Who We Are

Hank is the Community Catalyst for Kake. He has been with the Organized Village of Kake for over a decade and joined SSP as a Catalyst in 2021.

Hello! My name is Chandler and I use she/her pronouns. I am deeply grateful to have been born and raised as a guest here on Lingít Aaní by my parents Preston O’Connell and Tory Curran, and alongside my sister Margot O’Connell. I spend my days with my daughters and our extended family and friends. I am always happy to share a meal or a walk.

Before returning to Sitka in 2016, I worked in Burundi and Rwanda as a Global Health Corps Fellow and then at One Acre Fund, a social enterprise committed to ending hunger and poverty by serving smallholder farmers.

As the Sitka Sustainable Communities Catalyst, I spend my days working with my neighbors to try and build a better, more equitable community now and for future generations. I support a variety of citizen-led initiatives that connect with food security, indigenous sovereignty, workforce development and climate change. I love learning from other people and communities (one of the best parts of being in SSP!), so please reach out any time.

I work through the SSP on community-based natural resource projects that integrate social, ecological and economic values because I believe that the vitality and resilience of nature and its peoples go hand in hand. I appreciate the opportunity to work with community catalysts on their local priorities and with my fellow regional catalysts on finding synergies between our often siloed disciplines. I am the sole proprietor of Living Systems Design, a consulting business based in Icy Strait that has been working to facilitate collaborative stewardship at home and abroad for about 25 years. I am proud to serve on the Leadership Team of the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition so that I can learn from colleagues in my field, and share the lessons we have learned in southeast Alaska with a broader network of practitioners. My participation in the the SSP is supported by a variety of partner organizations, including the Nature Conservancy in Alaska and Sealaska. I live on Lemesurier Island, near Glacier Bay, Alaska and have been working as an environmental consultant in Southeast Alaska for about 20 years. I love to hunt, fish, kayak, hike and hangout with my family and friends.

My name is Jacob Watson. I grew up in a small town in Western Massachusetts before moving to Southeast Alaska in 2014. I immediately fell in love with the people, nature and culture in the area. I’ve worked in the tourism industry in Skagway ever since, most recently as a Dock Ambassador for the Municipality of Skagway. I enjoy writing and performing music, hiking, camping, spending time with my family and helping with various community events. 

As the Skagway Community Catalyst & Program Manager, I am privileged to work with my neighbors to foster positive economic growth and build a more sustainable future for all. My current focus areas include helping local creators grow their businesses, working with environmental coordinators to protect salmon habitats, and promoting energy-efficient solutions. I look forward to gaining more knowledge through the extensive SSP network and applying it to our community!

Michael grew up on traditionally Coast Salish land in Washington State and is passionate about coastal and maritime communities. They earned their undergraduate degree in global studies and international relations with a focus on diplomacy in 2013 after two terms abroad. Michael moved to Southeast Alaska that same year and has since worked in both the non and for-profit sectors managing business and grant programs in education and fisheries. Michael is excited to apply their background in commercial fishing, education, and project management to their new role as a regional catalyst and program manager in workforce development. Outside of work, Michael is passionate about food, friends, and community, and currently serves on the board of the Sitka Sound Science Center and as a member of the Sitka Health Summit Coalition. 

Shaelene Grace Moler (she/her) grew up in Ḵéex̱’ Ḵwaan, the community of Kake. Her Tlingit name is Sgweín and she is of the Tsaagweidí, the split-finned killer whale clan, from the yak’s lits’eix̱i hít, the house that once anchored the village. She now lives in Sitka working for Spruce Root as the Sustainable Southeast Partnership Communications Catalyst. Shaelene graduated from the University of Alaska Southeast with dual bachelor of arts degrees in English and environmental studies emphasizing in creative writing. She grew up hunting, fishing, and harvesting on her ancestral lands and is a lifelong storyteller through her experiences in writing, editing and photography throughout various publications statewide. Prior to becoming the Communications Catalyst, she worked for Spruce Root as a community economic development fellow, a First Alaskans Magazine Writing Fellow, Sustainable Southeast Partnership storytelling and engagement intern, and as an editor on the regional literary and arts journal Tidal Echoes.

I grew up in a commercial fishing family based in Juneau, Alaska, spending summers living and fishing out of our remote homestead on the southern tip of the Chilkat Peninsula. I am a  guest on Lingít Aaní and honored to learn from the lands, animals, and people who live here. 

For over a decade, I’ve worked in remote field sites and in communities to monitor, respond to, and share stories of climate change in Southeast. My undergraduate degree is in biology from Carleton College and I’m finishing a master’s in geography from the University of British Columbia, which learns from place-based knowledge of climate change and glacier retreat in the region. 

As the Regional Climate Catalyst, I’m excited to support climate adaptation and resilience initiatives that are rooted in communities and supported by science. I love learning from others, so please reach out! I’m always happy to chat over a walk or tea.

You can find me harvesting wild foods with friends and family, scampering around the mountains with or without skis, fixing my sailboat, and drawing along the way.

Hi! I extremely grateful to have grown up in the Chilkat Valley and to be working in Klukwan. The community fostered strong foundational roots in our subsistence way of life, song and dance, arts and language. When I attended the University of Alaska Southeast to obtain my BLA, I was able to further my studies in our history, Lingít Yoo X’atángi, and Northwest Coast Arts: Formline, Carving, Basketry, and Woolen Weaving. Before moving back home in 2021, I worked at Sealaska Heritage in programming, centered on the languages of Southeast Alaska: Lingít, Xaad Kíl, and Sm’algyax, and Northwest Coast Arts. I enjoy work that promotes cross-cultural understanding and supports folks by increasing access to traditional knowledge through the development of programs and resources. As a lifelong learner, I enjoy reading, drawing, weaving, sewing, and exploring that question “What if…?”. I am new to the position of the  Community Catalyst for Tlákw Aan and Deishú but am excited to be diving in and supporting projects that will increase community-based cultural resources. I look forward to strengthening our partnerships.

I am passionate about the power of story for inspiring positive social change and am committed to ethical, inclusive, and equitable storytelling processes that are driven by, and directly benefit, our communities.

I am a proud first generation college graduate who holds a Masters of Science in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford’s School of Geography and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Neuroscience and Fine Arts from the University of San Francisco. I learned photography through a life-long apprenticeship with my mother. 

You may find me juggling my camera while hunting, fishing, foraging, surfing, splitboarding, camping, and processing all sorts of tasty wild foods. 

Bethany@sitkawild.org @bethanysgoodrich

Brooke carries the name Wooshkeeká. She is Haida, Yaklaanas, double fin killer whale, a grandchild of the L’uknax.adí, and from the Scottish clan Leslie. She was raised in the territory of the Shtax’ Heen Kwaan in the community of Wrangell. She grew up practicing a subsistence way of life and is now raising her daughter with these practices, values and traditional foods. Growing up in the family business that still operates in Wrangell today, small business has been a way of life for Brooke. She attended the University of Idaho for Accounting and Musical Theatre. Her passion for her culture led her back to Wrangell to learn from her late Grandfather & ‘Lingit elder. Staying in Wrangell, she worked under a CPA before rejoining the family business as a manager and later a partner. Brooke recently transitioned out of family business and is excited to join forces with Spruce Root and the SSP as the Rural Economic Development Catalyst. She has served her Tribal and local community through sitting on committees, councils and assemblies. She looks forward to working with our regional rural and Tribal communities in the space of economic development and further exploring how we can catalyze indigenizing the way we do business in Southeast.

Favorite thing about Southeast Alaska: Summers, sunsets and harvesting. The resilience of the people, our relationship with the land and water, and the revitalization of our cultures. 

I am lifelong resident of Prince of Wales Island. As a Community Catalyst, I am about as local as you can get. I coordinate and oversee the Klawock Indigenous Stewards Forest Partnership working closely with local partners to develop their capacity. I have a background in fi sheries and forestry as a lifetime commercial and subsistence/traditional harvester and served in the Marine Corp for four years. Having seen a lifetime of logging and the various impacts of it, stewarding the lands and waters of Southeast Alaska is of great importance to me. Once a Sustinable Southeast Partnership Steering Committee member, I have been with SSP since 2016 catalyzing projects all across Prince of Wales Island.

Keolani is based in his hometown of Metlakatla. Keolani was raised by his grandparents and is a member of the Tsimshian village of the Metlakatla Indian Community in southern Southeast Alaska. He learned about subsistence harvesting from his elders and continues to practice these techniques as he harvests sockeye and coho Salmon, berries, wild game, and cedar for elder women and men.

Mr. Booth was a commercial fisherman, harvest diver and journeyman carpenter for 25 years prior to starting his career in civil service in 2016. In recent years, Mr. Booth has served on his community’s planning and natural resources committee to explore kelp and mariculture as a sustainable economic driver for the region. He advises the Alaska Sea Grant, the Alaska Mariculture Alliance, and other groups about Native traditional perspectives and how they can be incorporated into programming. Mr. Booth continues to work with state, federal and industry partners to bring mariculture into the forefront, enabling all Alaskans to prosper and sustainably provide these nutritious products to the world.

Keolani is also the chairman of the local utility in Metlakatla. In 2018 he became a member of Indian Country Energy and Infrastructure Working Group (ICEIWG ) under the Department of Energy working to forward energy projects and affordable internet access to his tribe, Southeast Alaska and all 574 Tribes across the Nation. Growing up as a Hawaiian and Tsimshian native, he has lived and seen the struggles of two peoples divided by an ocean yet bound by common atrocities and desperate situations. Keolani is very passionate about solving the cultural and economic issues of Indigenous peoples everywhere.

Lingit Aani has been my home since 1967.  Mountains, forests, ocean, rain and snow are the fabric of my life. These are the wild places that teach and nurture me as I live here with gratitude for all it provides. 

My life is also imprinted with the culture of learning, having taught science for 25 years at the same Juneau high school from which I graduated in 1978.  My years in the classroom were a gift, delivered in delicious daily doses of student curiosity and inspiration.

Now I’m employed by the Renewable Energy Alaska Project as the SSP Regional Energy Catalyst and STEM Energy Educator.  From exploring the nature of energy with students in a Klawock classroom to hosting a regional  teleconference on the basics of heat pumps, these are exciting days to be working with Southeast communities to achieve greater energy independence.  

The wide-eyed potential of Alaska’s next generation continues to inspire my work.  Students are our future – and so is renewable energy.

Ahoy! I am a Maine-esostan (Minnesotan Mainer) turned Alaskan. I moved to the incredible community of Hoonah in early 2016 after completing an interdisciplinary Masters in Wildlife Biology and Conservation through the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I live an enchanted life here because I A) Love the diversity, satisfaction, community-benefit, and partners of my job, B) am addicted to the subsistence lifestyle, adventure access, and available wilderness of the Hoonah Area and C) have the privilege to be immersed in the Tlingit culture and incredible history of this place. I operate the Environmental Department at HIA which includes leading the Hoonah Native Forest Partnership and guiding the incredible work of my staff in air quality, water quality, coastal adaptation, climate science, youth engagement and more. Check it all out at hia-env.org, facebook.com/hiaenvironmental or Instagram @hia_environmental. In Hoonah I own my own small business doing carpentry and photography. I blog about wildlife in Hoonah at www.ianajohnson.com. I’m a fiddler-guitarist-singer and volunteer in my community with Emergency Medical Services. Come on over to Hoonah and I’ll show you around!

Jennifer Nu is the Regional Food Systems Catalyst with the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, currently hosted by Ecotrust. Here on Tlingit Aani, I support projects and initiatives that engage Southeast Alaskans in strengthening place-based, healthy local food systems in their own communities. Food connects us to the land, to the ancestors and to each other. 

I believe that connections to the natural world and to community are key elements of living a good life. My most valued teachers are the friends and community members all across the state who have generously shared their skills and wisdom with me over the years. When I’m not foraging, preserving, or cooking, I also enjoy long-distance trekking, paddling, photography, and writing stories about people and community wellness.

Jamiann is Tlingit, Deisheetaan (Raven/Beaver) of the Ravens Bones House (Yéil S’aagi Hit) of Angoon, born and raised on the ancestral homelands of the Aak’w Kwaan in Juneau, Alaska. She is the daughter of Lillian and James Parduhn of Richland Center, Wisconsin. She is the granddaughter of Mabel Howard and Billy Pete Johnson (Kagwaantaan/Eagles Nest House), and is the mother of two sons, and grandmother to two grandsons.

Jamiann brings a wealth of experience in providing essential support to various entities, including Tribal government, legislators, deputy commissioner, directors, and property managers at the State Capitol and Juneau Federal Building. In addition, she currently serves as a member of the Juneau Tlingit & Haida Community Council and focuses on navigating and cultivating healthy healing relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations. She has actively worked towards breaking generational cycles and dismantling colonial ways of thinking.

I am Gabe Sjoberg, the Regional Youth Catalyst with the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, currently hosted by Tlingit & Haida. In this role, I serve the communities of Southeast Alaska by ensuring local voices and entities lead the direction of youth stewardship across the region.

It doesn’t take long to see how special Southeast is, just catch a sunset on front beach and you’ll feel the power when place and culture meet. After co-leading the Alaska Youth Stewards (AYS) in Angoon, I’m honored to have the opportunity to support the AYS program in a different capacity and continue to deepen my connection with these vibrant communities and such awe-inspiring nature. Some of my passion pieces include playing outside, reading, music, laughter, cooking (plus eating!) home grown meals, and musing of all things great and small.

Valerie “Val” Massie is adopted Sik’nax.ádi and serves as the Spruce Root Community Planner from her home in Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw / Wrangell near the Shtax’héen River. She’s lived on the Emerald Edge her whole life, growing up in Western Washington, studying psychology at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and eventually finding her way to Southeast to work with Alaskan youth in what used to be the Crossings program. Through social services and working with Tribal environmental professionals, Val earned a deeper understanding of the intricacies and necessity for trauma-informed care, systems change and an equitable transition away from an extractive economy. As Community Planner, Val supports strategic planning, facilitation and regional projects like the Tongass National Forest Plan Revision and Scenarios work.

Living in Sheet’ká Kwáan Sitka, Lee House seeks to creatively communicate stories that embody respect, collaboration, stewardship, and positive change throughout Southeast Alaska. Lee is currently working in a storytelling position for the Sitka Conservation Society and the USDA Forest Service, Alaska Region, in collaboration with the Sustainable Southeast Partnership to highlight accomplishments of the USDA’s Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy (SASS).

Leslie Jackson is the Grants Manager for Spruce Root. In this role, Leslie assists the organization by managing the existing inventory of grants, improving and streamlining reporting processes, as well as seeking out new funding opportunities. Originally from Texas, Leslie earned a B.S. in Geography, specializing in Urban and Regional Planning from Texas State University. She moved to Ketchikan in 2005 and has worked in both the private and public sector in the capacity of community planner, grant coordinator and finally as the manager of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough’s transit system. Leslie is passionate about community and economic development in Southeast Alaska. Her family owns and operates a vacation and boat rental business in Ketchikan.

Kaylah is Tlingit and a child of the Dakl’aweidí clan. She carries the name S’eiltín and was raised in the territory of the Áak’w Kwáan (Tlingit communities of the Auke Lake region). Kaylah graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Environmental Policy and a minor in American Indian Studies. She spent two summers interning with Barnacle Foods as a Kelp Management Intern and Marketing Intern. Upon completion of her internships, Kaylah joined the Spruce Root team as the Communications Catalyst for the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, but later transitioned to Development Manager in 2024. As Development Manager she is excited to uphold the mission of the Seacoast Trust in conjunction with Spruce Root, contributing to the growing movement that centers Indigenous values in the stewardship of the coastal temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska.

You can find Kaylah enjoying her free time outside, skiing, biking, hiking and harvesting traditional foods.

Laurel Stark is the Finance Director at Spruce Root. After growing up in Juneau, Laurel studied Political Science at the University of Victoria. She earned an MS and MA in Conflict Analysis and Resolution and Mediterranean Security from George Mason University and the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta before returning to Southeast. Laurel started working at Spruce Root in 2018, came to Sitka in 2020, and has been working with the SSP ever since. Laurel enjoys exploring and learning more about each unique Southeast community – each is unique, but also similar to home in a way she already loves.

Marina is Haida and Tlingít from Prince of Wales Island. Her Haida name is Sgaahl Siid Xyáahl Jaad. Her Haida Clan is Gaw Kiiwas (Raven/Owl/Flicker/Killer Whale/Grizzly Bear) and her Tlingit clan is Taakw.aaneidi (Raven/Sculpin). Marina previously served as the Interim Program Director, Deputy Director and a community catalyst for the Partnership. She got started in tribal politics initially through her involvement growing up with the Alaska Native Sisterhood where she learned from the elders around her. Outside of work, you can find her spending time out on the land and water harvesting traditional medicines and foods to share with her community. 

Izzy is the Program Manager for Events and Facilitation at Spruce Root. In this role, she supports the Spruce Root team and partners in hosting engaging events, including the award-winning Path to Prosperity Business Competition. From summits, to multi-day retreats, to strategic planning sessions, Izzy loves creating transformative events rooted in trust and relationship building. 
Izzy is fortunate to live as a guest in Sitka. She grew up along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland fishing, sailing, and crabbing. Izzy studied Biology and French at Barnard College in New York City and natural resource management in Madagascar.

As I progress through my third year as a Southeast Alaskan resident, I continue to seek opportunities that contribute directly to furthering the values that enrich our land and our communities. I believe strongly in the importance of pursuing pathways for development that bring together traditional Alaska Native Values with a pursuit of sustainability, and strive to play a meaningful role in helping shape this work and building this future.    

My professional background includes over a decade of experience in the media industry, growing teams, creating custom solutions, engaging with partners, and implementing strong project management workflows to keep projects on track and on-budget. Before that, I pursued a graduate degree in International Business, and had the opportunity to study economic development in various regions, such as South Africa, Northern Mexico, and Czech Republic. Today, as a resident of Haines, I serve on the Southeast Alaska State Fair Board of Directors, and volunteer as a radio host at KHNS serving Haines, Klukwan, and Skagway.

I love that being a part of the Southeast Alaska community has taught me to more sustainably garden, forage, subsistence fish, and participate in the year-round process for sustainable food harvest. I am invested in continuing to listen, learn, and amplify the voices and values of this region, and am honored to translate the spectrum of my career towards strengthening cultural, ecological, and economic resilience across Southeast Alaska. 

Sienna (she/they), whose Lingít name is Kushxeet, was born and raised in Sheet’ká. She is Kiks.ádi from X’aaká Hít and a grandchild of the Kaagwaantaan Ch’áak’ Kúdi Hít. Sienna became a first-generation college graduate in 2022 when she received a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in anthropology from Western Washington University.

Sustainability is at the root of Sienna’s passions, with five internships and research projects under her belt– all centered around traditional food security and Indigenous resource management in the Pacific Northwest. From clam gardens to old growth cedar stands, she hopes to see continued revival of ancestral management strategies that preserve and protect Haa Ḵusteeyí (our way of life) for future generations. As an enrolled citizen of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA), Sienna finds great fulfillment in serving as STA’s Kayaaní Commission Coordinator under the Resource Protection Department. In this role she works to preserve native plants and plant knowledge within Sheet’ká Ḵwáan Territory.

Outside of her day job, Sienna creates digital art, jewelry, and other multimedia projects that blend tradition with modernity and pop culture. Sienna has found that wellness and self expression are deeply rooted in place; she frequently seeks inspiration from the natural world and incorporates local materials and themes into her work. Her vision for Southeast Alaska is centered around intentional tending to relationships between people and place.

Dr. Sonia Ibarra is Apache, Caxcan, Mexicana, and grew up in the traditional territories of the Nomlaki people in Northern California. Her parents migrated to California from México. Currently, Dr Ibarra is a Postdoctoral Fellow and Tamamta Program Coordinator at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She prioritizes research with Indigenous communities as part of an effort to center their needs, values, and knowledge systems within Western higher education institutions that often ignore, erase, and dismiss Indigenous peoples and their knowledge. Dr. Ibarra weaves her experience in marine ecology, her Indigenous value, and the deep and millennial Indigenous knowledge systems of Southeast Alaska. 

She obtained her B.S. in Marine Biology at Humboldt State University in 2008 with minors in SCUBA diving. She received her Fisheries PhD from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2021. Her dissertation work (2012-2021) focused on co-creating a project with Tribes and Indigenous youth in Southeast Alaska to weave Indigenous and Western knowledge systems and document the deep relationship between Indigenous people, sea otters and shellfish. Her journey in pursuit of a PhD took a rewarding turn towards a humbling experience of learning how to respectfully work with Indigenous communities in Southeast Alaska as well as working towards decolonizing her perceptions of her identity and spirit.  

Through her PhD journey, she became more aware of how Indigenous communities throughout Alaska have been impacted by colonial natural resource management practices and educational institutions, despite their millennial connections and deeply-embedded understandings of these lands and waters. As an outcome of this understanding, she prioritizes work with Indigenous communities that reflect their needs, values, and knowledge systems while actively working towards her healing process of reconnecting with her own ancestors.  

La quen náay, Haida/Tlingit, is from Ḵéex̱ʼ Kwáan (Kake), Alaska. She is an enrolled Tribal Citizen of the Organized Village of Kake.  On her Haida side she is Eagle Tiits Gitee Nei, Hummingbird. On her Tlingit side she is Raven Kaach.adi, Fresh Water-marked Sockeye Salmon. Her maternal grandparents were Mona & Thomas Jackson, Sr. of Haida Gwaii/Hydaburg and Kake, respectively. Her paternal grandparents were Lillian and Charles Cheney of Washington. Her parents are Della and William Cheney of Kake. La quen náay’s heart is always at home in the village with her family and people. Integrating Native knowledge and values into organizations, governance mechanisms, and everyday life is a primary passion and responsibility she has pursued through her education and career.

La quen náay received her BA (BFA Equivalency) from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, and her law degree from Arizona State University College of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctorate and a Certificate in Indian Law. Since coming to First Alaskans Institute, La quen náay has served as the Director of the Alaska Native Policy Center, Vice-President, and now serves as the President/CEO, providing a direct path for service to our Native peoples. La quen náay has been with FAI for 12 years, and her depth of experience and passion for our Native peoples makes her uniquely qualified to direct our organization.

Crystal Yankawgé Nelson’s personal and professional mission is to help improve quality of life for our Indigenous communities in Southeast Alaska. As a Community Development Specialist for The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Emerald Edge Program and Alaska Chapter, Crystal focuses on sustainable economies, ecological stewardship capacity, and healing and racial equity for Indigenous and local communities in Southeast Alaska.

She is Tlingit (Lingít), Raven-Coho (L’uknax.ádi) from the Humpback Whale House (Yáay Hít) in Dry Bay (Gunaaxóo Kwáan), and she grew up in Juneau, Alaska (Dzántik’i Héeni). She is the grandchild of the Eagle-Brown Bear clan from Hoonah (Chookaneidí) and the great-grandchild of the Eagle-Shark clan from Juneau (Wooshkeetaan). She has over 15 years of community and economic development experience, including work in Tlingit language revitalization, renewable energy for villages, and community-first solutions in the Tongass National Forest resources conflict. Crystal earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from the University of Alaska Southeast with an independent, interdisciplinary major in social sciences, intercultural communication, Alaska Native history, culture, and art, and a minor in the Tlingit language.

Crystal recently completed her master’s project to charter and facilitate the SSP Healing Committee for the Master of Arts in Rural Development program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. As soon as she graduates with her Rural Development MA, she will return to her beloved Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving that she learned as an apprentice to the late Tlingit master weaver Clarissa Rizal. And she’s very much looking forward to more quality time with her husband, Joe, and their three kids, learning and living Tlingit culture (Lingít kusteeyí) on Tlingit land (Lingít aaní).

Marina is Haida and Tlingít from Prince of Wales Island. Her Haida name is Sgaahl Siid Xyáahl Jaad. Her Haida Clan is Gaw Kiiwas (Raven/Owl/Flicker/Killer Whale/Grizzly Bear) and her Tlingit clan is Taakw.aaneidi (Raven/Sculpin). Marina previously served as the Interim Program Director, Deputy Director and a community catalyst for the Partnership. She got started in tribal politics initially through her involvement growing up with the Alaska Native Sisterhood where she learned from the elders around her. Outside of work, you can find her spending time out on the land and water harvesting traditional medicines and foods to share with her community. 

My Tlingit name is Gah Kith Tin, from Diginaa Hit, Luknahadi. I grew up and currently live in Sitka. Professionally, I earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration at Charleston Southern University. After graduating from college I joined the Peace Corps where she served as a Small Business Development volunteer for two years on the southern coast of Peru. I obtained my Master’s degree in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University. I have continued to work in economic development in my current role as Executive Director at Spruce Root. 

I work through the SSP on community-based natural resource projects that integrate social, ecological and economic values because I believe that the vitality and resilience of nature and its peoples go hand in hand. I appreciate the opportunity to work with community catalysts on their local priorities and with my fellow regional catalysts on finding synergies between our often siloed disciplines. I am the sole proprietor of Living Systems Design, a consulting business based in Icy Strait that has been working to facilitate collaborative stewardship at home and abroad for about 25 years. I am proud to serve on the Leadership Team of the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition so that I can learn from colleagues in my field, and share the lessons we have learned in southeast Alaska with a broader network of practitioners. My participation in the the SSP is supported by a variety of partner organizations, including the Nature Conservancy in Alaska and Sealaska. I live on Lemesurier Island, near Glacier Bay, Alaska and have been working as an environmental consultant in Southeast Alaska for about 20 years. I love to hunt, fish, kayak, hike and hangout with my family and friends.

I am passionate about the power of story for inspiring positive social change and am committed to ethical, inclusive, and equitable storytelling processes that are driven by, and directly benefit, our communities.

I am a proud first generation college graduate who holds a Masters of Science in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford’s School of Geography and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Neuroscience and Fine Arts from the University of San Francisco. I learned photography through a life-long apprenticeship with my mother. 

You may find me juggling my camera while hunting, fishing, foraging, surfing, splitboarding, camping, and processing all sorts of tasty wild foods. 

Bethany@sitkawild.org @bethanysgoodrich

I was born in Mount Edgecumbe Hospital and raised commercial fishing in Yakutat. I am Teikeidi/Brown Bear from Yakutat and a child of the Kwashkikwaan. The Teikweidi and Kwashkikwaan have made Yakutat home for a long time. I currently live in Juneau/Auke Kwaan with my wife Crystal and our three school-age kids.   

I serve on the SSP steering committee because I have always believed that our ancient values and Indigenous knowledge will secure our future, especially in our villages. I have been Chairman at Sealaska since 2014. I also serve on the boards of Sealaska Heritage Institute, Spruce Root, Alaska Legal Services, and Outer Coast College.   

Although I am a lawyer, I spent the majority of my career in higher education because we have plenty of lawyers and not enough educators. If we take care of the land and water, the land and water will take care of us.   

Yakutat High class of ’88.  UCLA classes of 1996 and 1998.  Loyola Law School Class of 2001.

Kaax̲waan ax̲ Lingít saayí
Dleit k̲áa x̲’eináx̲ Dawn Jackson yóo x̲at duwasáakw
Tsaagweidi naax̲ x̲at sitee
Xaay Hítdáx̲ áyá x̲át
Kaach.ádi yádi áyá x̲át
T’akdeintaan áyá ax̲ daakanóox’u

Born, raised, and an enrolled Tribal citizen in Keex’ Kwaan (Kake), I am the current Executive Director of OVK.  I have been with the Tribe since 1997 in various capacities before I stepped into my current position in 2016.  I hold a M.A. in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia.  The Southeast Sustainable Partnership (SSP) has enhanced not only my role within my organization, but it has enabled me to grow in the region as I make connections with people, organizations, and more importantly, to place; Lingit Aani (SE Alaska) is truly the heart of this world. Combining resources with other entities/organizations will only make our region that much more stronger as we adjust to constantly changing environments.   

Today, I am a proud mother of two finding peace, wellness, balance, and learning our traditional ways of life in the ocean, beaches, woods, and mountains alongside my family in my homelands of Keex’ Kwaan.

I began serving as Sealaska president and CEO in June 2014 till December 2023. I guided the investment decisions that directly impacted Sealaska’s people, communities, and the natural environment, all while focusing on increasing profits and benefits for shareholders. I am a passionate advocate for community and works closely with organizations and partners throughout the region to bring people together for the benefit of all Southeast Alaska. I am Tlingit, Eagle, Tsaagweidí (Killerwhale) Clan, as well as Koyukon Athabascan, Caribou Clan. My Tlingit name is Gunnuk.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Stanford University. I came to Sealaska in 2006 to serve as Sealaska’s chief investment officer and treasurer. As a result, I have deep experience in financial and investment management. As chief investment officer, I was responsible for the direction of treasury activities of the company and the management of corporate investment funds. Prior to Sealaska, I was a vice president within Bank of America’s capital markets, working in the portfolio and risk strategy group for 10 years. 

I am a Trustee and former chair of the Kootznoowoo Permanent Fund Settlement Trust, which benefits Kootznoowoo, Inc. shareholders. I have served as a board member of the Rasmuson Foundation, a $600 million private foundation that promotes a better life for all Alaskans; an investment committee member of the Alaska Community Foundation, a $100 million philanthropic fund; and a Board Director of the Native American Bank.

I have worked in Alaska for 23 years specializing in natural resource management, partnership development and community engagement. My work focuses on building equitable partnerships between agency managers, tribes, researchers, industry and communities to address large scale issues like climate change. I am the Network Program Officer for the Alaska Conservation Foundation and is also the Coordinator for the Aleutian Bering Sea Initiative. I have B.S. degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife Management and Geography, specializing in GIS and Remote Sensing from Utah State University and a Masters in Natural Resource Management from the University of Arizona.