August 01, 2005
Monday

Ketchikan, Alaska - Tom Briggs has been appointed general manager of the Inter-Island Ferry Authority effective August 1st, board chair Dennis Watson announced Thursday. "We are delighted to have a person with Tom's background as the chief administrator of the organization", said Watson. The IFA will be adding service between Prince of Wales Island's Coffman Cove, Wrangell and Petersburg next spring. A sister vessel to the IFA's M/V Prince of Wales, the M/V Stikine, is presently under construction at Dakota Creek Industries shipyard in Anacortes. The new vessel will serve the northern route. The IFA is a public corporation formed by the Prince of Wales Island communities of Craig, Klawock, Thorne Bay and Coffman Cove, together with Wrangell and Petersburg, and is operated by an independent board of directors selected by the communities.

The M/V Prince of Wales entered service on January 15, 2002 and provides daily service between Hollis on Prince of Wales Island and Ketchikan year-round, with two daily roundtrips during the summer months. In 2004 over 56,000 passengers and 15,000 vehicles used this service.

Briggs served as Craig city administrator for 14 years through 2003 and was involved with the development of the IFA from 1994. He was a board member from 1997 until 2002 and served as chair 1999-2002. From March, 2003 Briggs served as Deputy Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation for two years, heading the Alaska Marine Highway System. He leaves his current post as special representative to the state Commissioner of Commerce for economic development and transportation issues, to return to Craig for the IFA position.

Tom Briggs stated that he is excited about the opportunities the IFA has with a second ship and the northern route coming on line soon. He is also looking forward to returning to Craig and working with the Alaska Marine Highway System in providing service to southern Southeast Alaska communities.

Source of News:

Inter-Island Ferry Authority
http://www.interislandferry.com/

 

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