The University of Alaska Fairbanks has named Unalaska’s Alyssa McDonald as interim director of the Bristol Bay Campus in Dillingham. McDonald took over on Jan. 11 and will serve until a permanent director is found.
Many in Unalaska know McDonald from her work with Mac Enterprises, the commercial diving and vessel security company she ran with her husband, Jimmer, for more than 20 years. She also served on Unalaska’s City Council from 2004-2006 and worked with Bering Sea Excursions, providing marine transportation throughout the Aleutians.
More recently, McDonald has spent the past three years as a pre-college advisor at Bristol Bay Campus’s Unalaska Learning Center, where she helped high school students prepare for college and vocational trades. That position won't be filled after her promotion due to funding cuts. However, McDonald said she’ll continue working with her current students during the transition.
As interim director, McDonald will oversee the Bristol Bay Campus based in Dillingham and its satellite learning centers down the Aleutian chain. She said budget constraints are a major challenge and that she'll be looking for grant funding to help manage the workload.
But McDonald also sees opportunities in her new role. She wants to expand dual credit courses for high school students at UAF Bristol Bay campuses and add more entry-level trade classes to better prepare students for college and careers.
McDonald will split her time between Unalaska and Dillingham. She said she’s looking forward to building relationships across the communities she’ll serve.
