated and expanded to represent the intersectional diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, and Two-Spirit communities. This flag is called the Progress Pride flag.

The NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office aims to build a work environment that promotes inclusion, equity, and accessibility. The impetus to raise the Progress Pride flag at the Juneau federal building came from members of AKR's IDEA Team, and was supported by the Senior Leadership Team.

The Alaska Region followed Department of Commerce and General Services Administration guidelines for the flag raising. GSA flew the Progress Pride Flag throughout the entire month of June in honor of Pride Month.

Editor's Note: This story will be featured on the NOAA Fisheries website in early July. We are sharing it with AKR employees first. IDEA Team member Skylar Bayer was also interviewed on Juneau's KTOO A Juneau Afternoon.

In honor of National Disability Pride Month, the Alaska Region is highlighting the diverse work of biologist Dr. Skylar Bayer and her upcoming book on disabilities and chronic medical conditions in STEM fields. July is National Disability Pride Month, which commemorates the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, including in employment, transportation, public accommodations, and communications, and in relation to access to state and local government services. 

Dr. Bayer’s new book, Uncharted, is a collection of powerful first-person stories by current and former scientists with disabilities or chronic conditions who have faced changes in their careers, including both successes and challenges, because of their health. 

Read more.

In early May, Leah Gregg traveled to Bellingham, WA to participate in a cross-regional site visit with the WCR and NOAA Restoration Center. The focus of the site visit was to see the Washington State Restoration and Conservation Office's (RCO) projects funded by the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF).

PCSRF-funded projects support conservation efforts in Alaska, Washington, California, Oregon, and Idaho to reverse the declines of Pacific salmon and steelhead.

Read more.

By Julie Fair

What started as a pleasant stay in a Forest Service cabin led to a unique federal partnership between NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office and the Alaska Office of the U.S. Forest Service. 

It was a fall hunting trip to Eight Fathom Bight cabin near Hoonah. After a couple days of decent weather, we had one of those typical October days where it pounded so hard on the cabin’s metal roof, no one wanted to go out. Not that we didn’t have anything else to do—we had already played Euchre and Yahtzee—so we started leafing through the cabin journal and other papers stacked nicely on the table. 

There were tide tables, hunting and fishing regs, and a smattering of other informational materials. But something was missing: information from NOAA Fisheries.

Read more.

We recognize that our people are our greatest asset and we are committed to integrating health and wellness into the core of our organization.

Throughout July, the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) will facilitate wellness seminars sponsored by our Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) providers, highlighted below. Click on the event links below to register and receive an invitation link to your email. 

Summer Safety, Wednesday, July 5, 8-9 a.m. AKDT - Learn about preventive measures and how to recognize the signs of heat-related illnesses to protect yourself and others during the summer. 

Visualization Guided Summer Bliss Meditation, Monday, July 10, 8-9 a.m. AKDT - Learn meditation techniques to enhance feelings of relaxation, peace, and calmness by visualizing positive scenes, images, or figures. 

Family Health, Tuesday, July 11, 10-11 a.m. AKDT - Learn easy low impact exercises that diffuse stress and promote balance, control, flexibility, harmony, and cardiovascular fitness.  

Jumpstart Your Metabolism, Wednesday, July 12, 8-9 a.m. AKDT - Learn helpful tips to jumpstart your metabolism and help you to reach your goals.  

Anti-Depressants and Anti-Anxiety Medication Hesitancy, Wednesday, July 19, 8-9 a.m. AKDT - Learn about the common anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications, the reasons they are prescribed, and common side effects and other risk factors.  

Make and Take Appetizer, Wednesday, July 19, 8-9 a.m. AKDT - Discussion on the importance of balanced snacks for optimal nutrition and energy. 

Make and Take: Lunchbox, Wednesday, July 26, 8-9 a.m. AKDT - Learn the importance of a balanced lunch for optimal nutrition and energy to fuel your day.  

Please join the Employee Advisory Council (EAC) in congratulating Krista Milani on being selected as the June Employee of the Month. 

Krista is an exemplary representative for the Alaska Region and is recognized for her superior customer service and open communication to fishermen, processors, constituents, and coworkers.

Krista serves as the AKR’s sole Inseason Management staff in Unalaska (Dutch Harbor), Alaska, an especially valuable fishing port to NMFS and the nation.

Krista has numerous walk-in and phone customers who are looking for help and know she is reliable. The customers vary, ranging from managers of processing plants and fishing captains, to people getting started in the fishing business. She answers a huge range of questions about fisheries regulations, helps resolve issues, and educates on the usage of applications.

She has an amazing breadth of knowledge and conducts herself with friendliness, professionalism, and courtesy to everyone. She has increased our communication with the industry and public. She collaborates with other SF branches (scale inspections), divisions - necropsies for PRD, and agencies - ADF&G State water fishery interactions. 

Nominate your coworker for Employee of the Month here!