ALASKA RESOURCE REVIEW SUMMER 2024 34 Connor Hajdukovich, RDC External Affairs and Policy Coordinator CONNOR RECENTLY JOINED OUR RDC TEAM AND BRINGS TO OUR ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERS A WEALTH OF ALASKA RESOURCE EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS SERVICE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. LET US TELL YOU MORE ABOUT CONNOR. WHAT WAS YOUR VIEW OF RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT GROWING UP IN ALASKA? Coming from an aviation family in Fairbanks, I was always aware of the economic impact our resource development industries had on our family airline and the communities it serviced. Resource developers are the economic engines for so many rural and urban communities and are force multipliers for local jobs and businesses that form the undercurrent of the Alaskan economy. WHO WAS YOUR MENTOR IN THIS INDUSTRY AND WHAT DID THEY TEACH YOU THAT REMAINS TRUE? My primary mentor early in my career was Jason Suslavich, who was Senator Dan Sullivan’s National Security Advisor at the time I worked in Senator Sullivan’s Washington D.C. office. He threw me into challenging situations and empowered me to solve problems myself. Though I’m not working on defense-related topics anymore, many of the task management, technical writing, and attitude lessons I learned from him ring true in my work today. WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE? I’ve prioritized taking opportunities as they come, which has given me a diverse background and unique experiences. My six years in Washington, D.C. taught me that the rest of America does not think the way that Alaskans do — they idolize and romanticize our state. While that is a pleasant thought, Alaska is not just a majestic national park, it’s a state with smart and WELCOME OUR NEWEST RDC TEAM MEMBER!
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