When he saw his hometown’s response to a fire at the Twin Lakes Playground in April, James Gilchrest was proud.
Gilchrest, a former volunteer with Capital City Fire/Rescue, saw that Juneau’s emergency response team was at the playground quickly and was able to ensure that nobody was hurt.
“Our city did great on the playground,” Gilchrest said. “People were there and you can tell that our emergency management team is on top of what they’re doing. That’s what I like to do.”
Gilchrest, a 2012 graduate of Thunder Mountain High School, has taken a deep interest in emergency management and has an opportunity that no other Alaskan has had to pursue that interest. This year, Gilchrest was one of around a dozen people around the world to be accepted into the Newman’s Own Foundation Fellowship Program. He’s the first fellow to come from Alaska since the fellowship began in 2015.
The program supports careers in the nonprofit sector by connecting students with work experience with philanthropic programs. Gilchrest, who has served both with the Alaska National Guard and the Air National Guard, will be working at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVFM) in Syracuse, New York.
Gilchrest leaves for orientation at the end of this week, and will start with IVFM just days later. IVFM provides education for veterans entering the workforce or going back to school, while also providing resources for families of veterans.
He recently graduated from University of Alaska Fairbanks with a degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management with a minor in business. He’s not sure exactly where this career path will lead him, but he’s looking to help with emergency management for businesses.
“Community connection is why I like the degree,” Gilchrest said, “because you can’t really be an emergency manager and not have the ability to connect with people and help them see why they should be considering these things.”
Having an understanding of emergency management comes in handy for people in various professions, Gilchrest said. From fire chiefs to political figures to small business owners, knowing how to act in a crisis is a vital skill to have.
He learned on the job, being deployed to Guantanamo Bay for 11 months as part of the AKNG 297th Military Police company. Gilchrest spent much of the time reading and preparing for his degree, but he told the Empire at the time that he brought back leadership skills and important experience.
Though he’s had important experiences across the country, Gilchrest hasn’t even had to leave home to see the importance of emergency management. Alaska can be an unpredictable place, Gilchrest pointed out, as “lots of unforeseen” situations arise across the state. Being able to make sound decisions under pressure comes in handy for cities and businesses alike.
He considered programs all over the country, but feels confident with his choice in heading to Syracuse. The colder, snowy climate and the remoteness of the city remind him of home. Sitting at a table at Heritage Coffee Shop in Juneau on Wednesday, Gilchrest laughed as he looked ahead to his fellowship.
“Syracuse, New York is the closest thing to Alaska as I can get,” Gilchrest said.
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at alex.mccarthy@juneauempire.com.
