It’s election season, and in Haines two candidates filed to run in the mayoral contest. KHNS is bringing those candidates to you as part of a series of profiles that will air in the weeks leading up to our Candidate Forum.
Mayor Jan Hill. (Haines Borough)
Jan Hill is not new to the mayor’s seat. She will finish her fourth term this fall. And she says she still has a lot to offer Haines.
“I believe that I am a resource to this community. Having done it as much as I have,” she said.
This is her second consecutive term, so she’s been in the role since 2014.
“There are things that I’ve been working on for a long time and they’re not quite done yet. And I’d like to continue working on them. But mostly I, I love what I do, and I love serving this community,” said Hill.
She’s served the community as more than just mayor. Hill sat on the Haines Borough Assembly before she ran for the Mayor’s seat. She has served on, presided over, and chaired a number of boards, including the Haines Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Conference, Alaska Municipal League, and Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium boards.
She was elected president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors by all of the mayors in the state of Alaska last year.
For several years Hillserved as president of the Chilkoot Indian Association council. She worked for Klukwan Incorporated in the early 1970s, when the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was adopted. Hill is a shareholder of that corporation.
Hill is a lifelong Haines resident, but she was actually born in Skagway. She says that’s the case for a lot of people in her age group because there was a hospital there at that time. Hill went away for college and traveled, but has always returned to Haines.
“After three or four supposed moves away, I quit hauling all of my worldly possessions, knowing that I would always be coming home. So Haines has always been my home. And I have generations of history on both sides of my family and pains. So it’s near and dear to my heart,” she said.
Those generations of history include Tlingit and Champagne-Aishihik lineage. When Hill is not running Haines Borough Assembly meetings, you can find her in a traditional Tlingit dance group—though practices have been suspended lately due to COVID-19 health precautions.
Hill also spends time with family to unwind from Mayoral duties.
“I love hanging out with family and friends and having what I call “no-brainer” time, where I’m not having to think about critical things or be making decisions. My family is very important to me.”
Before the pandemic, Hill traveled frequently to the Yukon to connect with family and friends there.
Hill says she has two major priorities if she’s elected for another term: the boat harbor expansion project and nurturing the tourism industry. She says the boat harbor is critically important.
“I grew up in a fishing family. My husband was also a commercial fisherman, so and, you know, I grew up in Haines, we live on the water. And so doing something for the part of our community that lives and plays on the water is an important thing. I would like to continue to encourage and move that project forward and see it to completion,” she said.
She said the visitor industry is also crucial to Haines’ economic future. She said she and the tourism director are working together to bring a new cruise line to the Haines port and secure the tourism industry for next year.
Hill acknowledged that Haines will face significant challenges over the next three years, but she says every year is a challenge, and she’s up for it.
You can listen to the profile of Hill’s challenger, Doug Olerud, here.
