Decades of Record-Keeping at Alaska Housing: Past, Present, and into the Future

With over 50 years providing Alaskans access to safe, quality, affordable housing, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation has a lot of meaningful history.

Cindi, AHFC’s Record Center Technician, is the keeper of much of this history – and has been for almost 30 years.

She’s reviewed thousands of the physical and digital records. Through the corporation's archives, she’s read the story of Alaska Housing and seen the impact the corporation has made through in communities across Alaska.

“I am extremely proud to work for Alaska Housing, because I know that so many people have been helped,” she says.

A Childhood Dream

Years before she joined AHFC, a teenage Cindi took an elective high school class in the library. Her classmates were mostly bored and disinterested; Cindi didn’t agree, “I thought it fascinating!”

Years later, she arrived in Anchorage with her two children and took a job at Alaska Housing answering the phones. It was a temporary position but she wanted to stay for much longer.

Cindi said, “I felt at home, right away.”

When a full-time position opened up in the records department, Cindi quickly applied.  

She wasn’t yet thinking about her passion for that library class years ago, and the childhood dream that came with it, but she knew she wanted to stay: “I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t imagine being able to be permanent with Alaska Housing.”

She wasn’t thinking about her passion for that library class years ago. As she settled into the records department, she soon realized the teenager who sat excited at organizing books in library class had grown into an adult who enjoyed record-keeping.

“I actually ended up kinda doing what I wanted to when I was a kid!,” she says.

Bringing Alaska Housing’s Past into the Future

For 25 years, Cindi has managed records and retention, worked with the state archive, managed promissory notes through intake and retention and much more.

“This wouldn't be everybody's cup of tea, but its been something that I am proud of.”

As part of this work, she’s been committed to bringing the history of Alaska Housing into the future.  For decades, she’s worked to digitize and update the records into a more modern and accessible format. “I wanted to be able to move us forward.”

It’s been a long process but she’s spent a lot of time with Alaska Housing’s past and present, including thousands of newsletters, promissory notes, photos and press releases.

One of the favorite materials that she comes across are notes of gratitude from people throughout Alaska, expressing thanks for the work done by Alaska Housing.

“Its very touching to see,” she says. “Once I realized everything that we do for people, it made me very emotional.”

We are one Alaska Housing

Through her years of record-keeping and work, Cindi has learned that every AHFC employee contributes to the long-standing mission of Alaska Housing. As she puts it, “We are one Alaska Housing.”

The work of Cindi, and hundreds of Alaska Housing employees, are what make the impact of Alaska Housing possible across 50 years of service – past, present, and moving into the future.

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Interested in a rewarding career that makes a difference for Alaskans? AHFC is hiring for positions across the state. Learn more on our career page!