Shareholder employee Ve’dra Bechtol’s career with Ahtna began 20 years ago when she was hired as a janitor. She is now a Benefits Analyst III in the Human Resources department and oversees the Anchorage front desk staff as part of her development plan. “Back when I started with Ahtna, there were little to no development or mentor plans,” she said.
Ve’dra believes the front desk can be an excellent entry position for shareholders who, like her when she started, have little to no experience. It’s a way to get your foot in the door, and Ve’dra wants to help open new doors for shareholders. She hopes to mentor her employees and create development and training programs to help them move into the positions that most interest them. Her advice to shareholders interested in working at the front desk is to, “Show up, work hard and say yes to any opportunity that comes your way.” There are two position levels at the front desk. The first is entry level and requires telephone and customer service skills. The second is the administrative assistant position, which requires one year experience.
The goal is for the receptionist to be promoted to the administrative assistant position in 1-2 years. Then, after gaining experience, hopefully the employee will find a position they are interested in within the Ahtna family of companies.
“This last year I have seen a major push within Ahtna to develop shareholder employees, which is so very exciting! I have weekly mentoring meetings with my supervisor. Doug Miller, Ahtna’s Vice President of Human Resources, has been wonderful in guiding me through the process for my new supervisor role. I have also been able to take advantage of the employee education program that assists with my tuition.” Ve’dra recently obtained her associate degree and is now working on her bachelor degree at Wayland Baptist University, which she hopes to complete this year.
“I have worked with Ve’dra for over five years, and in that time I have seen her grow as a person and employee. She is always looking for ways to streamline processes to make things run smoothly in our department. She is very excited about working with the front desk employees, and I believe she is doing a great job at mentoring them,” said Ve’dra’s supervisor Joanne Hanscom.
Management recommends getting on Ahtna’s on-call list to get your foot in the door for the front desk and other positions, as opportunities come up throughout the year. To be added to the on-call list, simply email or call our Shareholder Enrichment staff: 907-822-3476 (Glennallen), 907-868-8250 (Anchorage) or shenrichment@ahtna.net.