Former Coast Guard commander Stephen Rothchild has been hired as administrative deputy director for the council. Rothchild began work in the Anchorage office on April 1.
He replaced Stan Jones, who retired after 17 years with the council.
“We are delighted to have someone with Steve’s knowledge of Prince William Sound taking over this position,” said Mark Swanson, executive director of the council, “Stan will of course be a hard act to follow, but Steve is so easy going and brings such a great skill set, I’m sure everyone will enjoy working with him.”
Rothchild comes to the council from Juneau where he has been a tour boat captain for the past several years.
In 2008, Rothchild retired from the Coast Guard after 23 years, ten of those years stationed in Alaska. While in Alaska, he spent time as captain of Coast Guard Cutters Sweetbrier and Sycamore in Cordova.
His career experiences include a broad mix of management, vessel operation, strategic planning, and leadership roles.
Patience Andersen Faulkner, council representative for the Cordova District Fishermen United, remembers Steve and his family from his days in Cordova fondly.
“Steve brings with him great skills working with communities,” Andersen said, “In Cordova, he led a crew of Coast Guard recruits who joined in and became part of the Cordova/Prince William Sound community.”
Rothchild combines his familiarity of Prince William Sound with his management skills to fill the critical role of administrative deputy director at the council. He oversees staff administration, provides media relations and public information for the council, and leads the Anchorage staff office.
“Steve’s leadership on the Sycamore was reflected in his crew’s involvement and engagement with Cordova and Prince William Sound residents,” Faulkner said, “I know he will be bringing those relationship and leadership skills to the council.”
Rothchild is a native of New York City. He graduated in 1985 from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
His first taste of Alaska was as a senior Coast Guard academy cadet on a vessel patrolling fisheries in the Bering Sea and Bristol Bay during the summer. As his last duty with the service, he patrolled king crab fisheries on board the Munro, which had just moved to Kodiak.
Rothchild and his wife, Mimi, will be finishing their relocation to Anchorage this summer and are looking forward to learning all about what Alaska’s only big city has to offer.