Fairbanks Tall Timbers Series: Jim Sampson

The Fairbanks Tall Timber Series honors those who have served the Fairbanks community well. Join veteran newsman Robert Hannon as he interviews Jim Sampson. Jim was born in the Panama Canal Zone and moved to Alaska a year later, as the eldest of eight children. He earned an associate degree in police administration from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and began his working life with Laborers' Local 942, eventually being named Alaska Commissioner of Labor by Gov. Steve Cowper. Grace Schaible convinced him to run for Borough Mayor and agreed to be his campaign chair twice. Gov. Tony Knowles appointed him to the Alaska Permanent Fund Board. In 2003, he took over the presidency of the AFL-CIO for five years, representing 50,000 union members statewide. After a short retirement, he began raising money for the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center and served as director until 2016.