2012 Meritorious Service Award: George Skladal

These individuals provide significant, public, academic, volunteer or philanthropic service to our campuses and to our Alaska community.

George Wayne Skladal
Meritorious Service Award

George Wayne Skladal has led a life of distinguished commitment to community and university service, drawing from a wide-ranging professional career in the military, state government and law. An Army Airborne Ranger for 20 years, Mr. Skladal served in Vietnam and retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel. As part of the Alaskan Command, he supervised petroleum transport and operations of the U.S. Army's pipeline and earned a commendation award for his logistical relief efforts during the 1967 Fairbanks flood. Following his military service, Mr. Skladal continued his work in the petroleum industry, serving as the executive director and staff legal counsel for the Alaska Pipeline Commission. He later served as deputy director of the Alaska Division of Energy and Power Development, where he was involved in numerous impact studies on conservation and alternative energy sources.

Committed to serving the Anchorage community, Mr. Skladal has held seats on numerous boards and councils, serving as president of the Tudor Area Community Council and the Anchorage Inn of Court, as a 23-year volunteer committee member of the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council and as a member of the planning committee for the Arctic Winter Games in Anchorage. For the past 12 years, he has been a volunteer at the Anchorage Public Library's annual book sale.

Mr. Skladal has practiced law for over 34 years and has shared his legal expertise through numerous educational avenues. He has participated as a judge on high school moot court competitions and taught elementary school students about constitutional law and trial advocacy. In 2008 he taught at the UAA Student Constitutional Convention.

A graduate of UAA with a master's degree in public administration, Mr. Skladal has served on the UAA Chancellor's Advisory Board and continues a 21-year legacy as a board member of the UAA Alumni Association. In 1984 he was recognized by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce with an award for contributing to quality higher education.

For his dedication and longstanding service to his country and community, the University of Alaska Anchorage proudly confers upon George Wayne Skladal the meritorious service award.