Alaska Business Hall of Fame Laureate Oliver Leavitt.

• Position: JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT SPECIAL SECTION - Interview

2017 Alaska Business Hall of Fame Laureate Oliver Leavitt responded to Alaska Business Monthly's questions via email. Here is his Q&A.

ABM: Where did you grow up?

Leavitt: I grew up in Barrow.

ABM: What were your parents like and what was your family life and upbringing like?

Leavitt: My parents were good, kind, courteous people. At times they were demanding in wanting their children to be good as well. I grew up in a strong Christian family and they were always so full of advice and kindness. I had a late brother who was four years my senior, an older sister who I was not able to meet before her passing, and an adopted sister who was several years younger than me.

ABM: How did you get your start in the business world?

Leavitt: Well, I joined the Arctic Slope Native Association before the land claims act and I served as the treasurer for years. And then, when ANCSA passed, I was elected to ASRC's board of directors and became treasurer there for nearly ten years. Of course, there was nothing really to "treasure" at the time. We were looking for ways to make money; ways to send our businessmen throughout the state and the nation. Later, I became vice president of lands and I was chairman for many years after that. For a long time though, I was the guy in charge of government affairs--both in the state and at a federal level. Because we were born out of Congress in the land claims act, we had an awful lot to do with the federal government and a lot to learn about the regulations involved with the Act.

ABM: What opportunities would you say led to the early success of your business?

Leavitt: Working in the Lands Department and leasing out potential oil lands, along with learning to negotiate with the oil industry. In order to select 5.5 million acres of land, we had to learn the nuances of the land. We also had to learn very quickly how to deal with people in different industries in a professional manner. Hiring the right people was key-people you could trust and people who had the Inupiaqs in mind.

ABM: In your career, what accomplishments are you most proud of?

Leavitt: Making successful land deals was important but also making amendments to ANCSA and working with Congress to make sure those amendments passed for the Inupiat people.

ABM: What do you think the business community can offer to young people?

Leavitt: The business community can help young people by first providing scholarship opportunities and encouraging students to attend good...