Chugach Commercial Holdings President Gwen Welch Named a 2026 YWCA Alaska Woman of Achievement
Welch recognized for business leadership, mentorship and longstanding commitment to Alaska communities.
(Anchorage, AK) – YWCA Alaska has named Gwen Welch, president of Chugach Commercial Holdings, a 2026 Woman of Achievement, recognizing her leadership in growing Chugach’s commercial businesses, developing future leaders and giving back to communities across Alaska.
Welch was one of 10 women honored Oct. 19 at the 37th annual Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage. The annual awards recognize Alaska women whose professional accomplishments, leadership and community service reflect YWCA Alaska’s mission to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
As president of Chugach Commercial Holdings, Welch leads a portfolio of companies providing energy, industrial and environmental services across Alaska, Hawaii and Illinois. Under Welch’s stewardship, Chugach Commercial Holdings has entered a period of significant growth, achieving record profitability, strengthening operational discipline and completing four acquisitions in two years that expanded Chugach’s capabilities in Alaska’s oil and gas and specialty contracting sectors.
For Welch, that growth is also about creating opportunities for people. Many of the professionals she mentored earlier in her career now serve in leadership positions at Chugach and elsewhere. She has been particularly intentional about encouraging women to step into leadership roles in industries where they remain underrepresented, often giving people meaningful responsibility before they fully recognize their own potential.
“Growing the business means growing our people,” Welch said. “Some of the most important opportunities in my career came because someone saw potential in me and trusted me with more. I want to make sure we are doing the same for the next generation of leaders.”
A lifelong Alaskan, Welch joined Chugach in 2002 in its finance organization and advanced through increasingly senior finance and operational leadership roles across the corporation’s government and commercial businesses. She was named president of Chugach Commercial Holdings in January 2026.
Her leadership has also been shaped by a strong commitment to service. Welch has helped make community involvement part of the culture at Chugach Commercial Holdings, regularly volunteering alongside employees and encouraging teams to support organizations addressing some of Alaska’s most immediate needs.
That work has included support for Clare House, an Anchorage emergency shelter serving women with children and expectant mothers; Covenant House Alaska, which serves young people experiencing homelessness; holiday meal distributions through The Salvation Army; and local food assistance programs. For Welch, service is an extension of the same leadership philosophy she brings to the workplace: invest in people, show up where help is needed and leave the community better than you found it.
“Gwen leads with authenticity, humility, accountability and purpose,” said Sheri Buretta, chair of the Chugach Alaska Corporation Board of Directors. “She has earned the respect of her colleagues through what she has accomplished and through her care for others, her commitment to community and her determination to leave things better than she found them. We’re proud to see her recognized.”
Welch joins other Women of Achievement honorees among Chugach’s leadership, including Buretta and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Angie Astle. Chugach is also a longtime sponsor of the Women of Achievement luncheon, reflecting the corporation’s commitment to developing leaders, strengthening communities and expanding opportunities for women across Alaska.
Learn more about Welch and the 2026 Women of Achievement honorees here. To learn more about Chugach Commercial Holdings, click here.
