The youngest of the Stephens’ daughters, Colleen Stephens has spent her entire life in Alaska between the North Pole and Valdez, excluding her time spent at the University of Idaho for school. To this day she claims her family migrated in a reverse pattern: North in the winter and South in the summer. Valdez is now home for Colleen and she cannot imagine being anywhere else, even when it is snowing 3 feet a day.
Today Colleen’s official title is President of Stan Stephens Cruises but that simply means that on any given day she could assist a guest in making a reservation, clean a boat, drive a bus, assist in an oil change, or place an advertisement. Her two greatest loves of her job are (1) working with the youth of Valdez and watching them grow, and (2) greeting the boats as they return daily and having the chance to watch the passengers and crew argue over who had the better day on the water.
In addition to her roles at Stan Stephens Cruises, Colleen is involved in the Board of Directors and Management of the Valdez Convention & Visitors Bureau and Alaska Travel Industry Association working to properly market and develop tourism in Valdez and Alaska. Colleen also serves on the City of Valdez Ports and Harbors Commission working to keep the economic health of the City’s resources strong.
