Greg Fisk

Stephen Gregory Fisk (September 26, 1945 – November 30, 2015) was the 13th mayor of the unified City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska,[1] the state capital of Alaska, United States. Prior to his election, Fisk had worked as a fisheries consultant.[2] He died at home just over a month into his term of office after being elected over incumbent Merrill Sanford by a wide margin.[3]

Greg Fisk
Mayor of Juneau
In office
October 20, 2015 – November 30, 2015
Preceded byMerrill Sanford
Succeeded byMary Becker
Personal details
Born(1945-09-26)September 26, 1945
DiedNovember 30, 2015(2015-11-30) (aged 70)
Juneau, Alaska, U.S.
ChildrenIan
Alma materIndiana University, Bloomington

Education

Greg Fisk graduated from West Anchorage High School in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1963.[4] Fisk went on to attend Indiana University, where he received a B.A. in Geography in 1971.[2]

Business career

Fisk was the founder and owner of SeaFisk Consulting & Management, LLC., a Juneau-based company which provides consulting services for fisheries, and the Alaskan seafood industry.[5]

SeaFisk has not been limited to consultations involving seafood. In 2012, SeaFisk collaborated with the Juneau Economic Development Council over a proposed downtown public shuttle, known as the Circulator.[6]

When Greg Fisk's son, Ian, graduated from the University of Oregon, they traveled to Ensenada, Mexico and bought a fishing vessel from the Mexican government. They sailed the vessel to Seattle, where they refurbished it. Both Fisks remained involved in the fishing industry.[7]

Political career

Prior to 2015, Fisk had never run for elected office, and was largely unknown in the politics of Alaska. However, Fisk was involved for many years in issues related to fishing, a large industry in Alaska. Fisk served as chairman of a City and Borough of Juneau task force that sought to bring 175 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration jobs to Juneau from Seattle.[8][9]

Elected mayor

In 2015, Greg Fisk filed paperwork to run for mayor of Juneau on the last day available to file, challenging Merrill Sanford, a first-term mayor who had been running unopposed for re-election. Fisk was widely seen as having run an aggressive campaign, while Sanford's campaign was notably lower in profile. On October 6, 2015, Fisk was elected mayor of Juneau, winning a substantial majority of votes. Unofficial vote totals gave Fisk a 2-1 vote margin over Sanford.[2][8]

Fisk, a resident of the Starr Hill neighborhood,[10] was the first mayor of Juneau in more than 20 years (since Jamie Parsons, who left office in 1994) not to live on Douglas Island.[11]

Juneau mayoral election, 2015
Candidate Votes %
(I) Merrill Sanford 1,910 32.8%
* Greg Fisk 3,830 65.9%
Write-in 24 <1%
Disqualified/other 51 <1%
Source: City and Borough of Juneau Clerk's Office[12]
Key: I = Incumbent * = Winner (5,815 ballots returned)

Political positions

During the 2015 Juneau mayoral race, Fisk stated that he supported raising the minimum wage. Fisk voted to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Alaska. Fisk also supported enacting a ban on discrimination against the LGBT community in housing and other public accommodation, and stated that he believes human activity is contributing to global warming.[13]

Death

Fisk was found dead by his son, Ian, at his home on Kennedy Street on November 30, 2015.[14] The following day, his body was sent to Anchorage for an autopsy,[15] and a preliminary autopsy found that his injuries were consistent with those resulting from a fall and that Fisk died from natural causes.[16]

References
  1. "Gastineau demo bid OK'd". Juneau Empire. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  2. "Greg Fisk Candidate:mayor" (PDF). City and Borough of Juneau clerks office. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  3. "Juneau Mayor Greg Fisk Found Dead in Residence". Grasswire.com. November 30, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  4. "Old Friends Connecting Classmates & Old Friends West High School Class of 1963". Old-friends.co. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  5. "Seafisk Consulting". Manta. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  6. "Action Initiative 5 "Downtown Circulator" Working Group" (PDF). Juneau Economic Development Council. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  7. "Member Spotlight: Ian Fisk". Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, Inc. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  8. Klint, Chris (October 7, 2015). "Election roundup: Juneau, Nome mayoral incumbents fall in Alaska municipal voting". Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  9. "Candidate profile: Greg Fisk". Juneau Empire. September 20, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  10. "Juneau police confirm Mayor Greg Fisk found dead at home". KTOO. December 1, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  11. Miller, Mark (November 15, 2012). "In Juneau politics, Douglas Island looms large". The Juneau Empire. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  12. "City and Borough of Juneau Regular Municipal Election OFFICIAL RESULTSwork=City and Borough of Juneau clerks office" (PDF). Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  13. "Candidate Profile Greg Fisk Mayor". KTOO-TV. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  14. "Juneau Mayor Greg Fisk found dead at Kennedy Street home". BNO News. November 30, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  15. Canfield, Jennifer; Phu, Lisa (November 30, 2015). "Juneau Police confirm Mayor Greg Fisk found dead at home". KTOO (FM). Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  16. "The Latest: Au". Associated Press. December 2, 2015. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
Political offices
Preceded by
Merrill Sanford		 Mayor of Juneau
2015		 Succeeded by
Mary Becker
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