President’s Message
Dear Members, Partners, and Friends,
As we close out 2025 and look ahead to the year before us, this newsletter reflects on several important accomplishments that underscore the strength, relevance, and resilience of the Alaska Chadux̂ Network.
This past fall, ACN responded in support of the village of Kipnuk following the impacts of Typhoon Halong. Working alongside our partners, we helped provide situational awareness, coordination support, and response operations during a challenging and rapidly evolving event. While no two incidents are ever the same, our ability to mobilize, communicate, and assist when Alaska’s coastal communities need support most remains a core part of who we are and why ACN exists.
Throughout the last quarter, ACN’s Anchorage, Alaska based STARS monitoring center tracked multiple significant storm systems moving across the North Pacific and Bering Sea. Our watchstanders worked closely with vessel masters to support weather-routing deviation requests, helping ensure vessel safety, while keeping key stakeholders informed with timely, accurate situational awareness on storm impacts on shipping in Western Alaska.
In December, the ACN Board of Directors convened its annual board meeting, to provide critical oversight and strategic direction for the organization. One of the most consequential decisions taken was the Board’s vote to hold compliance prices flat for 2026, maintaining the same rates as 2025. In an increasingly dynamic and uncertain shipping and operating environment, the Board recognized the importance of stability, predictability, and fairness for our members. This decision reflects ACN’s commitment to being a reliable, socially responsible nonprofit partner—focused not on minimizing services, but on sustaining high-quality preparedness, response capability, and operational excellence.
Throughout the year, ACN’s staff has remained on watch—24 hours a day, 365 days a year—supporting our members, coordinating with regulators and response partners, and continuously working to strengthen prevention, preparedness, and response across Alaska’s vast operating environment. I am deeply grateful for the professionalism and dedication of our team, and for the trust our members place in us.
As we enter the New Year, I want to extend my sincere thanks to our members, board, partners, and stakeholders for your continued engagement and support. On behalf of the Alaska Chadux̂ Network, I wish you a healthy, safe, and prosperous New Year. We look forward to working together in 2026 to further strengthen Alaska’s maritime safety and environmental protection framework.
Warm regards,
Buddy Custard
President & Chief Executive Officer
