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Julie Green-Graham is a retired teacher who served in the Anchorage School District for 34 years. Married to a lifelong Alaskan, she is the mother of four daughters and Mema to four grandchildren. She is a member of Central Lutheran Church and part of their Local Organizing Ministry team. In 2022, she served on the Anchorage Municipal Emergency Cold Weather Task Force. Her role was to listen to people with lived experiences, hear their stories, learn about their struggles and dreams, and share their insights with the task force. That experience opened her eyes to the needs of our unhoused neighbors. She was honored with the 2023 Anchored Home Community Volunteer Award from the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness. In 2024, Julie founded the nonprofit In Our Backyard to address the need for interim supportive housing for our unhoused senior neighbors.

Thea Agnew Bemben is a Special Assistant to Mayor LaFrance, working to address the interrelated issues of health, homelessness, and public safety. Thea is a lifelong Alaskan who joined the Mayor's Office from her role as Principal and co-owner of Agnew::Beck Consulting, a local firm she co-founded in 2002. Thea brings expertise in health, housing, and human services planning, along with strong experience working with Alaska Native communities, Tribal organizations, and many diverse communities in Anchorage and across Alaska. She has worked on significant projects, including the implementation of Crisis Now, Medicaid Redesign with the State of Alaska, development of the Anchored Home plan, and plans to address youth homelessness in Anchorage, as well as housing initiatives, including Pay for Success. Additionally, she convened the Municipality's Complex Behavioral Health Task Force.

Susanne Fleek-Green is the Chief of Staff for Anchorage Mayor Susanne LaFrance. She has twenty-five years of experience in management, policy, and politics, focusing on public and private land conservation, environmental protection, Native American rights, and community building. She served as Superintendent of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve until recently. Before joining the Park Service, she served as Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s Chief of Staff and as State Director for U.S. Senator Mark Begich. She also worked for Anchorage’s Office of Economic and Community Development, for the United States Senate in Washington, DC, and as a Presidential Management Fellow with the U.S. Department of the Interior. Born and raised in Alaska, Susanne has lived in Yakutat, King Salmon, and Anchorage. She is a Sealaska shareholder and a member of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Susanne has a B.A. and a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley.

In our backyard_Alaska Website - https://inourbackyard-ak.org
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/InOurBackyardAK

Julie's slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2ngjy50q8pz5ppolxgeof/JulieUnitarianPresentation-pdf.pdf?rlkey=on0e0gg0qmny7v25krz16cacg&dl=0

Thea's slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/p4y5kp9ojvnu0wkbl7bie/TheaCommunitySafetyPriorities2026.pdf?rlkey=l5e8g8b9lrfvtp5o1o1bv8uuu&dl=0

Sussanna's slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/d9avf4socj5rucvbdsiii/SusannaSalesTax

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Monica Lee is a Director of Operations for Southcentral Foundation. In her role, she supports SCF’s Specialty Care Services division, assisting with the smooth operation of services for customer-owners. She is responsible for the daily operations and growth of 20 different departments at SCF, providing both local and statewide health care for Alaska Native families. Prior to her current role, Monica worked as a Senior Improvement Advisor for SCF’s Medical Services Division, a Business Advisor for SCF’s Learning Institute, and in SCF’s Human Resources department. Monica holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, as well as a Graduate Certification in Alaska Native Executive Leadership and a SHRM-CP Certification from the Society of Human Resource Management. Monica is an SCF customer-owner with a background of Inupiaq and Korean descent.

Dawson Hoover is an Administrator for Southcentral Foundation, working directly with the Complementary Medicine, Laboratory, Radiology, Traditional Healing, and Pharmacy departments. Dawson was born in Bethel, grew up in Kasigluk, and is of Yup’ik descent. He graduated from high school at Akula Elitnaurvik and earned a BA in Rural Development from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He completed the Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program (2022-2023 cohort) at the Alaska Pacific University. Dawson comes from a family of educators—both parents are retired K-12 educators. His better half, Seralee, grew up in Kwigillingok and is a Yup’ik teacher at the Alaska Native Culture Charter School here in Anchorage. They have four children, all of whom were born here on the Alaska Native Health Campus – Dejahn, Drake, Ravenna, and Serai. His family enjoys fishing and camping with friends throughout Alaska.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xavub0ndg4eozlmy9k1nc/Typhoon_Halong_2025_Presentation.pdf?rlkey=5838w3zqcu6isbia18f77sraw&dl=0

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Shirley Mae Springer Staten has called Anchorage, Alaska, home for over 45 years, dedicating her life to building bridges across race, class, culture, and generations. As an artist, educator, speaker, and cultural connector, she is known for her exuberance, compassion, and commitment to community and global understanding through the arts. In 2015, she founded Keys to Life, a nonprofit focused on cross-cultural connection through storytelling, artistic expression, and community gatherings. As executive director, she has led initiatives such as the Anchorage Cross-Cultural Summit, Camp Kaleidoscope for youth, Winter Voices, and the What Is the Meaning of Homea project designed for unhoused community members. Her work also includes projects with incarcerated parents and underserved youth, including the Hidden Roots documentary and the Eyes Closed exhibit. Shirley Mae has coordinated statewide cultural and educational efforts, including the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Alaska Native Heritage Center conferences, and the Alaska Humanities Forums educator immersion programs. She has also contributed to museum and Smithsonian exhibits, led international youth travel programs, and created arts-based educational performances.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wfcgkjq90mtzwvleek876/ShirleyMaeSpringerStatenSlides.pdf?rlkey=nq4letmwp5pmw5v3q6ru3940m&dl=0

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Cathleen McLaughlin is the CEO of Restorative and Reentry Services (“RSS”). She has worked in law and advocacy for over 35 years. In 2014, Cathleen became the Director of the Partners Reentry Center, which provided pre- and post-release reentry services to vulnerable individuals who would otherwise be released from incarceration to homelessness. This experience inspired her to open RRS in 2016 to provide guidance to communities around the United States seeking to create their own community-based reentry programs. In April of 2020, RRS was hired to manage the emergency homeless shelter at the Sullivan Arena. During the height of the pandemic, it was the largest congregate shelter in the US. RSS currently works with the Mayor’s office, doing oversight for all homeless shelters in Anchorage, coordinates with the Anchorage Safety Patrol, serves as site manager for the In Our Backyard program, which operates the tiny home shelters at Central Lutheran, and is otherwise deeply involved in addressing many aspects of homelessness in our community. Cathleen received both her law degree and her MBA from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in History/Political Science from the University of Montana.

Emily Robinson is the Chief Operating Officer of RRS. She has worked with high-needs individuals and vulnerable families with young children since 2011 through platforms such as Head Start/Early Head Start and the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School. In 2021, Emily built a completely new program for the Anchorage School District, called Play to Learn Playgroups, targeting families with high needs, helping caregivers build tools and strategies to prevent or lessen the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences. Emily shifted to RRS in July of 2024 to work specifically with unhoused individuals and families. She specializes in trauma-informed practices, generational trauma, and the effects of childhood trauma on the brain into adulthood. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages and International Affairs from the University of Puget Sound, a Post-Baccalaureate in Early Childhood Education from the University of Alaska Anchorage, and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University.

Restorative and Reentry Services website - http://restorativereentryservices.com

Slides to come.

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Felix Rivera came to Alaska for college and never left. He earned his BA in Liberal Studies at Alaska Pacific University. While studying journalism there, he covered local events and also wrote for an international wire service. His work as Constituent Relations and Special Assistant for the Mayor's Office helped to prepare him for his role as an Anchorage Assembly Member and Chair. During his time on the Assembly, Felix has chaired the Assembly as well as its Municipal Audit Committee and Quality Municipal Services Committee, served on the Housing & Homelessness and the Public Health & Safety Committees, among a number of others, and was the Assembly’s liaison to the Alaska Municipal League. He has made an effort to make a difference in the lives of people in his community, not only through his Assembly service, but also by serving on the boards of directors for nonprofits such as the Alaska Institute for Justice, the Public Transit Advisory Board, and the Alaska Youth Court. He is particularly proud of having helped fight for and eventually obtain protections for LGBTQ Anchorage residents in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

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Yareth Rosen came to Alaska in 1987 to work for the Anchorage Times. She has been reporting on Alaska news ever since, covering stories ranging from oil spills to sled-dog races. She has reported for Reuters, the Alaska Dispatch News, Arctic Today, and other organizations. She covers environmental issues, energy, climate change, natural resources, economic and business news, health, science, and Arctic concerns — subjects with considerable overlap. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, but misses many of her son's hockey games since he's now in college in Boston.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/09zemn54l846u4s618shi/UAFPresentationWithAdditiono.pdf?rlkey=3wxextpc3tprd6839v4zcq9v3&dl=0

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Rev Lisa Adams Sherry is the settled minister for the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. She grew up in Oregon as part of a blended family. Her main interests growing up were dancing and theatre--she performed a lot! Another highlight was learning French and spending her junior year of college in France. Lise is married to Nelson, and together they have two boys (Kennen and Derek) and a daughter-in-law, Maria. They’ve lived in Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Lise received her M.Div. from Meadville Lombard in Chicago. Nature, Buddhism, and the Judeo-Christian tradition inform her religious life. Social justice, multi-generational worship services, and pastoral care are some of her favorite parts of ministry. Lise also enjoys hiking, bicycling, reading, gardening, movies, traveling, and learning about other cultures.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0m9zpmqcl7bbx6fkx5k6k/Musings-on_from-the-Camino-2025.pdf?rlkey=wpk8ag35ma0ql0f5apl9djapc&dl=0

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Jane Angvik has been involved in Alaska public life since 1973. After serving on the Anchorage Charter Commission, she was elected to the Anchorage Assembly and became the first woman to serve as Assembly Chair. She has managed state agencies, coordinated a foundation, planned and built facilities, and assisted communities across Alaska in planning their infrastructure and long-range economic strategies. Jane has also taught many women how to conduct campaigns for public office.

Lisa Parker is a fourth-generation Alaskan with over 50 years of public service. She won her first election in 1975, at the age of 19, to the Anchorage Charter Commission. She is Vice Mayor for the City of Soldotna, has served for 14 years on the Soldotna City Council, and is the current President of the 165-member Alaska Municipal League.

Website - https://www.muni.org/50/PressReleases/Pages/Reflections-from-the-Past.aspx

APRN interview with Jane Angvik - https://alaskapublic.org/news/anchorage/2025-08-29/jane-angvik-one-of-the-architects-of-anchorages-charter-reflects-on-50-years-of-a-unified-municipality

East Anchorage Book Club Podcast with Andrew Gray - July 15, 2024 - Season 4•Episode 5 - The Unification of Anchorage 1975: Jane Angvik, Charter Commission Member - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1875228/episodes/15381921-the-unification-of-anchorage-1975-jane-angvik-charter-commission-member?t=0

East Anchorage Book Club Podcast with Andrew Gray - July 22, 2024 - Season 4•Episode 6 - Lisa Parker: Anchorage Charter Commissioner & Soldotna City Council Member - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1875228/episodes/15450310-lisa-parker-anchorage-charter-commissioner-soldotna-city-council-member

East Anchorage Book Club Podcast with Andrew Gray - July 08, 2024 - Season 4•Episode 4 - Jane Angvik: Founding Mother of Anchorage - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1875228/episodes/15376774-jane-angvik-founding-mother-of-anchorage