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Governor Parnell Announces Board Appointments   Printer Friendly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 09-034

September 4, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sean Parnell today announced several appointments to state boards and commissions relating to senior citizens, municipal finance, public broadcasting, aviation, domestic violence prevention, and services for the disabled.

Alaska Commission on Aging

Governor Parnell reappointed Patricia Branson and Paula Pawlowski to the Alaska Commission on Aging.

The 11-member commission makes recommendations to the governor and legislature regarding legislation, regulations and appropriations for programs and services that benefit older Alaskans. Members are appointed based on their knowledge of and demonstrated interest in the concerns of Alaska’s seniors.

Branson, of Kodiak, has been executive director of Senior Citizens of Kodiak, Inc. since 1988, and has also worked as a program coordinator for the Kodiak Council on Alcoholism and as a freelance writer and marketer. She served three terms on the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly, was president of both Kodiak’s Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club, was on the Alaska Municipal League’s board of directors from 2000-02, and served on the Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission from 1988-94. She has been president of the Alaska Geriatric Exchange Network, represents Alaska to the National Institute for Senior Centers, and has received Alaska’s First Lady Volunteer of the Year Award. Branson earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Illinois State University. She has served on the commission since 2005, and was reappointed to a seat representing a provider of services to senior citizens.

Pawlowski, of Anchorage, has been director of Bridge Builders of Anchorage since 2008. She has also worked as an employment training coordinator and as a special events coordinator for public television services in Anchorage. She has more than 30 years of experience in volunteer service to schools, museums and community associations in Alaska in the fields of education, cross-cultural communication, vocational training and public safety. Pawlowski has received awards for her volunteer service from the Anchorage School Districts, the Armed Services YMCA and the Alaska Parent-Teacher Association. She has been on the commission since 2006, has served as vice-chair since 2008, and was reappointed to a public seat.

Alaska Municipal Bond Bank Authority

Governor Parnell reappointed Mark Pfeffer to the Alaska Municipal Bond Bank Authority.

The five-member board borrows money and issues bonds and notes to make capital funds available for borrowing by municipalities, and in turn receives bonds and notes from Alaska municipalities. It consists of three members appointed by the governor and the commissioners of the Department of Revenue and the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.

Pfeffer, of Anchorage, is an architect and real estate developer who has been involved in numerous public and private building projects in Alaska since 1988. He is a founder, principal and board director of kpb architects, and president of Pfeffer Development. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and of London’s Architectural Association. Pfeffer earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Nebraska. He has been on the authority since 2001 and was reappointed to a public seat.

Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission

Governor Parnell appointed Carl J. Berger, Pat Corkery, David W. Gardner, Leon C. Luczak and Nicole M. Stewart to the Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission.

The nine-member commission encourages and supervises development of an integrated state public broadcasting system, primarily by recommending state grants to fund operations and capital needs for locally controlled public radio stations in Alaska.

Berger, of Bethel, has been executive director of the Lower Kuskokwim Economic Development Council since 1992. His previous work includes service as economic development director of the Association of Village Council Presidents from 1991-95, as a private consultant to tribes and villages, as health director of the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation and as a state social worker and trainer. He served on the Bethel City Council from 2000-03, on the board of public radio station KYUK from 1987-1999 and on the Bethel Senior Center’s advisory board. Berger earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at California State University in Sacramento, and attended graduate school at San Francisco State University. He previously served on the broadcasting commission from 1999-2008, including one term as chair, and was appointed to a public seat.

Corkery, of Anchorage, has been with Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management since 1985, and is now a vice president and senior financial advisor. He has been on the Alaska Public Television, Inc. board of directors since 2003, including two years as chair, and recently joined the board of Alaska Innocence Project. He has also belonged to the boards of the Alaska AIDS Assistance Association, the Alaska chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Anchorage Arts Council. Corkery attended St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa, and served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was appointed to a public seat.

Gardner, of North Pole, has been vice president of marketing and member services for Golden Valley Electric Association since 2008. He previously worked for GVEA as vice president of employee services from 2002-08, and safety and training director from 1994-2002. Gardner previously worked 16 years as a training and safety director for an electrical utility in Washington state. He serves on the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s rural services commission, the University of Alaska’s Tanana Valley Campus community advisory council and the local Breast Cancer Detection Center board of directors. He has also served on the board of the Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium. Gardner earned a bachelor’s degree in technical education from the Oregon Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in organizational management from the University of LaVerne in California. He was appointed to a public seat.

Luczak, of Petersburg, has been director of community development for the City of Petersburg since 1991, and was the city’s building maintenance specialist from 1986-91. He previously worked as a contractor in Petersburg and as a carpenter in Michigan. He has been a member of the Alaska Municipal League since 1995 and the Southeast Conference since 1997. He served on the board of Coast Alaska, a consortium of five Southeast Alaska public radio stations from 2001-07, and served on the board of KFSK-FM from 2000-08. Luczak attended Michigan State University. He was appointed to a public seat.

Stewart, of Fairbanks, has been marketing manager for Sourdough Fuel since 2001. She previously worked as online advertising manager for the Anchorage Daily News and as a technical writer for Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. Stewart earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Oregon. Stewart has served on the advisory board of KUAC/Alaska One Public Broadcasting. She was appointed to a public seat.

Aviation Advisory Board

Governor Parnell appointed Steven R. Strait to the Aviation Advisory Board. The 11-member board advises the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities on aviation issues and consults with the commissioner on the selection of chief administrative officers of Anchorage and Fairbanks international airports, which comprise the Alaska International Airport System.

Strait, of Anchorage, has owned Alaska Broadcast Media, an advertising sales firm, since 2000. He previously worked in television marketing and sales management in Anchorage from 1985-97, and as a TV producer in New Zealand from 1981-84. He is a licensed private pilot with many years of experience flying in Alaska. Strait is a member of the Alaska Airman’s Association, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Turnagain Community Council and Alaska Moose Federation, and is a past president of the Anchorage International Rotary Club. He served 12 years on the Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission, including serving as chair from 2008-09. Strait earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Idaho. He was appointed to a seat representing the mayor of the Municipality of Anchorage.

Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Governor Parnell reappointed Stephanie McFadden to the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. The seven-member council provides planning and coordination of services to victims and families, as well as grant funding for qualified programs.

McFadden, of Anchorage, has been a supervisory secretary for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service since 2007. She previously served 12 years in the U.S. Navy, working as an administrative, training and equal opportunity officer at bases in Diego Garcia and in Washington state. McFadden earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Alaska Anchorage, and a master’s degree in education from Troy State University in Alabama. She has served on the council since 2008, is currently chair, and was reappointed to a public seat.

Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education

Governor Parnell appointed Jennifer M. Card, Velja Elstad, Dean T. Gates, Kama T. Gregory, Kaylene Lamb, Sharon L. Miranda and Frederick A. Villa, and reappointed Taylor D. Gregg, Meghan M. Johnson, Banarsi Lal and Donna G. Swihart to the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education.

The 18-to-28 member council is the interdepartmental planning and coordinating agency of the state Department of Health and Social Services and other departments offering services or special education to disabled Alaskans. It also operates as the state disability/special education planning council under federal law, and works with the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority on the state’s integrated program for the mentally disabled. At least 60 percent of the members must be people with disabilities, or parents of people with disabilities.

Card, of Chugiak, is the mother of two children under age 12 with special needs. She has worked for the U.S. Public Health Service since 2000 as a clinical social worker, clinical supervisor, senior clinician and social worker in Idaho and Alaska, and is currently assigned to Southcentral Foundation in Anchorage as a social worker. She performed similar work while serving in the U.S. Army from 1994-96 and the U.S. Air Force from 1997-2000. Card is an Alaska-licensed clinical social worker and chemical dependency counselor II, and is a state-approved clinical social worker supervisor. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in social work, both from the University of Hawaii. Card earned an associate’s degree in chemical dependency from Rio Salado College, and is pursuing an Applied Behavioral Analysis certificate from Pennsylvania State University. She was appointed to a seat reserved for a person with a family member who is a consumer of services for the disabled.

Elstad, of Juneau, has been a community rehabilitation specialist with the state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation since 1998. She previously worked as an evaluator and counselor for the division from 1993-98, and from 1983-93 as habilitation supervisor and vocational evaluator for Reach, Inc., a non-profit residential and vocational services agency for the handicapped. She is a state-certified vocational evaluator. Elstad earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Western Washington University. She was appointed to a seat reserved for a representative of the state’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Gates, of Anchorage, has been an assistant municipal attorney for the Municipality of Anchorage since 2003. He previously worked as a law clerk and was a part-time legal research associate for the Institute of the North. Gates has also worked as a student living center program aide for The Arc of Anchorage from 2000-03, and as a marketing coordinator from 1994-1997. He has served as an officer or board member of the Alaska Deaf Council since 2002, and was a member of the Alaska Advisory Board on Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students from 2001-05. Gates earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California State University-Northridge, and a law degree from Northwest School of Law in Portland, Oregon. Deaf since about age 10, he was appointed to a seat reserved for a consumer of services for the disabled.

Gregory, of Anchorage, is the mother of a three-year old child with special needs, and has more than 18 years of experience as a health care and pregnancy resource executive. She was executive director of the Houghston Foundation, a sports and orthopedic hospital in Georgia, from 2005-06, was executive director of a domestic violence shelter in Georgia from 2004-05, has consulted for a national pregnancy resource organization since 2004, and was development director, then executive director, of a Tennessee pregnancy resource center from 1995-2001. Gregory serves on the board of Hope Imaging, a non-profit ultrasound training organization. A former licensed school counselor, she is a member of the Alaska Transition Training Initiative’s early intervention committee. Gregory earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Miami University in Ohio, and a master’s degree in counseling from Middle Tennessee State University. She was appointed to a seat reserved for a person with a family member who is a consumer of services for the disabled.

Lamb, of Fairbanks, experiences a developmental disability. She graduated from high school, and attended college. Lamb has advocated for Alaskans with disabilities through her participation in the Key Coalition and the People First organizations. She was appointed to a seat reserved for a consumer of services for the disabled.

Miranda, of Anchorage, has been an employment specialist with Alyeska Vocational Services since 2006 and an American Sign Language instructor at the University of Alaska Anchorage since 1989. She previously worked as a community resource counselor for The Arc of Anchorage and a rehabilitation specialist for the Alaska Center for Blind and Deaf Adults. Miranda has been a member of the Alaska Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind Council since 2008, an officer of the Anchorage Club of the Deaf from 1983-90 and a board member or executive with the Alaska Association of the Deaf from 1985-94. Miranda earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics from Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. and took post-graduate ASL classes from Gallaudet. She was appointed to a seat reserved for a consumer of services for the disabled.

Villa, of North Pole, is the father of a child with special needs. He is associate vice president for workforce programs for the University of Alaska system. Villa previously worked as special assistant to the Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska from 2005-06, and worked at a North Pole oil refinery from 1985-2004 in jobs including process operator, control board operator and training director. He serves on the Alaska Workforce Investment Board and worked with the Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium as a member, vice chair, chair and executive board member. Villa earned a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation from the University of South Dakota. He was appointed to a seat reserved for a representative of higher education.

Gregg, of Ketchikan, experiences a developmental disability. She graduated from Ketchikan High School and has worked as a volunteer preschool aide and as a paid substitute aide. A participant in Special Olympics, she has won national weightlifting competitions through the organization, and holds other state weightlifting records in Alaska. Gregg has served on the council since 2003, and was reappointed to a seat reserved for a consumer of services for the disabled.

Johnson, of Anchorage, is a childhood mental health consultant who has since 2002 been director of program evaluation for thread, a statewide early childhood resource and referral service. She has also been an adjunct professor of early childhood special education at the University of Alaska Anchorage since 2005. Johnson previously worked as a program services manager for Programs for Infants and Toddlers in Anchorage, taught at an Anchorage school for pregnant students, taught child development classes at the University of Oregon and served as a teacher and respite care provider. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, and a master’s degree in early childhood special education from the University of Oregon. She has been on the council since 2005, and was reappointed to a seat reserved for a provider of services to infants or toddlers with disabilities.

Lal spent 24 years with the Fairbanks Native Association before retiring in 2000 as behavioral services director. He has been a public member of the Alaska Commission on Aging since 2000 and is the current chair. By virtue of his membership on the Alaska Commission on Aging, Lal has concurrently served on the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education since 2005, and as a member of the Pioneers’ Home Advisory Council since 2007. Lal earned a master’s degree in social work from Lucknow University, and a master’s degree in psychology from Agra University; both universities are in India. He was reappointed to a seat reserved for a member of the Alaska Commission on Aging.

Swihart, of Palmer, is the mother of two children with special needs. She has worked as a family resource consultant for the Center for Human Development and as a flight attendant with Alaska Airlines. She is active in advocating for families with special needs children, and has served on the boards of Mat-Su Services for Children and Adults and the LINKS/Mat-Su Parent Resource Center, and is involved in numerous organizations advocating for early identification, intervention and services for children with autism. A member of the council since 2000, Swihart was recently elected chair, and was reappointed to a seat reserved for a person with a family member who is a consumer of services for the disabled.

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