Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of Alaska for 2024. Several industries have driven Alaska’s economy for decades, including agriculture, fishing, timber, oil, and tourism. These continue to be major factors in the state’s economy. However, some of the top employers in the state come from industries like health, finance, telecommunications, transportation, and retail.
No matter the sector, The Last Frontier needs capable, ambitious leaders to continue moving the state forward.
We honor the experience and ambition of Jennifer Opsut, the Chief Executive Officer of HCA Healthcare. With over 20 years as a healthcare and hospital executive, Opsut has expertise in patient and employee safety, hospital culture, growth, and engagement.
In the telecommunications field, we celebrate the career of Maureen Moore. As the Chief Customer Experience Officer for GCI Communication Corp., Alaska's largest telecommunications provider, Moore has an undisputed history of exceptional delivering financial results.
Lastly, we extend our honors to Jennifer Tungul, the Vice President of Alaska Operations for Matson, a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services. Tungul is highly skilled in logistics, transportation, and operations management, with extensive experience in the marine industry.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders of Alaska for 2024.
2. Jennifer Opsut
Chief Executive Officer, HCA Healthcare
Jennifer Opsut was named as Chief Executive Officer in March of 2021 of HCA Healthcare. HCA Healthcare comprises 186 hospitals and over 23,000 sites of care in 20 states and the United Kingdom. In addition to hospitals, sites of care include surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, diagnostic and imaging centers, walk-in clinics, and physician clinics.
Opsut previously served as chief operating officer of HCA Healthcare. Before joining their Alaska Regional family in 2018, she served as chief operating officer, as well as executive director of strategic planning and operational development at West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell, Idaho. Prior to joining West Valley, Opsut served as a senior decision support analyst with the West Florida Division of HCA, Alaska Regional's parent company.
With over 20 years of healthcare and hospital executive experience, some of Opsut’s many areas of expertise include patient and employee safety, hospital culture, growth, and engagement. Opsut has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Wingate University and a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina.
3. Serene Perkins
Chief Medical Officer, Providence
Serene Perkins is the Chief Medical Officer of Providence. Providence Health & Services is a not-for-profit Catholic healthcare system operating multiple hospitals and medical clinics across seven states, with headquarters in Renton, Washington. The health system includes 51 hospitals, more than 800 non-acute facilities, and numerous assisted living facilities in the western half of the United States.
Before joining Providence, Perkins was a chief medical officer at Mid-Columbia Medical Center. Before that, she was an institute director at Legacy Institute for Surgical Education and Innovation (LISEI), where she led the oversight of surgical education, research, and development involving simulation. Earlier in her career, she worked with Legacy Health as a medical director. She has served as a board member for the Children's Cancer Association (CCA).
Perkins graduated from The Chicago Medical School with an MD and from the University of Chicago with an undergraduate degree in classical studies. She completed a residency in general surgery at Jefferson Health and a Fellowship in Hepato-Pancreato and Biliary Surgery and Abdominal Organ Transplantation at the University of Toronto.
4. Chelsea Wilde
Vice President of Local Sales, US Foods
Chelsea Wilde is the Vice President of Local Sales for US Foods. She is a highly regarded sales executive with an impressive track record of over 14 years, specializing in cultivating high-performing teams with a focus on driving strategic initiatives that significantly impact top-line sales. Formerly a professional swimming coach, Wilde seamlessly translates the camaraderie and competitive spirit from her athletic background into the realm of sales leadership.
Her exceptional skills are deeply rooted in her experience as a seller, showcasing not only a keen understanding of the sales process but also a strong knack for effective communication and the ability to influence at any organizational level. Wilde’s success is not only a testament to her strategic acumen but also her ability to foster a collaborative and results-driven environment.
In her recent venture in Alaska, Wilde has excelled in building and leading teams, driving growth, and achieving outstanding outcomes. Her multifaceted approach, combining sales expertise, communication prowess, and a strategic mindset, positions her as a standout leader in the sales landscape.
5. Cinderella Tollefsen
Chief Executive Officer, Alaska Health Services, LLC
Cinderella Tollefsen has worked her entire professional career in the healthcare industry within the private sector. She is the CEO of Alaska Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (ATACS), which is a group practice providing surgical and acute care and Alaska Health Services (AHS), which provides resources to surgical providers in Alaska needed to work together in a collaborative fashion. Alaska Health Services (AHS) is a physician-owned comprehensive and integrated healthcare management services organization for the good of, and in support of, the Alaska community.
Tollefsen is passionate about healthcare management, building and supporting top-notch teams, and developing new services. She balances her professional life by getting outside as much as possible and supporting her network of friends and colleagues. Previously, Tollefsen was a practice manager at Hillside Family Medicine. Earlier in her career, she worked with Anchorage Fracture & Orthopedic Clinic as a medical billing specialist.
Tollefsen has her MBA, is a fellow of the American College of Medical Practice Executive, and recently completed the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program via the US Department of Commerce. She is devoted to helping others develop their skills and has volunteered in many areas of the Medical Group Management Association, locally and nationally, to meet this goal.
6. Stephanie Ness
Owner & President, Andy's Ace Hardware
Stephanie Ness is the Owner and President of Andy's Ace Hardware. Ness has served in this role since 1995. For nearly 30 years, she has used her leadership skills to grow the team to over 25 employees.
The store was left to Ness by her father, Arvin Anderson, who inherited it from his father, Andy Anderson, the original founder of Andy’s Ace Hardware. Ness has kept the store growing strong. When business began to outgrow the old store, she built a brand new 20,000 square-foot location, over double the size of the old one, in 2007. Now, the store has so much more to offer than just hardware. The store has a United States Postal Office, an AT&T, a large lawn and garden center with live plants during the summer months, a rental department, and more.
A true hometown leader, Ness is currently based in Anchorage, Alaska, where she also attended Bartlett High School.
10. Kate Slyker
Chief Marketing Officer, GCI General Communication
Kate Slyker is the Chief Marketing Officer of GCI General Communication, the largest Alaska-based and operated communications provider offering mobile, internet, TV, and phone services statewide. As one of the few “quad-play” providers in the country, the marketing team introduces new and exciting products to our customer base in all areas of the state, ranging from Kotzebue to Anchorage to Juneau. GCI is one of Alaska’s largest retailers, operating in the communities where our customers live and work.
Slyker loves leading the marketing efforts for an Alaska-born-and-raised business that has grown from an Anchorage start-up more than 40 years ago to a successful publicly traded company. Before joining GCI, she was the EVP of Spawn Ideas, a full-service advertising agency also located in Anchorage, Alaska. Much of her career has been focused on telecom, having worked and consulted for AT&T, Verizon, Alascom, and several other operators. Slyker currently serves on the board of Covenant House and Providence Alaska Foundation. She has also been a member of the Alaska Community Foundation Board of Directors, University of Alaska Athletics Advisory Board, past Chair for the NCAA GCI Great Alaska Shootout, co-chaired the Mayor’s Charity Ball for two years, and completed board terms with YWCA of Anchorage, Catholic Social Services, and the Alaska Chapter of the American Marketing Association.
Slyker graduated from Boston College with an undergraduate degree in business and marketing and English. She has been honored as a YWCA Woman of Achievement and inducted into the ATHENA Society for demonstrating qualities of leadership and excellence in her professional and personal endeavors and her active promotion of women. She has also been named “Top 40 under 40” by the Journal of Commerce & Chamber of Commerce.
12. Valerie Davidson
President and CEO, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Valerie Davidson is the President and CEO of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), a nonprofit Tribal health organization designed to meet the unique health needs of Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Alaska. ANTHC provides world-class health services, which include comprehensive medical services at the Alaska Native Medical Center, wellness programs, disease research and prevention, rural provider training, and rural water and sanitation systems construction.
Davidson was appointed by Governor Bill Walker in December 2014 to serve as Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health & Social Services. During her tenure, Davidson implemented expanded Medicaid coverage to over 45,000 Alaskans, implemented Medicaid Reform, and negotiated the Alaska Tribal Child Welfare Compact with 162 Alaska Tribes. Davidson served as Alaska’s first Alaska Native female lieutenant governor in the final weeks of the Walker administration. Prior to state service, Davidson worked for over 15 years as a national policymaker on matters affecting Indian health. As senior director of legal and intergovernmental affairs for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Davidson represented Alaska Native health needs at federal and state levels. Davidson was also the spokesperson and chief political and legal strategist for ANTHC’s Dental Health Aide Therapy Program, the country’s first mid-level dental program.
Davidson currently serves as a Trustee of the First Alaskans Institute and as a member of the Executive Advisory Committee of the Alaska Native Collaborative Hub for Research on Resilience. She also serves on the Founder’s Council of the United States of Care, a bipartisan organization dedicated to ensuring that every American has access to quality, affordable health care regardless of health status, social need, or income. Davidson earned a Bachelor of Education with a specialty in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Bilingual Education from the University of Alaska Southeast and a JD from the University of New Mexico School of Law. Davidson is an enrolled tribal member of the Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council.
View the complete list of awardees.
15. Molly Cornish
Chief Communications Officer, Catholic Social Services
Molly Cornish is the chief Communications Officer of Catholic Social Services. Catholic Social Services serves those most in need by working to end poverty, create opportunity, and advocate for just communities. In this role, Cornish serves as the principal advisor, providing comprehensive and proactive communications strategies and planning, media relations, and news analysis as part of the leadership team. She is responsible for all communications, including internal communication, social media, website, marketing, strategic communication, and donor communication. She works closely with development to support fundraising tactics and strategies, including event management, appeals, stewardship, volunteer management, reporting, grant writing, and more.
Cornish strives to produce quality, thoughtful, and effective communication strategies and tactics that support the causes, people, and places creating a more just world. She is skilled in strategic communication, media relations, volunteer management, non-profit management, fundraising, and event management. Additionally, she is knowledgeable about social services, including homelessness, food insecurity, and refugee resettlement. Before joining Catholic Social Services, Cornish was a community director at Weidner Apartment Homes. Before that, she was a learning community leader at Ohio University Learning Community Programs.
Cornish graduated from Ohio University with an undergraduate degree in communication studies.
16. Nadja Kookesh
Chief Administrative Officer, Goldbelt
Nadja Kookesh is the Chief Administrative Officer of Goldbelt. Founded in 1973 and officially incorporated in 1974, Goldbelt, Incorporated is the urban corporation that represents the Juneau area. Goldbelt is an Alaska Native Corporation with a deep connection to both their ancestors and their children.
Kookesh first joined Goldbelt as an intern during the summer of 1996. In 2015, she returned to Goldbelt as the human resources generalist. Kookesh was promoted to director of human resources over Alaska Operations in 2016, where she oversaw all human resources functions for Goldbelt’s thriving Alaska-based businesses; and then again in 2017, where she was responsible for the over 1,300 employees across both Government Contracting and seasonal operations. In 2021, Kookesh was promoted to vice president of human resources, where she ensured compliance and provided outstanding service to over 25 subsidiaries across all 50 states, two territories, and around the world.
Prior to joining Goldbelt, her experience included working for local companies in human resources at Hecla Mining Company and SEARHC. She also worked for global companies Microsoft Corporation and Amazon while living and working in Washington State. Kookesh attended Western Washington University, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies with a minor in Anthropology. She is a Goldbelt shareholder, as well as a shareholder of Kootznoowoo and Sealaska. She is of the Raven moiety and L’uknax.’adi (Coho) clan and was raised in Angoon, Alaska.
17. Jennifer Tungul
Vice President of Alaska Operations, Matson
Jennifer Tungul is a Vice President of Alaska Operations for Matson. In this position, Tungul is responsible for Matson’s terminal operations in Anchorage, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor. Founded in 1882, Matson is a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services. Matson provides a vital lifeline to the domestic non-contiguous economies of Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam, and to other island economies in Micronesia.
She is highly skilled in logistics, transportation, and operations management, with extensive experience in freight, shipping, and logistics management. Her expertise includes transportation management, warehousing, international and domestic shipping, container terminals, and container shipping. Additionally, Tungul has a strong background in warehouse operations, the marine industry, contract negotiation, operating budgets, and union relations.
Tungul joined Matson’s Alaska operations in 2002 and has served in a series of finance and operations leadership roles, including terminal manager in Dutch Harbor. She was promoted to general manager for Dutch Harbor in 2019 and to her current position in 2022.
19. Memry Dahl
Chief Human Resources Officer, University of Alaska
Memry Dahl serves as the University of Alaska system’s new Chief Human Resources Officer. Starting in 2022, Dahl is based in Anchorage and is committed to spending adequate time in Fairbanks and Juneau. The University of Alaska System is a system of public universities in the US state of Alaska. It was created in 1917 and comprises three separately accredited universities on 19 campuses. The system serves nearly 30,000 full- and part-time students and offers 400 unique degree programs.
Dahl is an experienced human resources director with a demonstrated history of working in the human resources industry. She is skilled in talent management, employee benefits design, personnel management, employee engagement, and organizational development. Dahl most recently served as the senior director of human resources and administration at Koniag, Inc., the Alaska regional corporation serving the Kodiak Island area. She also held HR leadership positions at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, The Aleut Corporation, and First Alaskans Institute.
In addition to a bachelor’s degree from UAA, she holds a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from the Keller Graduate School of Management at Devry University and a PHR (Professional in Human Resources) certification. She is an Alaska Native and a Shareholder of The Aleut Corporation.
20. Katherine Carlton
Vice President of ANCSA & Community Affairs, Chugach Alaska
Katherine Carlton is the Vice President of ANCSA and Community Affairs of Chugach Alaska. She first joined the company in 2023 as vice president of operations. Chugach Alaska Corporation (Chugach) is an Alaska Native Corporation capable of meeting the needs of government and private industries through sound corporate practices founded on integrity. Their companies combine high-quality operations with best value management services. Their history of exceptional value and stellar customer service has earned them recognition as a leader in their industries.
In her current role leading Chugach Government Solutions’ education core business, Carlton’s skills in management, continuous improvement, and strategic flexibility have been critical to expanding their reach and serving their federal customer with education and training management expertise. Since her first entry-level job, Carlton’s focus has always been on making a positive, meaningful impact on her organization and continuously improving her capabilities for greater influence. This goal of service has propelled her into leadership roles where she has had the honor of building cohesive and productive teams and achieving mutual goals toward a strategic direction.
Carlton earned an MA in Executive Leadership from Alaska Pacific University and an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Alaska Anchorage.
21. Lisa Booth
Vice President and CFO, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company
Lisa Booth is a 20-plus-year Alyeska Pipeline Service Company employee who joined the company through its internship program, and in September 2021, she was named Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Alyeska Pipeline Service Company was formed in 1970 to design, build, maintain, and operate the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. The pipeline today is recognized as a landmark engineering feat and remains essential to Alaska's economy and central to the state's industry. She is the first Alaska Native person selected for a VP position at Alyeska and is the first Alyeska employee to lead the CFO Division in more than a dozen years.
Booth leads the CFO Division and its teams, including contracts and procurement, business and strategic planning, accounting and payroll, audit, information technology, and cybersecurity. Prior to becoming CFO, she served as Alyeska’s general audit manager for more than two years. As an intern in December 1999, through the Building Foundations for Excellence Program (BFEP), Booth worked as a contract administrator. Since then, she has held positions of increasing responsibility in business planning, IT, HR, and supply chain management. She was business and strategic planning director and the Alaska Native program director before taking on her most recent role as general audit manager. Booth has also served on the Alyeska Alaska Native Program’s Advisory Board since 2010.
Booth has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MBA n in Management from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She is a current board member for Campfire Alaska.
25. Kimberley Strong
Senior Director, Risk Management, Bering Straits Native
Kimberley Strong has a diverse background in risk management and administration. Strong is currently working as the Senior Director of Risk Management at Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC) since 2022. Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC) is an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) regional corporation for the Bering Strait and Norton Sound region and is owned by more than 8,000 Alaska Native shareholders.
Strong has extensive expertise in process improvement, risk management, and financial analysis. Her skills include due diligence, safety, marketing, commercial insurance, and claims adjusting. She is adept at financial reporting, analysis, and insurance. Prior to her current role, Strong held various positions at NANA, including senior director of risk management at NANA Regional Corporation from 2006 to 2022, risk manager from 2014 to 2022, and risk analyst from 2006 to 2014. Before her work at NANA, she served as the liquor and wine pricing and marketing administrator at K & L Distributors, Inc. from 1989 to 2005.
Strong obtained a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections from Colorado State University Global, which she attended from 2015 to 2017.
View the complete list of awardees.
27. Krystal Nelson
Chief Operating Officer, Bering Straits Native
Krystal Nelson is the Chief Operating Officer of Bering Straits Native (BSNC), an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) regional corporation for the Bering Strait and Norton Sound region. BSNC is owned by more than 8,000 Alaska Native shareholders.
Nelson joined BSNC in 2014 with more than 18 years of experience working in public and private business sectors managing federal, state, and municipal contracts. Her experience includes management of multi-million dollar programs and projects, union negotiations, and managing more than 1,200 personnel. Before joining Bering Straits Native, Nelson was a vice president and COO at Ahtna Engineering Services. Earlier in her career, she worked with The Rise Group as a manager of finance and administration.
As an Alaska state Legislative Aide, Nelson dealt with federal, state, and municipal government processes, managed community relations for a state senator, staffed the Alaska State Senate Finance Committee, and oversaw budget preparation for the Alaska Departments of Transportation, Commerce, and Economic Development, and Environmental Conservation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Texas at Austin.
28. Stacey Matteson
Vice President & General Manager, Umialik Insurance Company
Stacey Matteson is the Vice President and General Manager of Umialik Insurance Company. She first joined the company in 2013 as director of underwriting. Umialik Insurance Company, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, is a member of Edina, Minn.-based Western National Insurance Group (WNIG), a super-regional group of seven active property-and-casualty insurance companies writing over $400 million of personal, commercial, and surety premium on over $315 million of policyholder’s surplus.
Matteson specializes in all aspects of the property and casualty business, with particular expertise in insurance, underwriting, and risk management. She brings a wealth of experience to the table, spanning property and casualty insurance, commercial lines, and umbrella insurance. Her proficiency extends to customer service, strategic planning, team building, and problem-solving, reflecting a well-rounded skill set essential for success in the industry.
Previously, Matteson was a senior vice president of underwriting at Farmers and Mechanics Insurance Companies. Before that, she was an underwriting manager at Vesta Insurance. Earlier in her career, she worked with Associated Insurance Agency as a commercial portfolio manager. Matteson earned an undergraduate degree in business management from the University of Alaska Anchorage.
29. Michelle Maddox
Chief Financial Officer, Alaska Railroad
Michelle Maddox was promoted to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Alaska Railroad in March 2023. The Alaska Railroad Corporation is a self-sustaining, full-service railroad serving ports and communities from the Gulf of Alaska to Fairbanks. Owned by the State of Alaska since 1985, the Railroad is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors appointed by the Governor of Alaska. The Alaska Railroad is one of North America's only railroads providing both passenger and freight service and one of the last railroads with whistle and flag stop service.
As head of the ARRC Finance Division, Maddox oversees the railroad’s financial planning and analysis, accounting, supply management, grant administration, technology, and risk management. As CFO, she also advises the railroad’s executive management team and board of directors in financial matters. Maddox joined the Alaska Railroad in May 1998 to head the ARRC Financial Division's payroll and accounts payable function. In 2020, she was promoted to controller, overseeing the Accounting Department.
Originally hailing from Idaho, Maddox completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Utah State University, in Logan. With a degree in hand, Michelle and her husband moved from Logan to Alaska in early May 1998. As avid outdoor enthusiasts, they sought the adventure of an outdoor haven. Within weeks of arriving in Anchorage, Maddox had secured the railroad’s assistant controller of payroll and accounts payable position.
31. Jennifer Mitchell
Chief Financial Officer, Cook Inlet Tribal Council
Jennifer Mitchell has a diverse and extensive work experience in the field of revenue cycle management. Her most recent position was as the Chief Financial Officer at Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. starting in February 2023. Their mission is to work in partnership with their people to develop opportunities that fulfill their endless potential. They believe that when they work together, they can help each other develop their talents and strengths, and become successful and self-sufficient individuals, families, and communities.
Prior to that, Mitchell served as the vice president of the revenue cycle at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. She also worked at Alaska Native Medical Center, where she held the role of senior director of revenue cycle starting in April 2014. Her earlier experience includes various roles at Banner Health, starting as a chargemaster coordinator in March 2006 and progressing to become the director of patient accounting from April 2011 to April 2014. Additionally, she held the position of manager of patient accounting from May 2007 to April 2011.
Mitchell began her education in 2000, attending the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she obtained an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies in 2002. Following this, she pursued further studies at the University of Alaska Southeast from 2002 to 2005, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration.
36. Erin Harrington
Partner and Chief Strategy Officer, Alaska Venture Fund
Erin Harrington is a Partner and Chief Strategy Officer of Alaska Venture Fund. At Alaska Venture Fund, they pursue bold ideas and innovative partnerships to empower local talent and drive transformative change. By embracing Indigenous principles, choosing sustainable strategies, and investing in new economies, they believe Alaska can become the blueprint for a more just and prosperous future.
Harrington has 24 years of experience. She's an expert in new project development, particularly emphasizing community and economic needs, and addressing traditionally divisive issues. Her passion lies in initiating ambitious ideas and then strategizing effective methods to bring them to fruition.
Before joining Alaska Venture Fund, Harrington was a consultant at McKinley Management, LLC. Before that, she was an owner at Dory Associates. Earlier in her career, she worked with Kodiak Daily Mirror as a fisheries editor. Harrington graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with an MS in Seafood Marketing and Economics and from Middlebury College with an undergraduate degree in international studies and French.
37. Toni Riley
Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Anchorage School District
Toni Riley is the Senior Director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement for the Anchorage School District. Before this, Riley served in several leadership positions in higher education enrollment management that included overseeing the admissions, financial aid, registrar, and marketing and communications offices. Riley has contributed widely to the discussions and initiatives to promote access to higher education for low-income and students of color, collaborating with the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, NACAC.
Riley’s contributions include serving as a lead facilitator for NACAC’s Anti-Racist Education Institute and a longstanding faculty mentor at the organization’s yearly Guiding the Way to Inclusion conference. Regionally, within the Pacific Northwest Association for College Admissions Counseling (PNACAC), Riley sits on the executive board as co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Access Committee.
Riley earned a Master of Arts in History from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is pursuing a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership.
40. Josie Wilson
Director of Communications & External Affairs, Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority
Josie Wilson joined the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority as the Director of Communications and External Affairs in September of 2022. She has over 25 years of experience in communications, community relations, and public affairs. Prior to joining AIDEA, Josie served in executive roles in the oil and gas, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors for Fortune 500 companies.
She is a proud graduate of the University of Alaska Anchorage with an MBA and serves as an Adjunct Professor in the College of Business and Public Policy.
View the complete list of awardees.
41. Berit Alcorn
Director of Administration, Alyeska Vascular Surgery
Berit Alcorn is a healthcare executive with over a decade of experience in strategic planning, healthcare operations management, and organizational management. Currently, Berit is serving as the Director of Administration for the leading Vascular Surgery practice in the state of Alaska. She began her journey in healthcare as an audiology technician at Alaska's premier Audiology Practice in 2012. Interested in serving patients in a different way, she completed her Master's in Business Administration in 2019 with an emphasis in healthcare administration. Berit enjoys working with physicians and staff to ensure patients have the best possible experience and outcomes.
When not at work, Berit enjoys exploring all of Alaska with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. They also enjoy traveling out of the state to visit family and friends.
42. Katrina Tysinger
Director of Grants & Proposals, Tribal Ready, PBC
Katrina Tysinger is the Director of Grants and Proposals with Tribal Ready, PBC, A Native-owned company advancing Tribal sovereignty to unleash the full power of Native communities. She is Yup'ik from the Curyung Tribe within the Bristol Bay region of Alaska.
Tysinger specializes in grant writing, consulting, and project management. She has secured over $25 million in broadband funding for her clients since 2022. Previously, she served as the tribal funding strategist for Learn Design Apply Inc. and a lead employment specialist for Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. Tysinger also worked as an administrative coordinator and grant writer for Chugachmiut, an Alaska Native 501 (c) 3 non-profit agency incorporated in 1974 to serve the seven Native tribes in the Chugach Region.
Tysinger is deeply passionate about serving underserved Indigenous communities, recognizing the vital importance of access to resources and opportunities for their advancement and empowerment.
43. Meg Allison Zaletel
Executive Director, Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness
Meg Allison Zaletel is an Executive Director for the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH). She first joined the organization in 2021. The ACEH is a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to provide dynamic leadership in making homelessness rare, brief, and one-time. They believe that every Alaskan deserves a roof over their head, a place to put down anchor and feel safe with their loved ones. Their core values are respect, dignity, equity, and compassion.
In addition to her role with ACEH, Meg serves as an Assembly Member for the Municipality of Anchorage. Prior to her current roles, she spent many years representing people and their interests as an attorney of Fireweed Law Group LLC, a small, statewide legal practice. She also previously served as a director of Anchorage Community House.
Meg graduated from Drake University with an undergraduate degree in psychology. She later went on to Drake Law School where she earned her JD. Meg also earned a certificate in Mental Disability Law Studies and Mental Disability Law from New York Law School.
44. Kaila Pfister
Director of Communications, Alaska Children's Trust
Kaila Pfister is the Director of Communications of Alaska Children's Trust (ACT). ACT is the statewide lead organization in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. It is their goal to ensure all Alaskan children and youth have the tools and resources necessary to grow up safe and healthy. They work towards their vision of an Alaska, where all children, youth, and families can thrive through strategic advocacy, investing resources, generating funds, and convening organizations.
In her role, Pfister leads ACT’s efforts to connect with communities and stakeholders throughout Alaska. This role enhances ACT’s visibility and impact through strategic communication and robust community relations. She previously served as communications program manager and director of communications.
Pfister first got her start in 2016 as a park ranger at the National Park Service. She graduated from Binghamton University with a Master's in Public Administration with a nonprofit specialization and with an undergraduate degree in history.
50. Sue Mauger
Science & Executive Director, Cook Inletkeeper
Sue Mauger is the Science and Executive Director of Cook Inletkeeper. She first joined the company in 2000 as science director. Cook Inletkeeper is a community-based nonprofit organization that combines advocacy, education, and science toward its mission to protect Alaska's Cook Inlet watershed and the life it sustains.
Mauger has a diverse background encompassing ecology, environmental science, and aquatic ecology, with a strong emphasis on research and biodiversity conservation. Her expertise extends to environmental policy, wildlife management, and fostering environmental awareness through public speaking engagements. With experience in fieldwork, natural resource management, and fundraising, she's dedicated to making a positive impact on conservation issues. Previously, Mauger was an aquatic program director at The Xerces Society. Before that, she was in field operations at Earthwatch Institute. Earlier in her career, she worked with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science as a crustacean ecologist.
Mauger earned an MS in Fisheries Sciences from Oregon State University and an undergraduate degree in zoology from Duke University. Her current research interests include land use and climate change impacts on salmon streams.
View the complete list of awardees.