3-15-17 Remembering Dennis Hebner

Dennis Hebner. Northern Gas Pipelines file photo by Dave Harbour (Breakfast meeting photo)

Dennis was three months older than I.

In spite of our vintage, we were always exploring and analysing the future, not dwelling on the past or on the various infirmities du jour.

We sat together at countless RDC* and Alliance breakfast meetings. Arriving early, we’d always have time for a leisurely breakfast and conversation, usually revolving around one of his recent trips to Idaho or Hawaii or my many business trips around the country, or Ecuador.

A nicer person, I never met and I never heard him make a negative statement about another human being.

He was not by nature a ‘good salesman’. Instead, he was a caring human being whose gentle and persuasive personal attributes contributed to his success in marketing. (A few years ago we agreed that he became virtually invincible in his profession the day he agreed to begin using email.) We laughed at ourselves a lot.

I will miss those morning meetings without Dennis and prize the years I had the honor of knowing him. -dh

Other photos:

Dennis Hebner. Photo by Dave Harbour

Dennis Hebner. Dave Harbour Photo

On his obituary page, I wrote:

The breakfast meeting photo reminds me of all the pleasant business, travel and political conversations we had over the years — and means so much more today than I ever knew it would. I am very thankful, Dennis, for having known you so well. See you soon…. Dave – See more at: http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/adn/dennis-g-hebner-condolences/184416717?cid=full#sthash.6klIASmG.dpuf

Below is his ADN obituary:

Dennis G. Hebner (1942 – 2017)

Obituary

Guest Book

“The breakfast meeting photo reminds me of all the pleasant…”
– Dave Harbour

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Dennis Hebner was born on May 29, 1942, in Bremerton, Wash., where he lived until the age of 5. He moved to Bellevue, Wash., with his parents, George and Lucy Hebner, where he graduated from Bellevue High School and attended Washington State University. During his educational years, he held leadership positions, achieved many local and state honors and was an acclaimed athlete in football and baseball. Following college, Dennis’s career path started in the Seattle, Wash., area and led to other cities, which included Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and Anchorage, Alaska, where he spent more than 15 years. He primarily worked in the steel industry as a marketing representative. He excelled in meeting new people, developing deep friendships and exploring the countryside. He loved Alaska and valued his involvement with the Resource Development Council of Alaska and the Alaska Support Industry Alliance. Dennis had a number of passions: travel, fishing, gardening, athletics, animals and collecting antiques. Dennis’s special gift was his ability to connect with people. His cherished friends from Bellevue, Coeur d’Alene, Anchorage and the big island of Hawaii, and his family will remember Dennis for his quick smile, humor, love of nature, curiosity, creativity and warmth. Dennis is survived by his mother, Lucy; and siblings, Georgene, Bill and Bruce Hebner. We will miss him every day. A private family service will be held in Washington.

Published in Alaska Dispatch News on Mar. 10, 2017

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– See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/adn/obituary.aspx?n=dennis-g-hebner&pid=184416717#sthash.uNJNNgxX.dpuf

*Come to think of it, I believe Dennis always sat with other friends at the other side of the room, for RDC meetings; but, even then we always managed to have a brief conversation and personal updates! -dh

By wpnorthern|2017-03-16T06:07:07-09:00March 15th, 2017|Personal|0 Comments

About the Author: wpnorthern

Dave Harbour, publisher of Northern Gas Pipelines, is a former Chairman of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, a Commissioner Emeritus of NARUC, NARUC's Official Representative to IOGCC and Vice Chairman of NARUC's Gas Committee. He served as Gas Committee Chairman of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners. He also served as commissioner of the Anchorage Bicentennial Commission and the Anchorage Heritage Land Bank Commission. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree: English, at Colorado State University, a Master of Science Degree: Communications-Journalism at Murray State University and graduated from Utility Regulatory School for Commissioners at Michigan State University. He served as a Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs at Alaska Pacific University, taught bank marketing classes at the University of Alaska and was an English teacher at Los Alamos High School. Harbour served in ranks of Private - Captain during a 4-year assignment with the Army in Korea, Idaho, Georgia and Fort Meade and received the Meritorious Service Medal among other commendations. Harbour is also a past Chairman of the Alaska Council on Economic Education, the Alaska Oil & Gas Association Government Affairs Committee, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, the Export Council of Alaska and the Department of Commerce's District Export Council. He is a past President of the Alaska Press Club, American Bald Eagle Foundation, Consumer Energy Alliance-Alaska and Common Sense for Alaska. Harbour was instrumental in founding the American Bald Eagle Research Institute (UAS), the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, the Downtown Anchorage Business Partnership, and Arctic Power. He also served as CEO of several small Alaska organizations, including the Anchorage Parking Authority and Action Security, Inc. Harbour is also Chairman Emeritus of the Alaska Oil & Gas Congress. Harbour's wife, Nancy, is a professional, performing arts administrator and his three boys, Todd, Benjamin and William work in the fields of environmental management, energy marketing and medicine.