July 20, 2018 - 7:42 AM
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - The organization that plans the World Ice Art Championship in Fairbanks has almost an entirely new slate of board members, including a resort owner and two out-of-state ice sculptors.
Ice Alaska on Tuesday held its first board election since the cancellation of this year's event, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported .
The board linked the cancellation to the loss of sponsors and the challenges of rebuilding after a 2016 fire destroyed the main building at the park where the event has been held.
Steve Iverson, a longtime volunteer and the acting board president, is the only previous member serving on the 11-person board. New members include Bernie Karl, the owner of the Chena Hot Springs Resort, and five ice sculptors.
The ice sculptors include David Smith, a resident of Ohio, and Dean DeMarias, a resident of Texas.
New member Heather Brice said Smith and DeMarias may be the first board members from outside of Alaska.
"Ice carvers all around the world love this event so much," Brice said. "A lot of them do corporate sculptures and have their own ice carving businesses, so they're pretty plugged in to how things should be, and I think a lot of them have had a lot of opinions about how this event should be run or how it could be better."
The next championship is scheduled to begin in February 2019. Ice Alaska is planning to hold the event at the Tanana Valley State fairgrounds.
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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2018