2012 Business Leader of the Year Inside Scoop

36th Business Leader of the Year, Dan Gavora of Doyon Utilities.
36th Business Leader of the Year, Dan Gavora of Doyon Utilities.

On March 30, 2012 the UAF School of Management (SOM) and the Fairbanks community came together to honor the 36th Business Leader of the Year, Dan Gavora of Doyon Utilities.

Dan Gavora is President/CEO of Doyon Utilities, LLC. For the nearly 10 years prior to joining Doyon Utilities, Dan provided direct oversight as the President/CEO of Fairbanks Sewer & Water, the second largest water and wastewater utility in Alaska. Dan has a strong background in labor negotiation and business administration, maintaining a tremendous rapport with the workforce within his companies. Dan has routinely taken leadership roles including chairing the United Way Campaign where his fundraising efforts established a new record for the Fairbanks community.  He is deeply involved in ventures that promote growth in Fairbanks, living by the adage that a community cannot grow if it has a stagnant business environment.

The Business Leader distinction began in 1977 with Dan’s father, Paul Gavora, as the first business leader honored. Previously, recipients have included married couples and brothers, but Paul and Dan are the first father and son to both receive this award. Originally organized by the SOM student organization, Associated Students of Business, the Business Leader of the Year event is now an effort coordinated by SOM staff, a community steering committee, and all six of the student organizations at SOM:

SOM students who gave time and effort to make the Business Leader of the Year event possible.
SOM students who gave time and effort to make the Business Leader of the Year event possible.

This year saw a record amount of student participation, with over 50 students from SOM earning their ticket to the Business Leader of the Year banquet through helping organize the event. Students did everything from calling potential attendees, to dessert tasting, ironing chair covers, and hanging paper lanterns from chandeliers.

Not only were there more students, this year saw the most participation yet from the Fairbanks community, with over 440 attendees the night of the event. This year also saw increased sponsor support. BP generously sponsored dinner and Denali State Bank came on board as the printed program sponsor.

Thanks to the combined efforts of students, community members, and businesses, the 36th Business Leader of the Year event was one of the best so far. The money raised through ticket sales, cake auction, and silent auction of the wine centerpieces donated by Gavora, Inc. and Doyon Utilities supports SOM and SOM’s student organizations.

To view pictures from the event, .