Town Square 49 Authors

“Alaska Filmmakers” is a program dedicated to highlighting the various talented individuals in Alaska Film Industry. A series for filmmakers, by filmmakers, about filmmakers. Our hosts sit down with local independent filmmakers and productions groups to talk about what inspired them to become involved in the production industry. Exploring the various challenges and triumphs of Alaska’s storytellers, and how they are working together to help sustain the state’s film industry. Created by a small group of local artists who have all worked with one another at some point in their careers. Pulling all their resources, each member of the crew has brought their own experiences and unique style to the program.

The mission of UAA is to discover and disseminate knowledge through teaching, research, engagement, and creative expression.

The Anchorage Park Foundation is building Healthy Parks & Healthy People by mobilizing public support and financial resources for Anchorage parks, trails, and recreation opportunities.

For the past six years, the Anchorage Park Foundation has been making it possible for volunteer and investors like you to make park improvements that affect our whole community, one neighborhood at a time. APF works tirelessly to build community through three main programs: Challenge Grants, Neighborhood Park Improvements, and Youth Employment in Parks.  It is a place for you to invest in our community parks, trails, and the neighborhood places you love.

The Anchorage Museum is the largest museum in Alaska and one of the top 10 mostvisited attractions in the state. The museum’s mission is to share and connect Alaska with the world through art, history and science.

The Alaska Teen Media Institute gives teens a voice in their community by providing them with the tools and training needed to produce their own stories. The stories are then shared through a variety of media. The teens produce a radio show called, In Other News. The show airs on KNBA 90.3 FM at 4 p.m. the last Saturday of the month.

In the spirit of This American Life and other urban storytelling events, Arctic Entries brings Alaskans to the stage to share their personal stories, funny, sad, and sweet. At each performance, 7 people each tell a 7-minute true story relating to this show’s theme, along with performances by local musicians. Let Arctic Entries warm you with great homegrown stories.

The agriculture industry in Alaska created the Alaska Grown logo to highlight products grown in Alaska.

The University of Alaska Museum of the North is a popular visitor attraction, a vital component of the university and the only research and teaching museum in Alaska. The museum’s collection – 1.4 million artifacts and specimens – represents millions of years of biological diversity and thousands of years of cultural traditions. The collections are organized into 10 disciplines (archaeology, birds, documentary film, earth sciences, ethnology, fine arts, fishes, insects, mammals, and plants) and serve as a resource for research on climate change, contaminants and other issues facing the circumpolar North.

Pacific Northern Academy's mission is to educate students to be exceptional learners and independent thinkers of vision, courage, and integrity.

Founded in 1957 by a group of parents, The Arc of Anchorage's goal is to ensure people who experience intellectual or developmental disabilities have the opportunity to lead rich, full, satisfying lives as valued members of our community. The Arc offers a full array of services available to people across the lifespan from birth through old age. Every person has specific dreams, ambitions and interests, as well as aptitudes and abilities apart from the disability they experience. The Arc helps them achieve their dreams.

The Alaska Native Heritage Center, a renowned cultural center and museum in Anchorage, is an exciting place where all people can come to expand their understanding of Alaska's first people. Here we share the rich heritage of Alaska's eleven cultural groups drawing upon the lifeways of long ago, the wisdom of our elders, and the traditions that endure. Our cultural center and museum is located in Northeast Anchorage, Alaska is designed to enhance self-esteem among Native people and to encourage cross-cultural exchanges among all people.

As one of the 100 largest school districts in the country, the Anchorage School District is diverse in its staff, students and program offerings. Approximately 50,000 students attend ASD schools. They are taught by a well-qualified staff that set high expectations and achieve great results. District schools are located in Anchorage, Eagle River, Chugiak and Girdwood.

Alaska community news powered by the people. Become a citizen journalist, or enlist your organization today and join the conversation.

Anchorage School Business Partnership started in 1991 and has since grown to over 540 partnerships with an economic value of over $2.5 million. They range from a one person business to large organizations such as BP and FedEx. The organization is supported by both the Anchorage School District and the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.

The mission of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is to protect, maintain, and improve the fish, game, and aquatic plant resources of the state, and manage their use and development in the best interest of the economy and the well-being of the people of the state, consistent with the sustained yield principle.

The Great Talkeetna Festival of Books is the brainchild of the BGA - a group of Talkeetna residents who have given in to their obsession and geekery around all things literary.  The BGA is not officially affiliated with anyone.  We’re just book geeks.

Food Bank of Alaska believes no one deserves to be hungry. We are dedicated to eliminating hunger in Alaska by obtaining and providing food to partner agencies feeding hungry people and through anti-hunger leadership.

The Alaska Creative Woodworkers Association mission is:

• To preserve, enhance and pass on to future generations the cultural traditions and techniques associated with the art of fine woodworking.

• To promote wider community interest in woodworking as an art form and creative craft through meetings, shows, events, demonstrations, competitions and educational activities.

• To provide guidance and aid for woodworkers who may draw upon the aggregate experience and knowledge of other Association members.

• To create opportunities for fellowship with others who share an interest in wood working regardless of their sex, race, religion, or level of woodworking experience.

• To give the general public greater opportunities to experience the visual and tactile pleasures unique to the appearance and appreciation of fine woodworking pieces.

Pick.Click.Give. is a safe and easy way to make a positive impact in the lives of Alaskans.  You can choose a contribution anywhere from $25 to the full amount of your dividend.

In two short years, Pick.Click.Give. has helped generate nearly $1.5 million for Alaska causes.

The Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) was established by the Alaska Legislature in 1961. ISER's research spans Alaska's modern history, examining everything from the effects of the massive 1964 earthquake to the current debate over how to help Alaska's troubled salmon industry.

ISER enhances the well-being of Alaskans and others, through non-partisan research that helps people understand social and economic systems and supports informed public and private decision-making.

Policymakers and private citizens alike use ISER research. In recent years, ISER has increasingly drawn communities, school districts, and universities–as well as Alaska Native and other private organizations–into research projects.

RurAL CAP, a statewide, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, has been working to improve the quality of life for low-income Alaskans since 1965. RurAL CAP employed 1,048 Alaskans in 2010 with expenditures of more than $32 million. It provides resources and services to enhance child and family development, improve housing, reduce energy costs, develop leadership, protect traditional uses of fish and game, improve solid waste management, support health and wellness, develop community plans, and foster independent living.

The Alaska World Affairs Council is a focused educational organization dedicated to stimulating interest in world affairs and inspiring its members to be involved in world events. The council was founded in 1958 by the late Evangeline Atwood with the conviction that better community education in world affairs is necessary for sound democratic citizenship. The Council does not take a stand on current-day issues but rather provides the population a wide spectrum of viewpoints and background information through its diverse range of programs and activities.

AMIPA's mission is to collect, preserve, catalog and provide public access to Alaska's sound and moving image material, and to encourage the ongoing documentation of Alaskans and Alaska events of historical importance; to provide knowledge and assistance to other archives, private collectors, producers, institutions, and the general public; to advocate on behalf of these materials; and to educate the public, government officials and civic leaders on the importance of preserving Alaska's sound and moving image heritage. Established as a 501(c)(3) non profit corporation in 1991, AMIPA has been pursuing this mission for over 20 years.

Media Action is an organization devoted to empowering youth and communities to share their stories through media production and education. They utilize cutting edge technologies and research-based best practices to provide communities with the skills and opportunities to share their stories and issues via media in order to both provide technological access for participants and to foster global awareness and action. Media Action specializes in film workshops, media production and training, and community collaborations. A team of expert filmmakers, educators, and media producers carries out their work.

Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) inspires and trains diverse youth leaders to impact environmental issues through community action projects and campaigns; skills training in leadership, environmental education, civic engagement, and community organizing; and green jobs that sustain our communities and future.

AYEA is a program of the National Wildlife Federation with nine community chapters around the stateand individual youth members from over fifty communities.

Our mission, first drafted by the 6 youth founders in 1998, is to educate, inspire, and take action on issues facing our diverse communities.

We operate on the values of youth empowerment, sustainability, diversity, justice, healthy environments, and cross-cultural experience.

The Alaska Immigration Justice Project is a non-profit agency that provides low-cost immigration legal assistance to immigrants and refugees in all immigration applications including citizenship, permanent resident status, work permits, asylum, family-based petitions and immigration petitions for immigrant victims of  domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

Aging in Alaska is a radio show produced by the Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska. It was created to provide information, insight, guidance and support to Alaska's elders and their caregivers. Each month we will talk with medical professionals, caregivers and others with expertise in the field to explore the many aspects of aging here at home in Alaska.

Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska is the state’s leading source of information, support and services for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD). We are a non-profit organization serving individuals with ADRD as well as frail elders throughout the state since 1984.

The Alaska Zoo has provided a home for orphaned, injured and captive-born animals for more than four decades.  We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting the conservation of Arctic, sub-Arctic  and like climate species through education, research and community enrichment. We are proud to offer quality education programs and events for Alaskans and visitors.

Healing Racism in Anchorage is an Anchorage-based not-for-profit group of concerned citizens who believe Anchorage should be a welcoming, tolerant and accepting place to live for all people.  We believe in taking action to encourage citizens to explore and learn how and why racism occurs and what to do to stop it in its tracks.  Through action, education and sharing, HRA helps to enlighten our community, one person at a time.

We want to see BIG changes in the lives of children across the state of Alaska. Every day, we see and hear stories about how lives are being changed through a simple, professionally supported relationship between a child and a caring adult.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska strengthens our communities by providing mentors to all children who need and want a caring adult role model – special friends who can help them expand their horizons, realize their potential and enrich their futures – changing their lives.

The Statewide Suicide Prevention Council was established by the Alaska Legislature in 2001, in response to what was characterized as “an on-going epidemic” of suicide. The Council, after a legislative audit in 2008, was extended by the Legislature to June 30, 2013.

The Council is responsible for advising legislators and the Governor on ways to improve Alaskans' health and wellness by reducing suicide, improving public awareness of suicide and risk factors, enhancing suicide prevention efforts, working with partners and faith-based organizations to develop healthier communities, creating a statewide suicide prevention plan and putting it in action, and building and strengthening partnerships to prevent suicide.

The mission of the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association is to be a key collaborator within the state of Alaska in the provision of supportive services to persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families and in the elimination of the transmission of HIV infection and its stigma.

It's all about life.

I'm a stay at home mom to 3 kids and wife to a finish carpenter. I started my website and blog, Alaska's Kids, to reach out to other moms because I was lonely in the house with 2 little ones (I needed adult interaction!). It took off from there and has helped me grow in so many areas of my life. We keep busy with therapy appointments and playdates. In my "free time," I love to knit and be crafty.

Anchorage Opera (AO) is the largest producer of the performing arts in Alaska and one of America’s leading regional opera companies. As the center of opera in Alaska, AO provides the finest operatic experiences to residents and visitors, while also serving as a professional resource for American artists, administrators and technical staff, helping them to refine their talent and perfect their craft.

anchorageopera.org

The Alutiiq Museum is a non-profit cultural center dedicated to preserving and sharing the cultural tradition of Alaska's Alutiiq people.

The Alutiiq Museum’ preserves the cultural traditions of the Alutiiq people and promotes greater public awareness of the rich cultural legacy of all the indigenous societies of the Alaskan Gulf coast. In pursuit of these goals, the museum collects and preserves archaeological, ethnological, and archival materials from the Alutiiq Nation in a repository that is accessible to the public. The museum supports research on Alutiiq culture and history, and shares the results through exhibits, publications, and presentation.

The Million Man March, on October 16, 1995, completed my political radicalization. I was already radicalized due to a childhood of poverty, but after the March I understood that overcoming my own limitations was not enough. I needed to go one step beyond and assist in the transformation of the community which birthed me.

Toward that end, I have so far been faithful. I began my career working with children. I have been on the frontlines of every child-related industry in Anchorage. This included caring for newborns inside of a Salvation Army Shelter. As a 270 pound African American man, this memory stands out as one of the most rewarding.

Following a stint inside the McLaughlin Youth Detention Center, I switched toward more systematic reform. I became employed with the Anchorage Urban League because I wanted to tackle the basic problems which support citizens existing in states of poverty. I joined the Young Professionals to assist in a cutting-edge voter registration / community-building project called OurTime 2008, which is about to come to a close with the National Elections.

When I am not at work, I am spending a tremendous amount of time organizing the Mountain View and Fairview communities along more productive lines. So much political power resides with people who do not know how to USE that power to benefit where they live. I and my friends, through an education campaign, will teach them how to USE that power.

The Juneau Community Foundation is a local charitable organization with a board of directors from the community. The Foundation was established to make it easy for Juneau residents to make donations to charitable causes they feel strongly about, such as local recreation programs, schools, scholarships, social services, arts and humanities, or other nonprofit agencies. We hope to encourage and increase personal philanthropy in Juneau by offering flexible, individualized ways to give with attractive tax advantages. In partnership with our donors, we hope to create a permanent community endowment for our community’s future needs.

The Institute of the North is a 501(c)3 non profit specializing in how to utilize and care for the resource-rich commons for the benefit of those living in and on the commons. Areas of special study include Alaska, the many regions of the Arctic and other areas of the world that are wealthy in both human cultures and natural resources. The Institute has gained a wide reputation as a center for the study of commonly-owned lands, seas and resources using Alaska as a model.

The Anchorage Music Co-Op is an Art House Resident of Out North Contemporary Art House. The Co-op is a group of independent musicians seeking to serve and support local artists in their development while creating performance opportunities.

Cyrano's Theatre Company (CTC), formerly Eccentric Theatre Company is the resident company at Cyrano's Off Center Playhouse in Anchorage, Alaska. It was formed in 1995 by a loose-knit group of volunteers committed to producing professional quality dramatic works utilizing Alaskan talent.

This nurturing of regional talent is one of our most important goals. We've employed actors and technicians from Juneau to Fairbanks, and have made extensive use of UAA Theatre Department graduates. In this respect, we have been a bridge or transition point from academic theatre to professional careers.

Founding members Jerry and Sandy Harper received the 1997 Governor's Arts Award for arts organizations in recognition of the important work being carried out at Cyrano's Off Center Playhouse.

The Juneau Economic Development Council fosters a healthy and sustainable economic climate in Juneau and throughout Southeast Alaska. In collaboration with other organizations, the council implements initiatives to maintain, expand, and create economic opportunities.

Megan Friedel is Archivist at Archives and Special Collections at the University of Alaska Anchorage.  As an historian and writer who is also an avid trail-runner, hiker, and skier, she spends much of her time ruminating on the history of Alaska's wild landscapes.  Her first book, on early photography of Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest, will be published in 2013.

Commonwealth North provides an educational forum where opinion leaders and activists in Alaska can gather to review public policy issues and topics affecting the state. Commonwealth North is a non-partisan organization where cultural and professional diversity is welcomed. Monthly forums are held to hear from renowned speakers on a wide variety of stimulating and controversial subjects. Working committees, called Study Groups, are formed by its membership to research critical issues and to produce reports or publications. Commonwealth North is funded by individual memberships and private sector funds.

Muni.org is the official site for information about city services, departments, meetings, events, and the community.

The mission of the Department of Defense is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country. The department's headquarters is at the Pentagon.

Girl Scouting gives every girl the confidence, tools, and experience to discover who she can be and what she can do.  Through activities related to science and technology, financial literacy, healthy living, adventure, and citizenship, Girl Scouts of Alaska provides Girl Scouts’ proven leadership development experience to Alaska’s diverse population of girls.

Alaska Conservation Foundation is a public foundation working to protect Alaska’s natural environment and the ways of life it sustains.  The Foundation provides leadership and financial support to a diverse community of nonprofits working to create sustainable economies and communities in Alaska.

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.

Petersburg Public Library’s Listening Project gathers stories from Petersburg residents ranging from the sobering experience of one local resident from Cambodia who escaped the Khmer Rouge, to the charming tales of the Short brothers sharing their experiences growing up in Petersburg. The Listening Project seeks out community members from all backgrounds to gather and share their stories. It preserves our history, expresses our diversity, and promotes understanding. It is produced in partnership with KFSK Public Radio and made possible by funding from the Alaska State Library, the Alaska Community Foundation, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

My name is Gunnar Cantwell, I live, work, and play in SouthCentral Alaska. Im an Alaska Pacific University graduate and I have a serious passion for snow, maybe even an addiction.  This passion has led me to enjoy Alaska's beautiful back-country as often as possible. See ya in the steeps.

The Alaska Film Forum is a non-profit organization dedicated to building Alaska’s film community and encouraging independent filmmaking through exhibition, education, and production. We are a resident of Out North Theatre’s Art House program. Events like Open Projector Night provide a fun, non-competitive environment in which filmmakers can meet, enjoy each other's work, and network with each other.

Alaska Catalysts is a growing network of individuals who are making a positive impact in their work, communities, and organizations all across Alaska.  Through informal gatherings and on Facebook, more than 200 Alaskans are actively engaged in learning from one another, discovering individual gifts, advancing new possibilities, and connecting with others who are doing the same.  We ignite the gifts of individuals to create an extraordinary future for Alaska.

First Alaskans Institute helps develop the capacities of Alaska Native people and their communities to meet the social, economic and educational challenges of the future, while fostering positive relationships among all segments of our society. The Institute does this through community engagement, information and research, collaboration, and leadership development. First Alaskans is a non-profit charitable organization whose purpose is to advance Alaska Natives.

Formed in 2004, REAP is a non-profit education and advocacy group that includes a diverse coalition of urban and rural Alaska electric utilities, businesses, conservation organizations, consumer groups, Alaska Native organizations, and municipal, state and federal entities that all share the goal of developing Alaska’s vast renewable energy resources.

REAP believes that, for economic and environmental reasons, Alaska, the United States and the planet will benefit greatly from the rapid development of renewable energy resources and that Alaska can and should be a leader in such development. REAP promotes renewable energy development and policies that encourage energy efficiency.

Covenant House Alaska (CHA) is part of Covenant House International, which is the largest privately funded agency in the Americas providing shelter and other services to homeless, runaway and at-risk youth.

Heidi was born and raised in Fairbanks, and grew up in and around the waters of the Chena River. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and received her law degree from Willamette University. A lawyer by day and self-taught home cook at night, she is passionate about cooking and creating tasty, uncomplicated food. She is also a firm believer in buying local produce and products whenever possible, and is an avid fisherwoman. She currently lives in Anchorage with her trusty terrier, Milo.

The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) is the largest statewide Native organization in Alaska. Its membership includes 178 villages (both federally-recognized tribes and village corporations), 13 regional Native corporations and 12 regional nonprofit and tribal consortiums that contract and run federal and state programs. AFN is governed by a 37-member Board, which is elected by its membership at the annual convention held each October. The mission of AFN is to enhance and promote the cultural, economic and political voice of the entire Alaska Native community.

The Alaska Community Foundation partners with donors and communities to improve the quality of life for all.

Heather Aronno is an intern for APRN for the Spring 2012 semester. She has previously completed an internship for APRN in the summer of 2011, and is Strategic Communications Major at University of Alaska Anchorage. A transplant from the lower 48, Heather has lived in Anchorage, Alaska since the summer of 2005. Fortunately, it was a nice summer, and she's considered Alaska her home ever since.

www.lauritadianita.info

Best Beginnings is a public-private partnership that mobilizes people and resources to ensure all Alaska children begin school ready to succeed through support from businesses, foundations, nonprofits, government, and individuals.

Gene Brown is a 1960 AHS graduate who played trumpet in the Navy for seven years before going into banking. During his Navy years he began writing short stories and continues to write for the pleasure of friends and family. Having retired from 'real' work in 2006 and a widower since 2008, Gene now plays trumpet in several local swing and jazz bands and is working on an historical novel about Japan, his wife's homeland. His family owned the flying school at Merrill Field in the late '40s, where he was a frequent passenger in a Super Cub.

For the past 15 summers, I have been commercial fishing in Southeast Alaska.  I paid my dues in the canneries of Petersburg way back in the "Tent City" days.  After a few years, I ended up on the back deck of a seiner, the mighty Coral Sea.

I currently live in Juneau with my family of two toddler boys (future crewmembers) and commercial fish when the season calls for it.  During the past few winters, I started a photo blog that evolved from a hobby to a business.  I'm currently working on my first iPhone app.

Lisa R. Conner, writer, personal coach, and real estate consultant moved to Alaska in 1969 from Atlanta, Georgia.  Her grandfather visited Alaska in the 1950’s before statehood and it was his dream to relocate the family to the Last Frontier.  Lisa has called several Alaskan communities her home, including Delta Junction, Fort Greely, Fairbanks, Juneau, Chugiak, Eagle River, Anchorage, and Big Lake.

Lisa and her husband of twenty years, Dan, purchased lakefront property on Big Lake in 2002 after spending four years in the area.  The raw beauty, close-knit community, and tranquil lifestyle inspired Lisa to become a full-time resident of Big Lake.  In May 2011, Lisa’s dream became a reality and she and her family left all the “stuff” behind and moved to their cabin on Big Lake.

Mike Curiak is a blogger and well known mountain biker.  The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame says of him: "When discussing modern endurance mountain bike racing, you can't have a conversation without the name of Mike Curiak popping up somewhere along the way. Mike has not only performed at the highest level in this sport, he has led the way in defining its very nature, as well as documented its emerging history in the media."

You can find more about him, and his biking adventures at his blog.

Nathan Deeter received an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alaska-Anchorage in 1999 and has been teaching English Composition at the same university since 2002. He also works as the Training Specialist for the Arc of Anchorage. His favorite poets are Stephen Dunn and Rumi. He travels by the light of those he loves and no light is brighter than the one coming from his wife, April. She makes him write things like that all the time, but he doesn’t mind—it’s in the job description of being a husband. He has a bionic pancreas and a spoiled dog named Daisy.

About Barbra:

I’ve always wanted to be a photographer and a traveler. I have arrived. I get to be outside in one of the most beautiful places in the world… Alaska! In this amazing state, the word “awesome” exists in its intended form. As I travel around Alaska, I am constantly awe-struck.

About Jack:

When I was in third grade, I read Call of the Wild thirteen consecutive times. Not the real version. The version I had was in a volume titled Reader’s Digest Best Loved Books for Young Readers. No matter. For half a year of my life, I was Buck. So began a love affair with a place I’d never seen – Alaska.

Nina Faust, a retired High School teacher, taught at Homer High and various Anchorage high schools during her 21 years of teaching.  She lives on Inspiration Ridge Preserve in Homer with her partner Ed Bailey where she actively clicker trains her two pet alpacas, Gypsy and Canela.  She and Ed are co-founders of Kachemak Crane Watch, which is dedicated to the protection of Sandhill Cranes and their habitat in Homer, Alaska and the surrounding Kachemak Bay area.  She is also active with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and a variety of local conservation groups.

Janelle Fey is a first time mom and outdoor enthusiast. She enjoys photography and blogs about the challenges and joys of raising a bambino in Alaska. She describes herself as a little crunchy, wildly in love with the great big outdoors and girly enough to like sparkles.

Susan Behlke Foley is an Anchorage attorney whose practice focuses on estate planning and strategic philanthropy. She is the current chair of The Alaska Community Foundation's board of directors.

Pride Foundation is a northwest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community foundation promoting LGBTQ philanthropy and providing grants and scholarships.

The Rasmuson Foundation invests both in individuals and well-managed 501(c)(3) organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life for Alaskans.

The Homer Foundation is a community foundation, a vehicle through which individuals, businesses, foundations, and organizations are able to make gifts and bequests to benefit Alaska's lower Kenai Peninsula. These assets are invested and prudently managed and the income used to address a broad spectrum of needs in the community. The Homer Foundation is both flexible and permanent in nature, thus assuring donors that the spirit of their gift will endure.

Dr. Gabriel Garcia is a Philippine-born, Alaska-grown Assistant Professor of Public Health at University of Alaska Anchorage.  He completed his PhD in Public Health with a minor in Anthropology at UCLA.  His research interests include Filipino health and experience, racial and ethnic health disparities, and Asian and Pacific Islander health.

Marie Kasaŋnaaluk Greene is an Iñupiaq from the Native Village of Deering, Alaska. She brings a wealth of cultural insight along with many years of senior level leadership experience to her role as president and chief executive officer of NANA Regional Corporation (NRC).

Greene works to cultivate the corporation’s cultural and economic resources, collaborating with other regional organizations to improve the quality of life for NANA shareholders. Greene works closely with the NANA board of directors and NANA region communities, serving on the boards of several regional and statewide organizations including: OTZ Telephone Cooperative; the Advisory committee for Wells Fargo Bank; and the Alaska Federation of Natives. She is co-chair of the Northwest Arctic Workforce Development and Higher Education Consortium and the Northwest Arctic Leadership Team (NWALT). Greene is an appointed member of the five-member Alaska Redistricting Board, responsible for reapportioning the state house and senate districts following the 2010 U.S. Census. She holds a master’s degree in Rural Development.

Born in Hawaii, raised in Alaska, educated in Seattle, currently in Brooklyn. I shoot photos and help others do the same.

Jan (Petri) Harper Haines was born in Sitka, Alaska and is Athabascan, Irish and Russian. In 1990 she began gathering the stories told by her mother and grandmother about their lives on the Yukon. Her book "Cold River Spirits" grew out of these early stories. Jan’s short stories have appeared in literary publications and magazines. She is a graduate of Anchorage High School (West), and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. She is a former secondary education teacher, and had a twenty-year career in advertising and marketing.

Jan lives in Marin County, California with her husband, and often visits Alaska.

Anne Hanley is a former Alaska Writer Laureate whose plays have been produced in Alaska and Outside. She was a columnist for the Anchorage Daily News and the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and co-edited The Alaska Reader: Voices from the North (Fulcrum, 2006). Her work has been published in The New York Times,The Christian Science Monitor and the Yale Alumni Magazine.

Over the past 31 years, I have been fortunate to to work as a photojournalist/writer in every region of Alaska – most extensively in the North Slope Borough, where I created and produced Uiñiq magazine, a solo photographic journal of Iñupiat life, from 1986 to ’96 - sporadically since.

I photographed and wrote Gift of the Whale: The Iñupiat Bowhead Hunt – A Sacred Tradition, including a single chapter on the 1988 gray whale rescue. I have long wanted to tell the story in more depth. Inspired by the movie, Big Miracle, I am now doing a series of rescue blog posts:

Edward Itta was elected Mayor of the North Slope Borough in November of 2005 and re-elected in 2008. Over the past two decades, he has held a variety of leadership positions for the regional government, including Chief Administrative Officer, Public Works Director, Planning Director and Director of Capital Improvement Program Management. He has held management and liaison positions for subsidiaries of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), including Arctic Slope World Services and the Arctic Slope Consulting Group, where he helped coordinate the North Slope village water and sewer construction program. He was President of LCMF, Inc., a design and engineering subsidiary of UIC, the Barrow village corporation. He served on the Board of Directors of UIC and of Eskimo’s Inc., a subsidiary of ASRC.

Mayor Itta is very active in community affairs and public policy. He is a past President of Inuit Circumpolar Council-Alaska, the U.S. arm of the international organization representing the world’s Inuit (Eskimo) people. He is currently the local government representative for Alaska on the Outer Continental Shelf Policy Committee. He is a past President and current member of the Barrow Whaling Captains Association and a past Commissioner and Vice-Chairman of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, of which he is also a current member. Itta served as President of the North Slope Borough School Board and was Vice-Chairman of the federal government’s subsistence advisory council for northern Alaska.

Mayor Itta trained as an electronics technician at the Griswold Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, and in the U.S. Navy.

Yvonne Jackson, age 22 from Kasigluk, AK is one of three Miss Camais’ Cultural Ambassadors for Alaska Native Youth in the YK Delta. Her mission is to build leadership and community involvement in Alaska Native Culture and Traditions among Alaska Native Youth.

I'm an archaeologist living in Barrow, Alaska.  I excavate at the Nuvuk

site, and I have a garden.  Both are most active in the brief summer, and

both are the northernmost of their kind (garden, archaeology site) in the

US.  At my job at UIC Science I get to work with scientists whose research

into the effect of the sun's radiation on climate can provide insight into

the weather patterns that affect my garden and that may increase coastal

erosion at Nuvuk at Point Barrow.

Alex Johnson is a writer who has lived in and out of Alaska for the last six years.

Erik Judson is a Journalism and Public Communications major at the University of Alaska Anchorage and current intern with APTI. A lifelong Southeast Alaskan, Erik is equally at home on the water as on the ground.

Erin Kirkland is an Anchorage writer, mother of two, and the owner/publisher of AKontheGO.com, a website dedicated to family travel and outdoor recreation in Alaska. She is a regular contributor to Kids These Days!Radio, blogging under the title "KTDontheGO!", and is cohost of the Alaska Travelgram Show, heard on KOAN 95.5 FM in Anchorage.

The Anchorage Food Mosaic’s mission is to build and celebrate community through our cultural foods.

In our current conventional agricultural system, a monoculture replaces lots of genetically diverse plants with one uniform crop, which is highly susceptible to disease and failure. In the same way that monocropping is dangerous to the future of a crop; we must encourage diversity within our community to prevent disease.

In order for our community to thrive we need to embrace and nurture the “mosaic” of people in this city.

The Anchorage Food Mosaic features different community members through photos and traditional recipes. Let us cook each others cultural foods and share our stories with one another.

Thomas Mack has been the President of The Aleut Corporation since February 2006. In this role, he actively promotes Aleut’s positions on culture, education, economics and resource development issues. He communicates key Aleut messages to a wide variety of audiences, conveys policy recommendations to government leaders, works to increase outside funding for regional programs and partners with community leaders and legislators on Aleut-related legislation and policy issues. From April to August 2010, along with his presidential role, Mr. Mack served as Interim CEO. He was also a recipient of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce’s “Alaska’s Top Forty Under 40” award in 2009.

Operations of the Aleut Corporation and its subsidiaries include government contracting, fuel sales, telecommunications, industrial products and services, and real estate management. The company also participates in various partnerships, joint ventures and other business activities.

Mr. Mack was raised in King Cove, Alaska, which is located on the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. After graduating high school, Mr. Mack attended the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and the University of Alaska-Anchorage where he acquired a bachelor’s degree in education. Mr. Mack taught in the Anchorage School District for just less than 10 years. While teaching, Mr. Mack received a master’s degree from Western Oregon University. He also holds an MBA from Alaska Pacific University.

He is a shareholder of The Aleut Corporation and King Cove Corporation.

Dennis Mcmillian is CEO of The Foraker Group.

Dennis has devoted his professional career to helping nonprofit organizations better meet the needs of their communities. For 21 years he served as a development officer, and then as a CEO with United Way in numerous communities around the country. He came to Alaska in 1992 to lead the United Way of Anchorage. Since moving to Alaska, he has helped build the state’s philanthropic infrastructure through his work with United Ways across the state and through his support in developing the Alaska Community Foundation. He is a strong advocate for Alaska’s nonprofit sector. In 2001, Dennis led the effort to start The Foraker Group with the mission of building sustainability and organizational capacity in Alaska nonprofits. During his career, he’s trained thousands of professionals and volunteers, spoken at numerous conferences and consulted across America, Canada, Asia and Russia.

I grew up in McGrath, live in Anchorage, teach at Alaska Pacific University, and play outside as often as possible. Anchorage has an incredible group of recreation partners; I feel very lucky to be here. I lean on a huge community of friends for trip and gear advice. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Kate Menzel was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. She is the daughter of Ken and Betsy Eisses. After graduating from West High School in 2004, she went to college at UAA getting her B.S. in Mathematics in 2008 followed by a Masters of Arts in Teaching in 2009. Kate began her teaching career at Bartlett High School spending 2 years there before and transferiong to West High School, her Alma mater for the 2011-12 school year. Kate is passionate about teaching math, loves watching West football and spending time with her husband Kyle and puppy Amber. Kate also enjoys fishing and boating with family in the summers and traveling any time!

Scott Minerd is a Managing Partner of Guggenheim Partners. He is also CEO for Guggenheim Partners Asset Management, where he functions as chief investment officer, overseeing more than $25 billion in client assets. Minerd previously worked as a managing director for Morgan Stanley; at Credit Suisse, he was responsible for overseeing fixed-income credit trading in the United States, Europe and Asia. Early in his career, Minerd made significant contributions to the development and use of derivative securities in the global capital markets. During the 1993 European exchange rate crisis, he orchestrated the restructuring of Italy’s Eurobond debt. By employing the largest debt exchange offer ever executed by a G7 country, Italy was able to reestablish itself as a credible capital markets borrower. Minerd began his career as a CPA and worked for the public accounting firm of Price Waterhouse. He has completed graduate work at both the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Jana Ariane Nelson (nee Janet Griffith) moved to Anchorage in 1948 with her parents, Donald and Denney Griffith, and her twin brother, Jack.

Jana worked in the legal field in Anchorage before moving to Oregon.  She retired from Lane Community College in Eugene where she was the Mathematics Division Coordinator.

Her daughter, Naomi Sweetman, is the Alaska DARE Coordinator and her son, John Nelson, is a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch in Anchorage.  Jana has 4 grandchildren and one great grandchild in the Anchorage area.  Her brother, Jack, runs the Griffith Lab at the University of North Carolina.

I'm a long time Alaskan who enjoys bowling and cycling (mostly when it's sunny). I'm an electrician by trade and have always been interested in science and technology.

Jordan Schaul is a conservation biologist and an animal curator with the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Anchorage, Alaska. He received his PhD in conservation medicine from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in zoology. He is a council member (ex officio) of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA), a member of the coordinator committee for the Bear Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and an advisor to the Bear Taxon Advisory Group of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Jordan also serves as the Correspondent Editor and Captive Bear News Correspondent for International Bear News. He is a member of the advisory council of the National Wildlife Humane Society, which promotes high standards for wild carnivore care and welfare among private sanctuaries in North America. Jordan is the creator of the Zoo Peeps brand (www.zoopeeps.info) which hosts a blog for the global zoo and aquarium community and a wildlife conservation oriented radio program. Jordan is also an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

My name is Rohan Silbaugh.  I am 11 years old and I am traveling with my parents around the world at from my home in Anchorage.  We started our trip late in May, 2011 and will return exactly one year later.  My normal school in Alaska is Rogers Park Elementary.  However, my parents are home schooling me for sixth grade while I travel.  Part of my curriculum involves writing a blog every night including my pictures.  I have become intrigued with photography and hope to become a photojournalist.  I would appreciate more followers and people checking out my blog.  Thanks!

Pete Slaiby began his career with Shell in New Orleans in 1980 working in the Gulf of Mexico as a Petrophysical Field Engineer. He later moved into a Surveillance Engineering role in the Gulf of Mexico and completed his assignment in New Orleans, working in the Western Gulf and later on frontier development concepts in the Florida Gulf.

In 1984, Mr. Slaiby moved to the Shell Oil Company subsidiary Pecten International in Houston. He held international assignments in various development and production operational roles that took him to Syria as Project Engineer for the Thayyem Development. Mr. Slaiby traveled to Brazil as the Project Engineer for the Merluza Field topside work and completed the assignment as Engineering and Operations Manager for Pecten Brazil. In 1995, Mr. Slaiby moved to Douala Cameroon as Technical Manager for both the Pecten-operated Mokoko Abana concession as well as numerous partner operated ventures in Cameroon. In 1999, he was assigned the role of Asset Manager for part of the Shell Expro Southern North Sea gas business in Lowestoft, Suffolk (UK), and in 2004, Mr. Slaiby assumed responsibility for one of Shell’s oldest business relationships as Brunei Asset Manager. In these roles he managed the life-cycle of the hydrocarbon production businesses, and most importantly, managed the facilities to the highest health, safety and environmental standards.

In May 2008, Mr. Slaiby was named General Manager of Shell’s Alaska business. In July 2009, he was promoted to Vice President of Shell Alaska Exploration and Appraisal. In this role, he manages Shell’s exploration and production activities in Alaska, including Shell’s continued efforts to develop relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders.

Vera Starbard is a Tlingit/Dena'ina Athabascan woman, lifelong Alaskan and blogger. Of her work, Vera says:

"I often see stories, whether sports, hard news, opinion or hot topics, done from exclusively non-Native persceptives. While Native people are many times included in the story itself, it is generally from the view of "person interviewing Native person" versus just "here's MY view (and I happen to be Native.")"

James Stotts President, ICC Alaska and ICC Vice-Chair   James Stotts (Jimmy) was born in 1947 at Barrow, Alaska and raised in Barrow and other communities throughout rural Alaska. Like many of his generation he attended Mt. Edgecumbe High School, a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school located in Sitka, Alaska. After high school he attended the University of Alaska Anchorage where he earned a degree in Business Management.

Jimmy has extensive managerial experience in the private sector. He worked for his village corporation (Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation) and regional corporation (Arctic Slope Regional Corporation), both created under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Over a thirty year career he worked in various executive capacities at both organizations and served on the Board of Directors of both organizations.   Jimmy had a brief career in local politics as an Assembly Member of the North Slope Borough from 1978 through 1983. He was elected President of the Assembly the last two years he served.

Jimmy has a long history of involvement with the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC). He represented Alaska on the first ICC Executive Council in 1980, eventually serving three consecutive terms from 1980 to 1989. In the early 1990s he worked for ICC Greenland as Environmental Projects Coordinator in Nuuk, Greenland. Since January 2008 he worked for ICC Alaska as Executive Director in Anchorage, Alaska.

In June 2009 he was appointed by the ICC Executive Council to serve as ICC Acting Chair until the next ICC General Assembly which was held in Greenland in June 2010.   Jimmy currently resides in Anchorage, Alaska with wife Karoline and son Inuuteq.

Dan Sullivan was appointed Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) by Governor Sean Parnell in December 2010 and was unanimously confirmed by the Alaska Legislature in April 2011.  In addition to leading the 1,100 professionals who make up DNR, Sullivan is responsible for managing the state’s vast energy and natural resources and overseeing regulatory activities on approximately 100 million acres of uplands, 60 million acres of tidelands, shore lands, and submerged lands, and 40,000 miles of coastline.

Born, raised, and now based in Anchorage, Alaska, Nathaniel Wilder specializes in outdoor adventure, lifestyle, and editorial photography.

Nathaniel’s work has been featured in Newsweek, The Christian Science Monitor, Sports Illustrated, and Alaska Magazine as well as Chaco Footwear ad campaigns.

Nathaniel has produced work around the globe including documentary imagery for The Mountain Education Project, a startup non-profit in rural Nepal and features from Asia and Alaska for The Christian Science Monitor. Reuters hired Nathaniel to document Sarah Palin’s final moments as a vice-presidential candidate on election day in Alaska as well as her last day in office as Governor.

Nathaniel strives to communicate authenticity in his images—whether for journalistic or commercial use.