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Carissa Silva

Interview with Mentor Norman J. Wilder

by Leadership Fellows Protégé Carissa Silva

The College of Business and Public Policy's Leadership Fellows Program pairs high-performing CBPP students with a mentor in the Anchorage business community, giving students the opportunity to learn about real-world leadership from local business leaders. This year’s cohort includes 21 CBPP students, called protégés, and their mentors. To begin the program, each protégé interviewed their new mentor, and every week, we will feature one of these interviews with the mentors, who share their thoughts on leadership. This week’s featured protégé/mentor pairing is Carissa Silva, and her mentor Norman J. Wilder.

1 Where are you from? How did you decide to pursue a career in Alaska? 
“I am from Cowalis, Oregon. I have been an outdoor person for forever. I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 1966 and every major mountain in Oregon. I also hiked Mount St. Helens twice before the eruption. My grandfather worked as a General Practitioner in Alaska, which inspired me to go. When I was in the Air Force, I asked for an assignment in Alaska. I have been here ever since.”

2 Where did you go to college? What did you study in college? 
“I went to college at Oregon State University and graduated with a degree in General Science and Liberal Arts. During my undergraduate coursework, I studied at the University of Pavia in Italy. I then went to the University of Oregon Medical School. I also earned my MBA at UAA in 2002. Learning is a lifelong priority for me. Since retiring from medicine, I am a Certified Wine Educator Certified Wine Educator (CWE) with the Society of Wine Educators and Certified Italian Wine Specialist (IWS) with the North American Sommelier Association.”

3 Did you have anyone you relied on for mentorship/solid career advice? If yes, what is the most important leadership advice they shared with you? 
“From the time I was in Boy Scouts, I watched others and tried to learn from those that I admired. If there is someone who I viewed as a personal mentor, it would be Vincent J Schaefer. Here was a man who did not even have a high school education and yet he invented cloud “seeding.” I had the opportunity to work with him at the Atmospheric Sciences Center at the State University of New York, of which he was the founder and director. His lecture on “serendipity” had a tremendous impact on me. Serendipity is not just about having good luck; it is having the instinct to identify an opportunity. ”

4 It is important and beneficial for CBPP and Anchorage’s business community to collaborate and invest in the next generation of leaders. What do you think should be conveyed to our next generation of leaders?
“Successful leaders MUST:
    1. Be yourself and know who you are.
    2. Have integrity
    3. Leave your ego at the door”

Norman J. Wilder
Mentor Norman Wilder.

5 CBPP will be highlighting each mentor and protégé pairing on the front of it’s website during the academic year. Do I have your permission to have this interview and our mentor/protégé pairing highlighted on the website? Is there anything else you would like to add?
“Yes. And Yes. One important moment for me was when I had earned my MD. During our graduation ceremony, the speaker told us ‘Your education has not ended here. Your education will never end.’ This is true for me even in retirement. ”