Above: CBSM students posing with Tracy Vanairsdale, center, during a meeting at Bettisworth North. UAF photo by Morrow Duszynski, College of Business and Security Management.
What does it take to become the recipient of the UAF Business Leader of the Year (BLOY) award? The four pillars are leadership, business acumen, community involvement and educational support. Our 2024 recipient is Tracy Vanairsdale, the president and a firm principal of Bettisworth North Architects and Planners, Inc. Tracy received numerous letters of support from the community as well as past and current employees. Recipients are chosen by a selection committee which includes students, faculty, alumni, CBSM advisory council members and past BLOY recipients.
BLOY is a tradition of more than four decades in the making. You can keep your calendar full with the numerous events that take place in Fairbanks, but what makes this one unique is the involvement of CBSM students. Students gain hands-on experience through planning, marketing, budgeting, problem-solving and managing the event.
Leadership & Business
Tracy joined Bettisworth North in 1997 and became a firm principal in 2007, managing the Fairbanks office. She and her husband, Dave, were both born and raised in Fairbanks; Dave is a UAF alum who captained the university’s ski team, and Tracy attended her first year at UAF before entering the Western Undergraduate Exchange program to study architecture and art at the University of Idaho. Tracy is a true community builder who has a great love for Alaska and is dedicated to creating a better-built environment and better communities through her career and volunteer work. Tracy’s experience with commercial, education, health, and civic projects encompasses the full development of a successful design, from initial concept through construction administration. She believes that collaboration is essential to creating a successful design solution and enjoys working in the collaborative environment fostered at Bettisworth North.
Below: Dave, left, and Tracy walking their dog, Copper, in Fairbanks. Photo courtesy of Tracy Vanairsdale.
Tracy’s goal is to surpass every client’s expectations and provide the most creative, technically feasible, and energy-efficient solution to meet their design challenges. Following her interest in the environment, she became one of the first LEED-accredited professionals in Alaska through the United States Green Building Council in 2003.
“I do not know anyone more dedicated to their work, to their community and who deserves this award more. Tracy works tirelessly for her employees at Bettisworth North to develop a culture of employee loyalty. My husband and I witnessed her level of care and professionalism as we worked with her and her team on an expansion project for our clinic. The expansion is a beautiful, modern building that added architectural value and substantially increased our veterinary services to the North Pole/Eielson pet owners.” - Denali & Patrick Lovely, North Pole Veterinary Hospital
Below: Tracy with her dog, Copper, on a snowy Fairbanks day. Photo by Sarah Lewis, Sarah Lewis Photography.
Community Support
Tracy is involved in many community organizations and boards. She spent a summer in Iceland when she was 16 in an exchange program and loved it so much that she immediately applied to be a Rotary exchange student and was accepted for a year abroad. Now, she is an executive board member for the Rotary Club of Fairbanks. She also serves on other boards, including the UAF Chancellor’s Board of Advisors, the Alaska chapters for the Association for Learning Environments and the American Institute of Architects. She is a long-time supporter of the Golden Heart Community Foundation and a member of the 100+ Golden Heart Women Who Care.
“What I admire the most about Tracy is her humble attitude and willingness to help this community in so many ways.” Wrote Jyotsna “Jo” Heckman, BLOY 2008, “Her sense of community brings connections and thoughtful considerations to her work. She feels strongly about integrating people, culture and the needs of the public, all of which play an important role in any project undertaken by her firm. This is a singular purpose and mission that is so admirable.”
Below: Tracy, bottom right, with friends at the Society of Women Engineers Engineering Connections Dinner on February 29, 2024. Photo courtesy of Beyond the Box Photography.
Educational Support
Bettisworth North is a quiet but substantial supporter of UAF. The firm’s 39-person staff works on projects across the state, and Bettisworth has completed many of the university’s renovations and improvement projects. These include the Rasmusen Library Student Success Center, Moore and Bartlett dormitories, and the future Troth Yeddha' Indigenous Studies Center. Having once been a UAF student, she has committed a significant portion of her professional and personal life to aiding UAF in its journey to become the leading university in the north.
“In addition to working together in our industry, Tracy and I serve on the UAF Chancellor's Board of Advisors. She supports UAF programs, attends many UAF events, and provides valuable input and insight into our group conversations. Her comments are always forward thinking to push UAF to greater places and achievements.” - Meg Nordale, GHEMM Company, LLC
Below: Tracy, left, surprised as CBSM student Ivana Lorena Brito informs her that she is the 2024 UAF Business Leader of the Year recipient, and CBSM student Pearson Clark, left, offers his congratulations.
The UAF College of Business and Security Management will honor Tracy as the 46th Business Leader of the Year on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel. Tickets for this event will go on sale in August. To reserve tickets or tables in advance, contact the CBSM Engagement Manager, Mary Poe, at mepoe@alaska.edu or 907-474-6518.