Marko Dapcevich
Encyclopedia
Marko Dapcevich is a former mayor of Sitka
, Alaska
. He is an "Honored Member" of a United Nations
group, signed the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, which is part of the Kyoto Protocol
, and spoke out against Touchstone Pictures
' non-use of Sitka for The Proposal
. Dapcevich has testified before the Alaskan state Senate Finance Committee and has run for the Alaska State Legislature
, District 2.
schools culminating in his graduation from Sitka High School
in 1987. From there he attended the University of Oregon
and later graduated from Lane Community College
in Eugene, Oregon
with a degree in automotive technology and attended University of Alaska Southeast
in Sitka.
In 1994, he co-founded, with his brother, the Misty Fjords Water Company which was sold in 2004. As of 1998, Dapcevich has worked as a mailman for the United States Postal Service
.
As of 2005, Sitka and Dapcevich were recognized as cooperative members of the United States Geological Survey
's water measurement agreement.
In 2006, Sitka residents approved an initiative
that would affect the cruise line
industry tourist visits. Speaking about the Sitka's Assembly majority vote, Dapcevich said, they used the words "cruise ship" because others might vote negatively against it.
On August 22, 2006, Dapcevich participated as Sitka's mayor to the International Association of Specialists on Russian America.
On April 10, 2007, Dapcevich testified from Sitka via teleconference
before the Alaskan state Senate Finance Committee to retain the sharing of municipal revenue.
During May 2007, Dapcevish spoke about the housing construction boom on Baranof Island
which is along Sitka's passage
. He elaborated by saying, "Sitka has a very diverse population and income base."
On December 18, 2007, Dapcevich signed the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement thereby pledging Sitka to the Kyoto Protocol
goal of reducing greenhouse gas
by 2012.
In 2008, Dapcevich presented a framed picture of Sitka to a ferry service with Alaskan state Senator Bert Stedman
in attendance.
When The Proposal
, which suppposedly took place in Sitka and was filmed
elsewhere, Dapcevich said, "If a film is going to somewhat showcase your community, you would really like it to be your community being showcased rather than another community that is impostering your town." The mayor stated that the city would have welcomed Touchstone Films but could not provide tax breaks or incentives because of Alaskan laws.
On December 7, 2007, Dapcevich announced his candidacy for the Alaska State Legistlature
, District 2. Dapcevich was beaten in the August 2008 Democratic
primaries
by Lily Herwald. He was succeeded as mayor of Sitka by Scott McAdams
.
Sitka City and Borough, Alaska
The City and Borough of Sitka, originally called New Archangel under Russian Rule, is a unified city-borough located on Baranof Island and the southern half of Chichagof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean , in the U.S...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. He is an "Honored Member" of a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
group, signed the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, which is part of the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
, and spoke out against Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
' non-use of Sitka for The Proposal
The Proposal (film)
The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film set in Sitka, Alaska. Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli, the film features Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as the leading roles, with Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, and Craig T. Nelson in supporting roles...
. Dapcevich has testified before the Alaskan state Senate Finance Committee and has run for the Alaska State Legislature
Alaska House of Representatives
The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of about 15,673 people . Members serve two-year terms without term limits...
, District 2.
Early life and education
Marko Dapcevich was born in Sitka to John and Janice Dapcevich, a nurse and a business man of Montenegrin origin. He attended Sitka School DistrictSitka School District
The Sitka School District provides for the educational needs of citizens of Sitka, Alaska. The district's offices are located in Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School....
schools culminating in his graduation from Sitka High School
Sitka High School
Sitka High School is the principal high school for the Southeast Alaskan community of Sitka and the Sitka School District.The school's student body is primarily composed of Caucasians, Alaskan Natives, and Asian-Pacific Islanders....
in 1987. From there he attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
and later graduated from Lane Community College
Lane Community College
Lane Community College is a two-year college located in Eugene, Oregon. Its slogan is "Transforming Lives Through Learning."-Education:Lane Community College offers a variety of Associate's Degrees, such as:...
in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
with a degree in automotive technology and attended University of Alaska Southeast
University of Alaska Southeast
The University of Alaska Southeast is a regional university in the University of Alaska System. Its main campus is located in Juneau and it has extended campuses in Sitka and Ketchikan....
in Sitka.
In 1994, he co-founded, with his brother, the Misty Fjords Water Company which was sold in 2004. As of 1998, Dapcevich has worked as a mailman for the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
.
Political career
Dapcevich was first elected in 2000 to a three-year term on the Sitka City and Borough Assembly and was re-elected in 2003 to another three year term. His term was cut short when he won a two-year term as mayor in 2004 over the incumbent, Fred Reeder. In 2006 he won re-election to a second two-year term as mayor, beating former city administrator Gary Paxton.As of 2005, Sitka and Dapcevich were recognized as cooperative members of the United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
's water measurement agreement.
In 2006, Sitka residents approved an initiative
Initiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
that would affect the cruise line
Cruise line
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships. Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain,...
industry tourist visits. Speaking about the Sitka's Assembly majority vote, Dapcevich said, they used the words "cruise ship" because others might vote negatively against it.
On August 22, 2006, Dapcevich participated as Sitka's mayor to the International Association of Specialists on Russian America.
On April 10, 2007, Dapcevich testified from Sitka via teleconference
Teleconference
A teleconference or teleseminar is the live exchange and mass articulation of information among several persons and machines remote from one another but linked by a telecommunications system...
before the Alaskan state Senate Finance Committee to retain the sharing of municipal revenue.
During May 2007, Dapcevish spoke about the housing construction boom on Baranof Island
Baranof Island
Baranof Island, also sometimes called Baranov Island, Shee or Sitka Island, is an island in the northern Alexander Archipelago in the Alaska Panhandle, in Alaska. The name Baranof was given in 1805 by Imperial Russian Navy captain U. F. Lisianski to honor Alexander Andreyevich Baranov...
which is along Sitka's passage
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
. He elaborated by saying, "Sitka has a very diverse population and income base."
On December 18, 2007, Dapcevich signed the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement thereby pledging Sitka to the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
goal of reducing greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
by 2012.
In 2008, Dapcevich presented a framed picture of Sitka to a ferry service with Alaskan state Senator Bert Stedman
Bert Stedman
Bert Stedman is a Republican member of the Alaska Senate, representing the A District since his appointment in November 2003.-External links:* official government website* profile*Follow the Money - Bert K Stedman** campaign contributions...
in attendance.
When The Proposal
The Proposal (film)
The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film set in Sitka, Alaska. Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli, the film features Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as the leading roles, with Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, and Craig T. Nelson in supporting roles...
, which suppposedly took place in Sitka and was filmed
Photographic film
Photographic film is a sheet of plastic coated with an emulsion containing light-sensitive silver halide salts with variable crystal sizes that determine the sensitivity, contrast and resolution of the film...
elsewhere, Dapcevich said, "If a film is going to somewhat showcase your community, you would really like it to be your community being showcased rather than another community that is impostering your town." The mayor stated that the city would have welcomed Touchstone Films but could not provide tax breaks or incentives because of Alaskan laws.
On December 7, 2007, Dapcevich announced his candidacy for the Alaska State Legistlature
Alaska House of Representatives
The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of about 15,673 people . Members serve two-year terms without term limits...
, District 2. Dapcevich was beaten in the August 2008 Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
primaries
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
by Lily Herwald. He was succeeded as mayor of Sitka by Scott McAdams
Scott McAdams
Scott T. McAdams is an Alaskan politician. He has served as a school board member and mayor of Sitka, Alaska and came in third against Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski in the 2010 US senator's race after running for and winning the Democratic Party's nomination for the United States Senate seat held...
.
Honorary memberships
Dapcevich is an "Honored Member" of the International Royal Academy of the United Nations which has more than 1,000 members world-wide.External links
- Alaska (AK) County Mayor Marko Dapcevich Sitka Borough freedomspeaks.com, Retrieved: 2010-06-04.