Assets Champions and Community Advocates for Alaska

Eliza Soule - Community Advocate Eliza Soule, a former member of the Alaska ICE team, worked as a Community Engagement Educator from 2002-2004, delivering keynote speeches, community/parent seminars, youth empowerment workshops, c... (Read More!)

Shelly Eidsness - Assets Champion Shelly is a former Community Engagement Educator with AASB. She worked diligently for Alaska's youth for over 12 years at AASB, and helped to shape the Alaska ICE program from it's inception in 2001.

Cody Schwegel - Community Advocate Sixteen-year-old Cody Schwegel of Craig, Alaska spends his free time inspiring and empowering youth to find their niche in the community. When his childhood friends started experimenting with smoki... (Read More!)

Heather Vukelic - Community Advocate Hello! I want to take this chance to introduce myself to each and every one of you. My name is Heather Vukelic and I’m a new addition to the Mount Edgecumbe High School team. I am the live-in R... (Read More!)

Suzie Gaffney - Assets Champion Suzie worked with AASB for over 5 years as a Community Engagement Educator, working with youth and adults on asset building for Alaskans.

André Layral - Assets Champion André Layral, M. Ed, is a former Community Engagement Educator with AASB. He is currently the Executive Director of the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals.

Robert Tokianna - Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Brevig Mission Twenty-year-old Robert Tokianna saves lives in Brevig Mission by teaching something he loves—Eskimo dancing. As the Suicide Prevention Coordinator for the Brevig Mission Traditional Council, Robert... (Read More!)

Eric Gebhart - Community Advocate Superintendent, principal, pastor, substitute bus driver—these are just some of the hats worn by Eric Gebhart. Each role is essential in the community, but Eric won’t hesitate in pointing toward on... (Read More!)

Carol Comeau - Superintendent - Anchorage Carol Comeau is a dedicated and dynamic advocate for what kids need, not just in education but on all levels. As superintendent of the Anchorage School District, Carol uses her forum to keep kids’ ... (Read More!)

Erin Steinkruger - Community Advocate Seventeen-year-old Erin Steinkruger, a senior at Steller High School, enjoys being a role model for younger children. When she heard about the Big Brothers Big Sisters high school mentoring program... (Read More!)

Nancy Seamount - Teacher/Co-host of "Kids These Days!" Nancy’s educational background includes a Masters in Counseling and teaching credentials in health/P.E. and K-12 counseling. Her work experience includes 14 years as a Health Teacher, six years as ... (Read More!)

Mike and Gigi Danner - Foster Parents Seven years ago, Mike and Gigi Danner built a home that defines the term "dream house." They built a house with seven bedrooms and filled it with kids who needed homes. The Danners have always h... (Read More!)

Janell Privett - School Board Member - Wrangell As a member of the Wrangell School Board, Janell Privett keeps the board’s focus on youth by encouraging youth to voice their opinions to the board. She states: "I can’t imagine not involving kids ... (Read More!)

Natalie Beach - Assets Champion When Natalie Beach, a senior at Colony High in Wasilla, found out that the kids at the nearby Larson Elementary school needed reading tutors, she stepped up and volunteered. And although her assist... (Read More!)

Mike & Linda Setterberg - Community Advocates With kids of their own, Mike and Linda Setterberg saw that Fairbanks needed a safe, supportive and consistent place where kids could hang out. So in April of 1999, with help from the community, the... (Read More!)

John Pingayak II - Teacher - Chevak John Pingayak wants his students to know who they are and where they came from. When he began teaching in 1976, he was struck by the absence of cultural activities offered in schools, so he made it... (Read More!)

Darrell Vincek - Principal - Anchorage If Darrell Vincek, Principal of Bowman Elementary in Anchorage, knows the name of your kids, it’s not because they’ve been in trouble. It’s because Darrell has embraced a philosophy that encourages... (Read More!)

Aaron Rostad - Community Advocate I will lead my youth group in the "Helping Kids Succeed- Alaskan Style" Card Game. Also, I will establish a trusting connection with the youth of the community, to present myself as an ear to liste... (Read More!)

Brandon Kanayurak - Community Advocate I will play the Alaska ICE card game at least once with a family.

Ella Mae Stalker - Community Advocate I promise to share with my friends what happened and what I learned at the Asset Training I attended.

Larry Aieken - Assets Champion I will promise to at least play the assets card game with a family once and at our meetings mention how important it is to help our young people in our own communities

Lydia Agnasagga - Community Advocate I will do my best to be a mentor, a friend and involve for the betterment of our youth and community.

Maggie Tagarook - Community Advocate I will tell my village about the training we had and convince my peers to get into helping our community.

Morgan A. VanHatten - Community Advocate I promise that when I'm away at college that I will come back to my village and talk to them about college life.

Vera Weber - Community Advocate I promise to continue to be an active role model (positive) to our young people in the North Slope communities in Alaska

Megan Edwardson - Community Advocate It may not be in the next year, but I will make a difference in my community, I promise. I promise to help make my community a safe and healthier place to live.

Malia Texeira - Community Advocate I will teach my two children about their culture (Hawaiin and Inupiat). I will introduce them to the many Assets around us. I would also like to involve them in a card game.

Derek Peterson - Community Advocate Derek Peterson served Alaskans as AASB's Director of Child and Youth Advocacy from 1995-2003, and provided much of the vision and leadership to get Alaska ICE off the ground. In 2001, Derek rece... (Read More!)

Bill Watkins - Director of Instruction and the Learning Center for the Kodiak Island Borough School District Bill Watkins is the Director of Instruction and the Learning Center for the Kodiak Island Borough School District. He has collaborated with AASB to implement the Quality Schools/Quality Students (... (Read More!)

Kem Haggard - Community Engagement Specialist - Wrangell Kemuel (Kem) Haggard is the Community Engagement Coordinator for Wrangell. Kem and his wife Susan have worked with students for over 20 years and are a welcome addition to the community of Wrangel... (Read More!)

Lois Morgan - School Board Member I am the survivor of a tough childhood. I was born in 1940 and raised in Northern California logging camps, finished high school, went to college, studied education, met Bob Morgan, who wanted to ... (Read More!)

Kristen Paton - Hall Manager for Facilities and Special Projects Hi! My name is Kristen Paton, and I am the Hall Manager for Facilities and Special Projects at Wilderness Hall in Galena. That basically means that I oversee desk operations, facilities concerns, a... (Read More!)

Carrie Neve - Educational Liaison - Mt Edgecumbe High School Hi! My name is Carrie Neve, and this year I am part of the Resiliency In Residence Life Staff at Mt. Edgecumbe High School as the Educational Liaison. I will be working to improve communication bet... (Read More!)

Perseverance Theatre - Community Advocate In the fall of 2004, Juneau’s Perseverance Theatre will tour their production of Macbeth to six communities throughout Alaska. As part of their Community Outreach program, five members of this all-... (Read More!)

Aaron Routon - Resiliency Director - Mt Edgecumbe High School Hello, my name is Aaron Routon and I am the Resiliency Director at Mt. Edgecumbe High School (MEHS), a statewide residential high school in Sitka. I also work with developing assets in students th... (Read More!)

Pia Jensen - Recreation Aide at Nenana's Student Living Center Hi! My name is Pia Jensen, and I am the Recreation Aide at Nenana’s Student Living Center in Alaska’s interior, one hour from Fairbanks. It is my job to plan, organize, find resources for and imple... (Read More!)

Larry West - Assets Champion As our former QS2 District Coordinator, Larry West provided logistical coordination for Alaska ICE’s targeted community engagement efforts in QS2 and other school districts throughout the state. ... (Read More!)

Becca Swinney - Outdoor Specialist - Mt Edgecumbe High School My name is Becca Swinney and I am the Outdoor Specialist at Mt. Edgecumbe High School (MEHS), Alaska’s only statewide residential high school, located in Sitka. I recently moved to Sitka from North... (Read More!)

Kathy Buss - Community Advocate Kathy Buss has spent over 20 years in youth serving organizations doing pioneer work for children with disabilities, program development, grant writing, volunteer recruitment and training, and camp... (Read More!)

Allan Hayton - Community Advocate Allan Hayton grew up in Arctic Village, Alaska, a community rich in culture, language and history. Allan’s study in theatre began at Haskell Indian Nations University and continued at the Universi... (Read More!)

Karen Roberts Johnson - Community Engagement Advocate Karen is the former Community Engagement Advocate (CEA) for the Dillingham City School District.

Lynn Bateman - Community Advocate With roles as a substitute teacher, classroom aide, school board member, community engagement and youth advocate, and board chair, Lynn Bateman has been involved with education in the Southeast Isl... (Read More!)

Darcel Williams - Community Advocate Darcel Williams heads up Alaska Kids Are Our Kids (AKAOK) in Dutch Harbor. AKAOK is a group that leads and promotes community building activities and events based on the assets framework.

Vicki Salmon - Community Engagement Advocate Vicki Salmon is the Community Engagement Advocate for the Yukon Flats School District.

Lorrie Heagy - Assets Champion Lorrie is a music teacher and librarian at Glacier Valley Elementary School. She is highly involved in the GV Art is Elementary program that won the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Crea... (Read More!)

Carole & Roger Huntington - Community Advocate Carole and Roger Huntington’s motto is: "If you want to complain about something, you better be willing to get out there and do something about it." So they sold their successful business and turne... (Read More!)

Joe Parrish - Community Advocate Joe Parrish believes that building and maintaining trails builds character in youth. During the ‘70s, Joe worked for a forest service program that created opportunities for young adults to work in ... (Read More!)

Rich Owens - Tastee Freez owner - Anchorage The Jewel Lake Tastee Freez is a testament to Rich Owens’s commitment to youth. The restaurant is most often packed with kids, both behind and in front of the counter. And the walls are covered wit... (Read More!)

Haines Library - Community Advocate Haines Library, through its Dragonfly Project, builds assets by using teenagers to teach older community members how to use computers and other technology resources.

Valley Hospital - Community Advocate Valley Hospital in Palmer gives out copies of Helping Kids Succeed – Alaskan Style to all parents of newborns born in the hospital.

Danny Sparrell - Community Advocate I will go help at least one day in the school next semester

Neal George - Community Advocate Incorporate an Assets presentation to three Substance Abuse/ Mental Health staff meetings over the next year.

Sylvia Furman - Community Engagement Specialist - Kodiak Sylvia Furman is the Community Engagement Coordinator for Kodiak. As a mother and substitute teacher, she helps out in the schools and throughout the community whenever it’s needed. For many years... (Read More!)

Barb Dalke - Community Advocate Barb Dalke is a teacher in Mentasta Lake, and recently was one of the teachers who hosted a writer's retreat for students from schools in Dot Lake and Mentasta Lake.

Benjamyn Lockwood - Resident Life Staff I was born at a very young age in the great state of Iowa. I attended the University of Northern Iowa where I majored in French. Luckily, I had enough international friends in college that I walk... (Read More!)

Jeffrey Barry - Community Advocate Jeffrey Barry is a resident advisor and volleyball coach at Galena's Project Education Residential School.

Diane Peterson - Residential Advisor - Galena Interior Learning Academy (GILA) Diane (on the right in the gray shirt) is a returning Residential Advisor at the Galena Interior Learning Academy. Her hometown is Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Diane enjoys riding her Harley, readin... (Read More!)

Stacey Graham - Residential Counselor - Galena Interior Learning Academy (GILA) Stacey Graham comes to Galena Interior Learning Academy (GILA) from Grand Blanc, Michigan and while this is her first year here, she has already established many great relationships with students a... (Read More!)

Rick Trostel - Community Advocate Rick Trostel is the Juneau Student Symphony conductor. His work connects youth and adults in collaborative musicianship and positive relationships, stretching from Juneau to Gustavus to Hoonah. (vi... (Read More!)

Diane Sly - Statewide Partner Diane Sly is an assets educator and trainer with the Association for the Education of Young Children - Southeast Alaska (AEYC-SEA), a partner organization with Alaska ICE. She works with individua... (Read More!)

Vera Rose Mountain - Resident Life Staff Hello and good day! I am Vera Rose Mountain, daughter of the late Simeon and the late Josephine Mountain, both of Nulato. I belong to the Nulato Tribe and I am an Athabascan Indian. I am the Aux... (Read More!)

Tonya Rolon - Community Advocate Tonya Rolon is the Community Engagement Advocate for Arctic Village.

Patrick Clark - MEHS Outdoor Specialist Hello, my name is Patrick Clark (I’m in the red jacket) and I am the Director of Outdoor Programming at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, AK. In my position I have the opportunity to take student... (Read More!)

Karen Eakes - Community Advocate Executive Director of PATCHWorks in the community of Ketchikan.

Kate Dugan - Community Advocate Kate Dugan is a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School, and has used her interest and experience in community engagement, diverse faith communities, and youth leadership throughout Alaska. She ha... (Read More!)

Kathy Zamudio - Community Engagement Advocate Kathy Zamudio is the Community Engagement Advocate for the Cordova City School District.

Cathy Foerster - Community Advocate Cathy Foerster is semi-retired after 25 years as a petroleum engineer. Although her vocation was very much of the business and technical worlds, her avocation has always been kids. She has mentor... (Read More!)

Heidi Holbert - MEHS Restorative Justice Coordinator Hi, my name is Heidi Holbert and I am the Restorative Justice Coordinator at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska. Last year I was a Residential Advisor for MEHS and very happy to return thi... (Read More!)

Whitney Pong - Resident Life Staff Whitney Pong is the recreation aide at the Nenana Student Living Center. She is originally from Colorado, but moved to Hawaii for college and then relocated to Alaska. This will be her third year ... (Read More!)

Diane Larson - Resident Life Staff Hi! My name is Diane Larson (I'm on the far left), daughter of the Joe and Darlene Larson, both of Muskegon, Michigan. I grew up in West Michigan in the small port city of Muskegon. The beautiful... (Read More!)

Tasha Cavasoz - MEHS Academic Liaison Tasha is so happy to spend another year at MEHS as their Academic Liaison. She spent a wonderful summer fishing out of Pelican with her partner and will share her “charged by a bear” story with yo... (Read More!)

Karrie Pavish Anderson - Resident Life Staff Karrie Pavish Anderson is enjoying her second year as a Residential Advisor at Galena Interior Learning Academy. As a graduate of Anchorage Christian Schools and the University of Alaska Anchorage... (Read More!)

Jeffrey Bauer - Resident Life Staff Jeff is a resident advisor at the Galena Interior Learing Academy.

Jenni Betschart - Resident Life Staff staff at Nenana Student Living Center

Northern Lights United Church - Community Advocate Juneau's Northern Lights United Church has incorporated the Asset Framework in almost every aspect of its ministry. To establish and maintain closer youth-adult relationships, the Church has sponso... (Read More!)

Tikigaq Corporation - Community Advocate Tikigaq Corporation, in the village of Point Hope, gives parental leave and flexible work hours for employees to spend time in their children’s school. They expect each employee in Pt. Hope to spen... (Read More!)

PATCHWorks of Ketchikan - Community Advocate Ketchikan’s PATCHWorks (Planned Approach to Community Health) adopted the assets approach as their community initiative in the mid-1990s. Today nearly everyone in the community knows about assets a... (Read More!)

Ron Larson Elementary School - Community Advocate Ron Larson Elementary School in Wasilla creates many asset-building opportunities for young students and their families, and acknowledges the importance of many adults in the school community. All ... (Read More!)

The Kake Peace Making Circle - Community Advocate The Kake Peace Making Circle brings together people in the community who are affected by a wrongful act. Collectively, with the offender, they work to change the conditions that lead to the offense... (Read More!)

Igiugig Tribal Council - Community Advocate The Igiugig Tribal Council sponsors many family fun and community service projects. They publish a family activity bingo game, available to all residents. The program coordinator uses the asset app... (Read More!)

KMBQ Wasilla - Community Advocate KMBQ in Wasilla hosts a weekly "Teen Power Hour," where teens share their opinions about local issues. The Mat-Su Valley Credit Union sponsors a daily "Mat-Su Middle Ground" program on KMBQ in whic... (Read More!)

Bethel’s early childhood education and care advocates - Community Advocate Bethel’s early childhood education and care advocates collaborated with groups in the community to produce and publish a calendar with ideas for Asset Building.

Katie Derby - Community Advocate Katie is a Hall Manager at the Galena Interior Learning Academy and a welcome addition to the Resiliency in Residence Life team.

Mac Mandregan - Community Advocate Mac serves as Head Maintenance of St. Paul School. He is somebody everyone can depend on and a true Assets Champion for St. Paul.

Roberta Larsen - Community Advocate Roberta works with the Unalaska All-Faith Youth Group.