Naswik is a multi-purpose housing facility located in beautiful downtown Valdez, Alaska, and was built in a partnership between The Tatitlek Corporation, Chenega Corporation, and 日本无码 (Chugach). The four-story building is comprised of 37 housing units, a portion of which will be leased out to organizations who have rotational work populations with the remainder devoted to nightly rentals.
With a diverse background in customer service and real estate, Samantha Burke began her journey in property management in 2014, and has since managed over 200 properties. Her career has allowed her to take on roles such as Office Manager, Listing Coordinator, Bookkeeper, Property Manager, and Real Estate Agent.
Two years ago, Samantha returned to Valdez to help support the needs of her parents while working within the school district. Starting in the elementary school office and quickly transitioning to the District Office, she excelled as the District Admin Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Education. Her responsibilities included maintaining HR and student records, scheduling events, and overseeing the superintendent鈥檚 calendar.
Although content in her role at the school district, she was encouraged to take a look at the Naswik job listing by her mother, who saw it as a perfect match for Samantha鈥檚 skills and experience. Samantha agreed and eagerly applied for the position, and her qualifications made her a clear stand out amongst the applicants.
Upon being hired, Samantha expressed her gratitude and stated, 鈥淚 hope to create a strong community atmosphere at Naswik between our guests, long-term renters, and staff. I am very excited about returning to the hospitality field, and as the General Manager my priority will be to ensure that guests enjoy their stay and that we create a great working environment for those we employ, and that the building becomes a profitable venture.鈥�
Samantha is driven by the core values of accountability, adaptability, and authenticity. 鈥淎daptability goes hand in hand with accountability, being able to handle change and think of things from another person鈥檚 point of view is essential to serving in the hospitality industry,鈥� Samantha shared. 鈥淎uthenticity, I believe, is key to connecting with people as it offers the best way to create trust. It is important to me to be open with people and treat them with the same level of respect and understanding that I would expect to receive.鈥�
Outside of work, Samantha loves to spend time with her family. 鈥淢y husband and I have two children: Atli, our son, who is seven, and Remi, our daughter, who is five, and they each keep us on our toes. We love to do projects together as a family, and you will often find me in the garage using power tools or outside tending to our chickens.鈥�
鈥淢y husband is an Army Veteran who served as a 160th SOAR Crew Chief. We have been married for 10 years and most of those years were spent near Ft. Campbell in Tennessee and Kentucky. As a self-proclaimed artist, I have done hundreds of military related artworks in many different mediums in support of his service and for fellow military families.鈥�
With the move back to Valdez and taking on the Naswik General Manager, Samanth鈥檚 journey has come full circle. 鈥淚t has been fun moving back to where I was raised and having my husband and kids experience the town I grew up in. I was born in Cordova and was raised in Valdez, so showing them the ocean and the mountains I explored as a child has been priceless.鈥�
Family is the model that Samantha plans to bring to Naswik. 鈥淢y family is very supportive of each other, and I wouldn鈥檛 be the successful person that I am today without their love and devotion. My family has always been my greatest source of support and inspiration, and I hope to bring that same energy and dedication to my role at Naswik, ensuring every guest and employee feels like they are part of an extended family.鈥�
Katherine Carlton feels the same in regards to family and Naswik鈥檚 place in the Valdez community. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to have Samantha lead the Naswik team. Her priority on family mirrors the core values of Chugach, and we look forward to working with her to create strong and lasting relationships in Valdez and with the guests who visit Naswik Suites.鈥�