Wanetta Ayers is named executive director of the Western Alaska Community Development Association (WACDA), the governing panel for the western Alaska community development quota program.

In her new role, Ayers will work with the WACDA board of directors to implement governance, advocacy and coordinating activities on behalf of Alaska’s six community development quota organizations, made up of 65 community CDQ groups.

Ayers most recently served as the community director of the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference, an Alaska Regional Development Organization and federal economic development district. She brings more than 25 years of community and economic development to her new role with WACDA.

“We are pleased to welcome Wanetta Ayers as WACDA’s first executive director,” WACDA board of directors chairman and CEO of the Coastal Villages Region Fund Morgan Crow said. “Her experiences in working with rural communities, leading nonprofit organizations and familiarity with the CDQ program and fisheries issues are well-aligned with the needs of WACDA.”

Ayers assumed the position Feb. 19. She said the organization has been trying to move things forward since last summer.

“I’m loving it so far. I think there are a lot of great opportunities here and certainly exciting things to learn. I’m looking forward to both,” Ayers said.

“I think that in terms of the organization itself there are a lot of building blocks, a lot of threshold things that need to be put into place and I’d like to see that done quickly so we can move on to some more (substantial) issues,” she said.

She noted a lot of issues are highly charged because of the political history.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to help the CDQ organizations forge this new paradigm under which they are going to be operating and finding ways to cooperate and a unified voice on the issues that are impacting them,” Ayers said.

WACDA recently opened an office in Anchorage.

Mirror writer Deanna Cooper may be reached via e-mail at dcooper@kodiakdailymirror.com.