ANCHORAGE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST

Hometown/Current City: Anchorage

Education: University of Michigan; Leadership Anchorage; Foraker Catalyst for Excellence Program

Community Work: Communications Co-Chair, Mayor’s Economic Resiliency Task Force; SheJumps, volunteer coach helping Mountain View youth access snow sports; Arctic Entries, volunteer story coach/Story Board member helping community members share their stories; Alaska Division of Elections volunteer poll worker; Covenant House Alaska, led youth activities, ran women’s volunteer group at Passage House and internship program; Alaska Women’s Giving Circle

Family: I am lucky to have an enormous family who I’m close to with roots across the U.S., including Philadelphia, Louisiana, Michigan, Colorado, and Alaska, featuring my mom, Kathleen; dad, Larry; younger brother, Tyler; partner, Noah; and oodles of aunts/uncles/cousins.

What is your favorite place in Alaska and why?: Six a.m. on a July day at Kenai Beach. The sun poking up above snow-capped volcanoes while seals and fish jump around you in the water, and you're elbow to elbow with hundreds of your "closest friends" and seagulls fighting over fish guts. An Alaskan right of passage! Also, Halibut Cove - or Martha’s Vineyard in Alaska.

Name the person you respect and why: My mother, for her constant optimism, strength, joy and positive outlook on her life. My dad, for teaching me that no budget is too small to have an adventurous life, and for naming me based on what name would go well with “Yo!” when shouted in a Philly accent. My grandparents, who fought hard and worked hard for the life I have now. Last, but not least, the incredible entrepreneurs and business owners I get to work with every day, who are role models and leaders to so many, including me!

What is your favorite pastime or hobby away from work?: I spend as much time as I can in the mountains on foot, skis and bikes and in tents. Cooking, live music and dancing with friends and family, and also hermitting at home with a good book or magazine. Costumes, and the lifestyle that is the Klondike Road Relay.

What was your first job?: Aside from my long and esteemed babysitting career, including resume builders like calling locksmiths to rescue children who had handcuffed themselves to furniture and becoming an expert in cleaning out PB&J sandwiches from VCRs, my first legal job was slinging pizzas at the one-and-only Moose's Tooth as a teen and on.

What has been your most rewarding community service?: During the pandemic, a colleague and I co-chaired the Mayor’s Economic Resiliency Task Force’s Communications Committee - a mouthful! - tasked with communicating the most important messages. We worked with the Anchorage i-Team to build a texting tool that was able to share real time, critical information and resources with thousands of business owners across the city, many of whom were small mom-andpop shops that wouldn’t have received these messages otherwise. We were able to help business owners stay afloat and survive the storm and be as responsive as we could during a time of crisis. I’m really proud of the work we did together.

In your professional life, what has been a project or achievement you have found to be the most fulfilling?: Every day that I get to spend sharing the stories of the amazing business owners that come through our programming, and every day that I get to work with the community to advocate for things that matter. Also, a fellow participant and I were selected in our Leadership Anchorage cohort to participate in a leadership exchange with a local leader in Shishmaref. We got to spend time getting to know the community and its wonderful residents, and examining what it means to be a leader in a rural Alaska Native community. That experience was treasured and transformative for me.

Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give on maintaining a good work-life balance?: Take the vacation! Find a job you love, and build a life outside of work that you love a lot more. There are many days I don’t get this right, and it’s definitely a privilege when I do.