BSNC mourns the passing of shareholder and former BSNC Senior Vice President Vernon “Chubby” Olson. Olson passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 6, fourteen days after being diagnosed with cancer. Olson was born at Nook fish camp east of Nome to John Helmer Olson, from rural Sweden, and Elizabeth Marie Kakkåanga (Frantzen), from Little Diomede and the old village site of Wales, Alaska.
Olson started his career at BSNC in 1976 as the Vice President of real estate. He also served as President of Bering Straits Environmental Systems and Construction, Executive Vice President of Bering Straits Development Company and Executive Vice President of the Bering Straits Foundation. He served on the BSNC Board of Directors from 1978-1981 and 1984-1990. With his hard work, dedication and positive energy, he provided leadership to the company and the foundation until his retirement in 1998. Olson also served on Governor Cowper’s Alaska Land Use Council and was a member of the Nome Eskimo Community, Pioneers of Alaska, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the ACLU and served briefly as the Alaska Native Brotherhood President.