A great Alaskan and a greater father

My father is known for his legendary skills and talents as a legislative leader, a person who made understanding people and their daily lives, problems, needs, hopes and dreams translate into action and the policies to achieve them for a better Alaska. I believe he may be the only person to participate in every single consecutive legislative session since 1965 – whether first as a House page, then elected representative, Speaker of the House, journalist, and writer and political analyst for 55 consecutive years of Alaskan history. He made a singular contribution to our state.

But there is another definition of success which is, quite simply, what your children think of you. My father was always there for children, listening to them, believing in them, understanding them, respecting them and fighting for them universally and individually. He always earned the respect and affection of children who trusted him and in many regards he considered his life’s mission to do right by them. I cannot remember a time that he was not there for us, to guide us, to help with the best and hardest challenges, to prepare us and believe in us. And most importantly, loving us always unconditionally. He did this with every child. His example as a person and parent prepared us to make our own decisions and contributions and navigate life.

My father’s influence is part of every facet of my life, but professionally his deep commitment to people and their government and his love of wild places, which first drew him to Alaska, influenced me most. From an early age, I appreciated the tough work the Legislature does to serve our people and state, and the need to listen, to work hard, and to find solutions to problems. I went on to work for the Legislature myself for many districts and communities, rural and urban, across the state, loving the work and the challenges. This work and his values also prepared me to go on to other public policy work across the world and work with communities, business. Industry, and governments for many years to achieve outcomes for ocean conservation with my work for The Pew Charitable Trusts.

For my father, I will always be grateful for instilling in me the value of understanding the people and place where you live, and that you never had to “look very far to find a way to be of help.”

He encouraged policy makers in Anchorage to “look beyond the mountains” to see and witness and understand the rest of Alaska. Since his days as a young riverboat pilot on the Yukon and serving villages up and down the rivers of Alaska, he always strived to listen and understand and even since then as a young twenty-something, was a statesman.

I will always remember him serving in the Speaker’s chair, serving the public, serving his family, and writing into the wee hours of the night, creating an incredible record and legacy for Alaska. And, how he always told me that when in the Speaker’s Chair and in the many years in House Chamber, how he appreciated and love to hear the sounds of children playing at recess across the street at the elementary school playground because it reminded him during toughest negotiations and debates “what it’s all about and why he was here in this chamber.”

I will also remember and appreciate walking around the Capitol Building with him and seeing how legislators and people all throughout the building were drawn to him, to get his expertise, his views, his knowledge as they were grappling with issues before them. And how the archivists and librarians at the State Library were so honored to meet him in person, and meet the man who started and founded his own successful publication, along with his brother Tim Bradner, to create a body of work unlike any other that is a permanent and unique record of our state history.