PARTNER ATTORNEY

HOLMES WEDDLE & BARCOTT P.C.

Hometown: Ketchikan

Current City: Anchorage

Education: Juris Doctor, Gonzaga University School of Law, May 2009, CALI Award for highest grade in Trial Advocacy Lecture and Lab, Child Advocacy Group Board Member, Phi Delta Phi Board Member, Client Counseling Competition Participant; Bachelor of Arts, double major in sociology and political science, Pacific Lutheran University, May 2006

Community Work: Beans Cafe, Fundraising/Legal, fall 2015-present; Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Church Council Member, fall 2012-spring 2016, fall 2018-present; Kids’ Chance of Alaska, Founding Board Member, fall 2020-present

Family: I am a third-generation Alaskan. My grandparents relocated to Fairbanks to allow my grandfather to work as a journalist and cover the Constitutional Convention. My mother's family eventually made their way from Fairbanks to Kodiak and from Kodiak to Ketchikan.

I was raised by my parents with my two sisters in Ketchikan. In September 2023, my son Olin was born. I now split my time between Anchorage and Homer.

What is your favorite place in Alaska and why?: Rotary Beach, Ketchikan: There is something about this magnificent spot - when I am sitting on the rocky shore looking out onto the channel and beyond, I am at peace. I have a clear mind and can focus. Whether it is a bluebird day, the aurora is glowing or a torrential downpour, it always for me provides peace and serenity.

Name the person you respect and why: My mother, Susan. My mom has always been a faithful, strict, loving and kind person. Her presence exudes grace, and she always manages to see the best in every person and challenges people to see their full potential. She has fought cancer for the past 22 years; she possesses a kind of strength most of us likely cannot even imagine. I am blessed beyond measure to have been raised by her.

What is your favorite pastime or hobby away from work?: Traveling to new places. What was your first job?: My first job was as a janitor. I cleaned for a local business every weekend. I would take out the trash, clean the sinks and toilets, dust and vacuum. What has been your most rewarding community service?: My time working with high school youth at church. Those youth I worked with over the course of time became family. During the course of my mentorship, I believe I gained and learned from the youth as much as I offered. They were always challenging my perspective. It is so much fun to watch them pursue their lives, especially now that they are building families of their own. In your professional life, what has been a project or achievement you have found to be the most fulfilling?: Engaging with my clients and mentor junior attorneys. I love to engage with people: there is nothing better than when you can provide services that bring people satisfaction and peace of mind. Working with my junior attorneys to pass along these customer service skills and to challenge their pursuits is fascinating and engaging. Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give on maintaining a good work-life balance?: There are two things that - while I do them, I am not always great at practicing them - are necessary for a good work-life balance: boundaries and the word "no." It is important to understand that there is a time and place for everything, and another person's crisis does not necessarily mean that it is your own crisis. Finding this balance between engaging and accepting opportunity and knowing when and how to say not now or no is a skill that is critical to finding balance.