"One thing I've grown to understand better over time is this idea of wilderness as a place where people go to visit. But when we think of wilderness in modern times, it's a place where people have always been—and that's very much informed by our understanding of native cultures and how they've lived on these landscapes for generations." Chris Noel

Carolyn Hadlock:

Today we're talking with Chris Noel, IU SPEA grad, EMT, and fifth mayor of Denali Borough, Alaska—home to fewer than 2,000 residents and North America's highest peak. Welcome to the show, Chris.

Chris Noel:

Thank you for having me. It's great to be here.

Josh Kilworth:

Let's start with your origin story. You spent a lot of time in the Indianapolis area growing up, is that correct?

Chris Noel:

That's right. I grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from North Central High School. I made my way down to Bloomington and took four and a half years to get through my undergrad. What I like to highlight is that I took a semester off between sophomore and junior year. I appreciated the space, and when I came back, I found what I wanted to do: environmental management. SPEA felt like a really good fit for what I saw myself doing in life.

Josh Kilworth:

What were you doing during that semester off?

Chris Noel:

My uncle worked in the Southeast, so I went down and worked with his company. We planted trees, doing wetland mitigation and restoration. We worked along small streams and large rivers—areas that had been drained for agriculture and were being converted back to wetlands. It was a lot of outdoor time, and I realized I liked the physicality of it, being outside, and the policy that led to this environmental restoration. That semester, I realized I wanted to get involved with policy or work for a large land management agency. SPEA was a perfect fit.

Josh Kilworth:

So you graduated in 2009 and went to Alaska in 2012?

Chris Noel:

Yes. In between, I worked seasonally. I spent a couple of winters in Aspen, Colorado, working in guest services for Aspen Skiing Company. I met my then-girlfriend Hannah there and followed her up to Alaska as soon as I could.

Josh Kilworth:

You've always done outdoorsy stuff, it sounds like.

Chris Noel:

Yeah, I spent eight summers working at a summer camp in Brown County, Indiana. A big part of that camp was getting kids ages 8 to 18 out on trips—canoeing, climbing, hiking, learning outdoor skills. I definitely grew up getting outside and reconnecting with nature.

Josh Kilworth:

Did that help you feel more comfortable moving to Alaska? Alaska seems so different from day-to-day life in Bloomington.

Chris Noel:

It did. What's interesting is that I've always had this fascination with Alaska. I ordered a huge map of Denali National Park from the U.S. Geological Survey and had it on my dorm room wall—it was my artwork. When I got up there, I worked for a private lodge inside Denali National Park, one of the most special areas of the state. You get a beautiful view of the mountain, the north face—the Wickersham Wall of Denali. That was our first experience with Alaska culture. It's a big state but has a very small population—only 700,000 people, which might be a small community in Chicago. There's more connection here. You need to rely on your neighbors if something happens, to get groceries, to pick up a prescription in town. That connection to community is what kept Hannah and me here.

Josh Kilworth:

There's kind of a primal aspect to living out there—living off the land, almost.

Chris Noel:

There's a challenge to it. I come from a place of privilege where I can come to Alaska and experience how different it is from what I was raised in. But there are communities in Western Alaska that still don't have domestic water or wastewater systems. Honey buckets and outhouses are pretty common up here. As we've industrialized, it's hit rural areas last. But that challenge is part of the appeal for many who come up here.

Carolyn Hadlock:

We found out the mayor of Talkeetna is a cat—your competition?

Chris Noel:

I think so. I haven't met Mayor Cat yet.

Carolyn Hadlock:

I think the current one is Aurora. The original was Stubbs.

Chris Noel:

That's right. And in North Pole, outside of Fairbanks, there was a mayor whose official name is Santa Claus. He may still be on the city council.

Josh Kilworth:

Coming back to cravings—you moved to Alaska full-time in 2014. What kept you there? What did you want then?

Chris Noel:

Looking back, we had worked seasonally and were craving community and a place to call home. You may have experienced this going to college and returning home for holidays—bouncing back and forth, shifting around. Working seasonally, we didn't feel rooted. So it was that desire to stick around, to make an impact, to contribute to the community where we live. That led me to the work I've done in the time I've been here.

Andrea Minuto:

Can you talk about the history and significance of Denali?

Chris Noel:

It's fascinating, especially with the recent national news. The mountain was Mount McKinley for so many years. During the Obama administration, it was changed to Denali through an administrative process—place names are delegated to the Secretary of the Interior. When the Trump administration changed the name back, it was the same mechanical process. But for generations, since time immemorial, that mountain has been a fixture on this landscape, and the people who have lived here have called it Denali. We are not going to change our name.

Carolyn Hadlock:

Does Denali mean "the great one"?

Chris Noel:

Yeah, "the great one" or "the high one." It really stands above the landscape. In the Denali Borough, we have one highway that travels through, and visitors often ask, "Is that Denali?" No, it's way far away, but on clear days, in certain spots, you can see it.

Carolyn Hadlock:

Have you climbed it?

Chris Noel:

No, I have not.

Carolyn Hadlock:

It sounds intense.

Chris Noel:

It is. There are routes on it that aren't incredibly technical, but the combination of our latitude and the elevation makes it really challenging. It's very cold, can be very windy, and the storms can be intense. Of the 600 or so who climb it each year, there's about a 50% success rate if you measure success as reaching the summit.

Carolyn Hadlock:

The mountain has been through a lot—the Athabascan people, miners, settlers, and now tourism. Those groups engaged with the mountain quite differently. One was more communal, one more extractive.

Chris Noel:

It's fascinating. The Denali Borough straddles different regions with different Athabascan dialects and subcultures. When visitors travel the park road on a bus—which is how most see the mountain—it's striking how different it is from the surrounding landscape. Extractive mining has been a big part of the Denali Borough. We have the only active surface coal mine in Alaska within our borders, plus a coal-fired power plant. The Kantishna Mining District is inside Denali National Park—the park expanded around the mining district. Mining has been a big part of Alaska's history and is still in the news today.

Carolyn Hadlock:

Is there any wisdom from the Athabascan community that you try to preserve or that's been lost in translation?

Chris Noel:

One thing I've grown to understand better over time is this idea of wilderness as a place where people go to visit. But when we think of wilderness in modern times, it's a place where people have always been—and that's very much informed by our understanding of native cultures and how they've lived on these landscapes for generations.

Maddie Thomason:

We noticed a Winston Churchill quote on your campaign website: "What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour." What was your tap-on-the-shoulder moment for running for mayor?

Chris Noel:

I was first introduced to that quote through our local fire department. A previous chief included it in a training plan: What are we going to train on? Why? The grounding statement was, "We train so that when the call comes out, we're ready." I had that in mind when thinking about running. When our previous mayor, Mayor Walker, was approaching the end of his third term—we have a three-term limit—folks asked, "Have you thought about it?" I hadn't. It was humbling to be asked by neighbors and friends. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I had experience in emergency management working for the Denali Borough. I'd worked alongside Mayor Walker for years and knew the team. I felt ready. The time was right. So I threw my hat in the ring.

Carolyn Hadlock:

It dovetails with the theme of craving—this idea of preparedness.

Chris Noel:

We want to be ready for what comes. We don't know what's going to come, but all we can do is prepare. That offends off the alternative—fear, worry, dwelling on the unknown. We know there are things within our control and things outside our control. Zeroing in on what we can control is a way of grounding ourselves.

Carolyn Hadlock:

Public service seems really important to you. How have you tapped into that in your current role?

Chris Noel:

For me, it's a desire to contribute to community, to help build community, to make a difference. We all have that in our own lives—we want to make a difference, do well, show up for our friends and family. That desire has led me to work in local government, federal government, and now local government again. Even back in SPEA days, I wanted to make a difference, to work in land management. It's very selfish, in that I'm just trying to meet these cravings I have to help, contribute, and give back.

Carolyn Hadlock:

You're two years into your term. How's it going?

Chris Noel:

I'm feeling a lot better. To be honest, year one I was like, "Wow, what did I get myself into?" I wish I'd had a panel of other elected officials to chat with, especially other mayors. But I'm feeling really good now. There's a bit of a learning curve, but we have a great team.

Carolyn Hadlock:

Talk about that transition.

Chris Noel:

The toughness was grappling with the different roles. As mayor of the Denali Borough, there's the nuts-and-bolts, day-to-day management. We're a small government office, so the mayor also serves as manager—what they call a "strong mayor" form of government. Part of my job is managing the budget, making sure bills get paid, contracting for services. It was weighing those real-time, day-to-day demands with advocacy, representation, being responsive to citizen needs, complaints, questions, concerns. I didn't really understand the advocacy part coming in. I had to grow into that.

Maddie Thomason:

In your role as mayor, you wear a lot of hats. You have to prioritize emergency preparedness while creating a sustainable place for residents to live. Your tax revenues mainly come from tourism. How do you reconcile these disparate worlds—wants and needs?

Chris Noel:

It's not easy. What's grounding for us is that we want a government that's responsive to needs versus reactive. The Denali Borough has tried to stay responsive through long-term planning. Everyone here really wants a rec center—you can probably relate with the SRSC at IU. The winters are long here, and there's a desire for a warm space to hang out, take your family, work out. It's been a longstanding craving. As we juggle different priorities, it hasn't made it to the top yet. We haven't built a recreation center, but it's something we're perennially talking about.

Carolyn Hadlock:

How do you stay connected with people in far-flung areas?

Chris Noel:

There's a Facebook group for each of our unincorporated communities, so joining those gives you a snapshot of what's going on. People advertise needs: "Hey, look out for this" or "Does anybody have that?" Because of the isolated nature of the borough, we're more connected in many ways. Having been here 10 years, I've lost sight of how different it felt at first. But I hear from people that it's different than other areas in the Lower 48. By necessity, we're more connected.

Josh Kilworth:

After everything you've been through—winter storms, name controversy, pandemic—what kept you prepared? How did you persevere through hardship and uncertainty?

Chris Noel:

That's a big question. One day at a time. Ultimately, take each day as a new opportunity for growth and change. My desire is strongly rooted in making a positive impact on my community, my little slice of the world. That's why I get up every day. There are huge challenges. I'm curious—for each of you, what helps you get through tough days? Long nights studying, tough exams, finals? Do you have any techniques or pro tips?

Josh Kilworth:

For me, getting things done makes me feel fulfilled.

Maddie Thomason:

What gets me through tough projects, especially with finals approaching, is that when you're working on something, sometimes it's like, "Oh, this sucks. I don't know what I'm doing." But when you're done and sharing it with everybody, they're like, "Oh my gosh, that's so cool!" Seeing how other people enjoy it and benefit from it—that's what makes it worth it.

Andrea Minuto:

My wellbeing and being happy—I work remotely, so I'm at home most of the time when I'm not at school. I keep a balance between work, school, and me. I'm not just a student or what I do at work. Even in stressful times, I try to separate everything into categories so I'm also me at the end of the day.

Carolyn Hadlock:

What advice do you have for them as they feel pressured to figure out who they want to be, what they want to do? What's your advice for long-term mental wellness?

Chris Noel:

As all three of you touched on, being satisfied in the work you do is so important. Find satisfaction in the day-to-day—whether it's the final outcome, the final project, or just the assignments along the way, the jobs that might lead to a job you really love. I wish somebody had told me: there are going to be good days and bad days. When you go to bed at night, you're going to wake up—it's going to be a new day. Take that opportunity to reset. Try to find satisfaction in the day-to-day.

Carolyn Hadlock:

Most people in politics aren't told to go into politics by their community. It's something they want and desire, and there's status in that. When you said people suggested it to you—one thing I've been talking to these guys about is that sometimes we don't see in ourselves what we're capable of, what our skillset is, what our superpowers are. I encourage them to ask others what they see that they might not see in themselves. You're the perfect example of that.

Chris Noel:

Thanks. It's such great advice. The feedback can be very formal, like you suggested, or informal—an offhand comment from a friend: "I really appreciated when you did X, Y, or Z," or from a family member. Bank those for the really tough days. "This was really tough, and I'm still a good person." If you're firmly centered in that purpose, the world will kind of coalesce around you. People are looking for those around us who are really passionate about what they do. You attract energy when you have purpose and live a purpose-driven life. People are naturally attracted: "Oh, I want to do what they're doing. They look like they're having a blast. I want to be part of that."

Carolyn Hadlock:

I love that comment—that the universe will conspire in your favor.

Chris Noel:

Yeah. This has been a really awesome opportunity. I'm so thankful for the unexpected chance to join you all for this podcast.

Carolyn Hadlock:

Thank you for your time, your generosity, your words of wisdom, and for sharing your experience. It's been really inspiring.

Chris Noel:

You bet. Thank you for the chance. I really appreciate the invitation.

Carolyn Hadlock:

Thank you so much for listening to this episode. This episode was created and produced at the IU Media School as part of The Beautiful Thinkers Podcast, IU edition. To follow along this season, check out @TheBeautifulThinkers on Instagram and LinkedIn. Special thanks to Angela Carraher for our music and all the students who researched and recorded this episode: Josh Kilworth, Maddie Thomason, Andrea Minuto, and Maiza Munn.