Speakers

Joshua Arvidson

Chief Operating Officer

Alaska Behavioral Health

Joshua is the COO at Alaska Behavioral Health, where he also co-founded the Alaska Child Trauma Center and serves as Director of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network's Rural Child Trauma Center. Joshua is interested in how two often-siloed components of behavioral healthcare, namely the implementation of evidence-based treatments coupled with improved, timely access to care, can dramatically improve outcomes for persons seeking help. Joshua is an LCSW with 25 years of clinical experience and has served as a clinical therapist, clinical supervisor, and UAA adjunct instructor. Over the past several years, he has been working to help develop one of Alaska's first CCBHCs, where he is examining the impact of timely access to a continuum of care on outcomes.

Eric Arzubi

CEO

Frontier Psychiatry

Eric Arzubi, MD, is the CEO and co-founder of Frontier Psychiatry, a physician-led telepsychiatry practice serving rural and frontier communities across Montana, Idaho, and Alaska. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Yale School of Medicine.

Dr. Arzubi came to medicine after an earlier career in finance at Morgan Stanley and as a Latin American correspondent for Bloomberg. He trained at Yale, where he completed medical school, his adult psychiatry residency, and his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship.

As Chair of Psychiatry at Billings Clinic, he built Montana's first psychiatry residency program, the state's first EmPATH unit, its first Project ECHO behavioral health hub, and Billings' first school-based health center. He co-founded Frontier Psychiatry in 2020.

Frontier's outcomes were published in JAMA Network Open in 2025, showing a 38% lower psychiatric hospitalization rate among its Montana Medicaid patients compared to a control group. Dr. Arzubi serves on the board of Big Sky Care Connect, Montana's health information exchange, where his team's work on predictive risk modeling began.

He is a TEDx speaker and one of LinkedIn's most widely followed thought leaders in behavioral health.

Jacoline Bergstrom

Executive Director Health Administrative Services

Tanana Chiefs Conference

Jacoline Bergstrom has worked for Tanana Chiefs Conference since 2007, and as the Executive Director of Health Services since 2014, serving 37 federally recognized Tribes in the Interior of Alaska, serving all community members in rural communities in the TCC region. She holds a Dutch medical degree (MD) with specialty training in Public Health and a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) in health care management.

Jacoline serves as vice-chair of the Alaska Tribal Health Directors Association and actively participates in statewide and national committees and workgroups, focused on improving and expanding access to care for Tribal communities across Alaska serving tribal and non-tribal citizens.

Kim Champney

Executive Director

Alaska Association on Developmental Disabilities

Kim Champney is the Executive Director of the Alaska Association on Developmental Disabilities (AADD). She first came to Alaska as a VISTA volunteer living and working on Prince of Wales Island in 1992. Kim spent nearly 20 years working for a Juneau-based DD services provider in a variety of roles before leaving to start a consulting business. As a consultant she facilitated several systems change projects including the DD Shared Vision and the launch of the Dementia Action Collaborative. Kim joined AADD in 2022. She has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jessica Cheeseman

Lived Experience Perspective

Jessica Cheeseman is an Alaska mother, advocate, and community professional whose work grows from prevention, family support, and lived experience. Her understanding of trauma and family systems is shaped not only by her professional role, but by having lived through many of the challenges she now speaks about.

She has worked in community-based and prevention-focused programs, including initiatives supporting Alaska Native families. Jessica is passionate about strengthening protective factors, reaching families early, and transforming systems to be more trauma-informed and truly responsive to the people they serve.

Jessica believes children should not have to survive adversity to prove they are resilient. They deserve connection, stability, safety, and support long before crisis strikes. Through her advocacy, she is committed to building stronger pathways for Alaska’s children and families—and to ensuring that lived experience isn’t just heard, but placed at the heart of the conversation.

Larenda Coy

Fire Chief

City of Nenana Volunteer Fire & EMS Department

I have been a medical provider for Nenana Volunteer Fire Department since 2015, serving in capacity as Advanced Life Support medic and EMS Chief and now Fire Chief for my district. Alaska has been my home since 1980, I am mother to four children and hold a Masters of Science in Psychology. I am passionate about providing care that looks at the whole person, which has led me to the creation of a Mobile Crisis Team for my community.

Matthew Hirschfeld

Executive Vice President--Specialty Group

Southcentral Foundation

Throughout his career, Dr. Matt Hirschfeld has been committed to improving healthcare across Alaska. He has been instrumental in expanding access to healthcare services for Alaska Native women and children across the state through his work at the Alaska Native Medical Center and on various nonprofit boards, including the All Alaska Pediatric Partnership. In his current role, he oversees a broad range of services, including dental, pharmacy, obstetrics and gynecology, radiology, detox, specialty pediatrics, and other specialty care. Dr. Hirschfeld serves on the leadership team at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska, which is jointly owned and managed by the Southcentral Foundation and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. He is also a practicing pediatrician, and he has been providing care to children and adolescents at the Alaska Native Medical Center and the Norton Sound Health Corporation since 2005.

Anne Zink

Senior Fellow / Founder

Yale School of Public Health / ZinkWise LLC

Dr. Anne Zink is an emergency physician, public health leader, educator, and communicator with deep experience in health policy, emergency preparedness, data modernization, and health systems change. As Alaska's former Chief Medical Officer, she led statewide public health strategy through COVID-19 and advanced practical, trust-based approaches to complex health challenges. She also served as President of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, representing state and territorial health leaders nationally.

She is now a Senior Fellow and Lecturer at the Yale School of Public Health, co-founder of PopHIVE, and founder of ZinkWise Consulting. Her work focuses on democratizing health data through collaborative, distributed models of population health information, and on rural health transformation in Alaska and beyond.

A Denver native, she earned her bachelor's degree from Bryn Mawr College and her medical degree from Stanford, and completed her emergency medicine residency at the University of Utah. She continues to see patients in Alaska emergency departments and serves on the board of the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Cassie Sheridan

Epidemiology Specialist II

State of Alaska Department of Health

Cassie Sheridan is an Epidemiology Specialist II in the Maternal Child Health Epi Unit. Cassie was born and raised in Soldotna and enjoys skiing, biking, hiking, paddling, and fishing. Cassie is thrilled to be back working to improve the experiences of other 'Alaska Kids' like herself.

Karl Soderstrom

Chief Executive Officer

True North Recovery

Karl Soderstrom is the founder and CEO of True North Recovery. On a fundamental level, he is a person in long term recovery, an advocate, and a peer.

Anne Zink

Senior Fellow / Founder

Yale School of Public Health / ZinkWise LLC

Dr. Anne Zink is an emergency physician, public health leader, educator, and communicator with deep experience in health policy, emergency preparedness, data modernization, and health systems change. As Alaska's former Chief Medical Officer, she led statewide public health strategy through COVID-19 and advanced practical, trust-based approaches to complex health challenges. She also served as President of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, representing state and territorial health leaders nationally.

She is now a Senior Fellow and Lecturer at the Yale School of Public Health, co-founder of PopHIVE, and founder of ZinkWise Consulting. Her work focuses on democratizing health data through collaborative, distributed models of population health information, and on rural health transformation in Alaska and beyond.

A Denver native, she earned her bachelor's degree from Bryn Mawr College and her medical degree from Stanford, and completed her emergency medicine residency at the University of Utah. She continues to see patients in Alaska emergency departments and serves on the board of the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Lia Abraham

Mental Health Coordinator

Anchorage Project Access

Lia Abraham has worked in behavioral health settings for approximately 20 years, in both residential and outpatient treatment settings. She recently joined the Anchorage Project Access team as the new Mental Health Coordinator.

Bre Andersen

Aging & Disability Resource Center Specialist

Southeast Alaska Independent Living

Bre Andersen is the Juneau ADRC Specialist at SAIL, the only Independent Living Center serving communities across Southeast Alaska. As a human-centered advocate with a physical disability and lived experience navigating mental health challenges, their work is grounded in empathy, accessibility, dignity, and community-centered support.

Their commitment to peer support and advocacy began long before entering the professional social services field, rooted in the belief that no one should have to navigate disability, chronic illness, or mental health challenges alone. Having called Juneau their adopted hometown for much of their life, Bre Andersen brings both personal and professional insight into the realities of navigating services in rural Alaska, where geography, infrastructure, and cost can create significant barriers to care and connection.

Passionate about “boots on the ground” community work, Bre Andersen believes meaningful systems change begins with listening to lived experience and creating spaces where people feel genuinely seen, heard, and valued. Outside of their advocacy work, they are a mixed media artist and community volunteer dedicated to fostering creativity, connection, and belonging within their local community.

Monique Andrews

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Alaska Pacific University

Dr. Andrews is the founder and owner of A Step Forward Counseling and Consulting, LLC, where she provides culturally responsive, resilience-focused mental health services. She is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Alaska Pacific University. In addition, she serves as the chairperson of the Alaska Statewide Suicide Prevention Council and is a member of the Alaska Mental Health Board. Dr. Andrews is on the Alaska Psychological Association’s Board of Directors. Additionally, she is a monthly host on Alaska Public Media’s Line One: Your Health Connection.

Dr. Andrews is a licensed mental health provider. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and went on to earn both her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Counseling Psychology from Alaska Pacific University. Her research focuses on resilience and protective factors associated with suicide prevention, with a strong emphasis on integrating culturally informed frameworks and supporting diverse communities.

Dr. Andrews has served as a proud Alaska Army National Guard soldier since 2006 in various roles, such as a Victim Advocate, Master Resiliency Trainer, Suicide Prevention Specialist, and an Equal Opportunity Specialist. Across her professional and military roles, she remains committed to advancing mental health equity and evidence-based approaches to healing and wellbeing.

Kelda Barstad

Program Officer

Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority

Kelda is a social worker who began her career over thirty years ago providing home-based services. She has served people across the lifespan, building stronger families and communities. Over time, her experiences led her to program management and policy work that ignited her passion for systems change. She currently engages in this work at the Alaska Mental Health Trust as a program officer, grateful for the continued opportunity to make a positive impact.

Ariel Berg

Health Program Manager II

Alaska Division of Senior and Disabilities Services

Ariel Berg works in the Grants Unit at the Division of Senior & Disabilities Services, collaborating with Aging and Disability Resource Centers and Developmental Disabilities Resource Connections to strengthen Alaska's "No Wrong Door" network. Previously, Ariel worked at Catholic Social Services with individuals experiencing homelessness and helped found Choosing Our Roots, an Alaskan nonprofit safely housing queer youth.

Becky Bitzer

Senior Manager

Agnew::Beck Consulting

Becky holds a Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. She strives to bring the social work values of service, social justice, dignity, and worth of the individual, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence to her personal and professional life. Becky joined Agnew::Beck in 2017. Since 2019, she has worked with the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, the State of Alaska, and partners statewide to transform Alaska's behavioral health crisis continuum of care.

Alice Campbell-Jones

Alice is an Australian suicide prevention leader with experience across frontline practice, program design, and system-level reform. She has worked closely with Aboriginal communities in remote Central Australia, leading culturally grounded suicide prevention and postvention initiatives in geographically isolated settings.

Alice holds a Master of Suicidology from Griffith University, where her research explored the postvention needs of Aboriginal communities following a suicide from lived experience perspectives. Her work is informed by frameworks such as Social and Emotional Wellbeing and centres community leadership, cultural governance, and relational approaches to care.

She is a 2025 Churchill Fellow, undertaking an international research program involving site visits across the United States and Canada to examine Indigenous-led models that strengthen community responses to suicidal distress. Her work is further informed by engagement with experts and initiatives in countries such as New Zealand, India, Greenland, Sri Lanka, and Ghana.

Alice is Deputy Chair of the Mental Health Association of Central Australia and contributes to national suicide prevention efforts through her involvement with the Suicide Prevention Australia Northern Territory Committee and the Suicide Prevention Australia Policy Advisory Committee. Her work bridges community experience and system reform to support more coordinated, culturally safe responses to suicide.

Megan Carlson

Senior Associate

Agnew::Beck Consulting

Megan is passionate about facilitating collaborative environments for upstream solutions to complex issues. Her work approach emphasizes collaboration and flexibility to meet the diverse needs, resources and self-determined priorities of children, families and communities. In her time at Agnew::Beck, Megan has used her skills in organization, research, communication, writing and facilitation to engage partners and interpret data to increase the capacity of organizations working to improve the health and wellness of their communities.

Charity Carmody

Executive Director

Alaska Impact Alliance

Dr. Charity Carmody is an Alaska-based entrepreneur and social services innovator with more than 30 years of experience building organizations that strengthen families and communities. She is the founder of Carmody Insurance Agency and leads strategic work through Beautiful Step Consulting, where she currently serves as acting Executive Director of the Alaska Impact Alliance.

She co-founded Beacon Hill, a nonprofit focused on foster care prevention and family reunification, and helped develop and scale programs that support families, improve child well-being, and expand community-based services across Alaska. Charity is also the author of Go Ahead Girl and a speaker on leadership, entrepreneurship, and social impact. She holds a Doctorate in Law and Policy from Northeastern University and earned her bachelor’s in business and MBA from Alaska Pacific University, where she teaches as an adjunct business professor.

Andrew Cieslinski

Senior Principal

HCBS Strategies, Inc

Andrew Cieslinski has over 13 years of experience working directly with federal, state, and local agencies to improve the national landscape of home and community-based support systems, including 13 years working with home and community-based (HCBS) systems in Alaska. Andrew has supported long-term services and supports (LTSS) systems change efforts in over 20 states as well as with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Administration for Community Living (ACL), and ADvancing States.

Andrew has expertise in a wide range of LTSS areas and has led or supported over a dozen complex, large-scale systems change efforts. Specific experience includes strategic planning and operational reviews; developing standardized tools for intake, screening, assessment and support planning; development and redesign of 1915(b),(c),(i),(k) and 1115 waivers; creating, piloting, and operating Medicaid Administrative Claiming (MAC) initiatives to gain Federal Financial Participation (FFP) funding; successfully working with states and other entities to procure a variety of competitive grants and other funding opportunities; planning and implementing major projects with States to meet the requirements for federally-funded programs including No Wrong Door (NWD) and Balancing Incentives Program (BIP); and implementing and enhancing Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs).

Alicia Clements

Program Participant

Frontier Community Services

Alicia’s journey with Frontier Community Services began during a time when she was experiencing significant barriers related to her disabilities, housing instability, and employment. While navigating challenges that affected her daily life, she earned income through DoorDash when able and searched for a path toward greater stability and independence.

Through Frontier, Alicia connected with housing resources, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), and other community-based services that helped her begin working toward her goals. After securing her own apartment, she received support in accessing resources to furnish her home and continued receiving individualized assistance when disability-related barriers made everyday tasks more challenging.

Today, Alicia is a full-time college student pursuing a second career that will allow her to remain engaged in the workforce while accommodating her individual needs and ability to work part-time. She continues working toward long-term housing stability, greater independence, and increased involvement within her community.

Alicia also brings an important perspective on the need for accessible and adequately funded community-based services. She recognizes that many individuals across the Kenai Peninsula continue to wait for needed services and believes everyone should have access to meaningful support and opportunities.

As a co-presenter of “Nothing About Us Without Us: Lived Experience and Employment in Action,” Alicia hopes to demonstrate how individualized support, access to resources, and meaningful choice can change a person’s path. Her story highlights the importance of listening to lived experience and ensuring people with disabilities have a voice in shaping the services and systems intended to support them.

Jena Crafton

Disability Advisor

UAA Center for Human Development

Jena Crafton has been a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities. She served as a council member for the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education for a number of years, serving her last terms as Vice Chair, and later Chair to the Council. As someone with intellectual and developmental disabilities herself, Jena understands the obstacles her community faces and has dedicated her life to challenging norms and elevating the voices of those who have not yet found their own.

In 2021, she received the April Dunn Start Your Journey Award from the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) for promoting the values of self-determination, independence, productivity, and inclusion. She is also a member of NACDD’s Leadership Circle, former board member of Peer Power Alaska, a member of the Key Coalition, and continues to participate in advocacy activities.

Jena Crafton made history in 2023 when she was named to the Alaska Journal of Commerce Top Forty Under 40 list as the first person with an intellectual disability to receive the award.

Elizabeth Diviney

SUD Treatment Supervisor

Maniilaq Association

Elizabeth Diviney is a licensed therapist and addiction professional serving communities in Northwest Arctic Alaska. She currently works as a clinical supervisor with Maniilaq Association, where she leads an interdisciplinary behavioral health team including therapists, Chemical Dependency Counselors (CDCs), Behavioral Health Aides (BHAs), case managers, and peer support staff. Originally from Michigan, Elizabeth is the daughter of Amy Diviney of Macomb, Michigan, and the late Dennis Diviney of Detroit, Michigan, with family roots throughout Southeast Michigan and Bat Cave, North Carolina. She has lived in Kotzebue since 2023 and is committed to supporting community-driven approaches to behavioral health and wellness.

Haylee Donovan

Director of Community Based Services

VOA Alaska

Haylee Donovan was born and raised in Alaska and is proud to be raising her three children in her home state. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Alaska Southeast. Through her work with the Anchorage School District, Haylee was introduced to VOA Alaska, where her passion for supporting youth with mental health and behavioral needs led her to her current role as Director of Community-Based Services.

Mary Eckart

Clinical Engagement & Outreach

healthEconnect Alaska

Mary Eckart, PA-C, focuses on clinical and community outreach in her clinical engagement role with healthEconnect. Her work is motivated by firsthand experience as a practicing physician assistant in the Mat-Su Valley since 2013.

Mary has practiced in a variety of settings, from urgent care and primary care to private practice. She completed her physician assistant studies through the University of Washington MEDEX program. Prior to becoming a PA, Mary was a paramedic in the Fairbanks area.

As a child, Mary’s family followed a seasonal lifestyle, alternating between Bristol Bay and the small communities of McCarthy and Salcha. Mary truly appreciates the unique challenges of delivering integrated health and behavioral care to Alaska’s vast network of remote communities.

Brenda Elizalde

Program Participant

Frontier Community Services

Brenda was raised in Kenai, Alaska, and spent a portion of her life in Southern California before returning to the Kenai Peninsula in 2023. As an individual with an intellectual and developmental disability, Brenda brings valuable lived experience and a firsthand perspective on the importance of meaningful choice, person-centered support, community connection, and self-advocacy.

Through her participation in the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) program, Brenda explored different types of employment, identified her interests and strengths, and discovered what meaningful employment looks like for her. With individualized support, she successfully obtained long-term employment, strengthening her independence, confidence, and connection within her community.

Brenda also expanded her access to services and supports that promote continued independence, choice, and community participation. With program support, she successfully applied for and received an Individualized Supports Waiver (ISW), opening the door to additional long-term, individualized supports. She became more actively involved in her community by attending self-advocacy summits and connecting and collaborating with peers and others who share similar lived experiences. These opportunities have helped Brenda strengthen her voice, build meaningful relationships, and grow as a self-advocate.

Brenda’s journey demonstrates what is possible when people have meaningful choices, accessible opportunities, and individualized support to identify and pursue their own goals.

Brenda is honored to present “Nothing About Us Without Us: Lived Experience and Employment in Action” alongside Nikki, Bexx, and peers, sharing her experiences and highlighting the importance of lived experience in shaping the programs, services, and systems that impact people’s lives.

Tami Eller

Lead Behavioral Health Training Coordinator

UAA Center for Human Development

Tami Eller, M.S., LPC, was born and raised in Anchorage. She is a licensed professional counselor who received her Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from Alaska Pacific University. Tami has been working as a Lead Behavioral Health Training Coordinator at the Family Services Training Center since November 2021. She has over 25 years of experience providing services to children and families through community-based social services, child protective services, and behavioral health. Tami is a certified facilitator of the FASCETS Neurobehavioral Model and a TBRI® Practitioner. She spearheaded the development of the AK TBRI Collaborative in 2022, leading to the certification of 77 Alaskan TBRI practitioners. Tami’s passion is educating providers and advocating for individuals impacted by FASD and their families. She co-chaired the workgroup that developed the "9 Core Messages: What Everyone Should Know about Prenatal Alcohol Exposure." For the past two years, Tami has worked with the University of Rochester to develop Thrive – Person-Centered Planning: A Scalable FASD-Informed Intervention to support transitional-age young adults. This year, she has taken on the challenge of teaching an undergraduate and graduate course on FASD for the School of Education at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Tami has presented and provided training in Alaska, nationally, and internationally.

Raven Evan

Case Manager

MY House

Raven Evan is a recovering addict and alcoholic who has faced homelessness for the majority of their life. They chose the behavioral health field to help those facing the same struggles.

Courtney Evans

Clinician

Mobile Crisis Team - AKBH

Courtney Evans, LPC began working in the Community Behavioral Health setting in June of 2023 and joined the Mobile Crisis Team in May of 2024. Courtney’s passion lies in the community counseling setting and crisis work, which she approaches through a cognitive and dialectical behavioral approach as well as solution focused. She places great value on the therapist-client relationship. Outside of the office, Courtney enjoys all things outdoors including traveling around the state, gardening, fishing, and has proudly called Alaska home for 30 years.

Melinda Freemon

Executive Director

Anchorage Project Access

Melinda Freemon has been in health-related leadership positions in Alaska for over 35 years. She has worked as an Executive Director in the behavioral health and health care fields overseeing comprehensive substance abuse and mental health treatment programs, permanent supportive housing programs, and public health programs with an emphasis on vulnerable populations. Ms. Freemon has worked extensively throughout Alaska to address health and social service disparities. Ms. Freemon serves as the Executive Director of Anchorage Project Access. She previously served as the Director of the Anchorage Health Department. Melinda serves on local task forces and statewide and national commissions working to improve access to health care for all Alaskans. As the Executive Director of Anchorage Project Access, Melinda and her staff provide access to donated specialty medical, dental, and mental health care to individuals with limited income and without health insurance.

Nyabony Gat

Director of Community & Social Programs

Alaska Literacy Program & AK CHW Network

Nyabony Gat is a health equity leader, educator, and community advocate dedicated to strengthening community health worker programs and advancing immigrant and refugee inclusion. As Program Director of the Peer Leader Navigators Program at the Alaska Literacy Program and an advisor to the Alaska CHW Network, she develops workforce pathways, health literacy initiatives, and community-driven solutions that improve access to care and opportunity. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®), holds a B.S. in Health Sciences, and was named one of Alaska's Top 40 Under 40.

Bexx Geleide

Community Integration Director

Frontier Community Services

Bexx Geleide is the Director of Community Integration with Frontier Community Services on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Her work focuses on developing and strengthening programs that help individuals overcome barriers, build independence, access meaningful opportunities, and become more fully connected to their communities.

Bexx oversees a diverse range of programs and services, including supported employment, Behavioral Health, reentry services, SNAP Employment and Training, and services provided in partnership with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. She also serves as the Program Administrator for Supported Employment services provided through Alaska’s Medicaid waiver. Her experience includes program development and oversight, staff training, employment services, case management, grant implementation, and building partnerships across community and state systems.

Throughout her work, Bexx collaborates with individuals receiving services, families, employers, state agencies, correctional partners, and community organizations to identify gaps, remove barriers, and create practical pathways toward employment, stability, and greater independence. She is particularly passionate about person-centered services and ensuring that the voices, goals, and lived experiences of the people receiving services remain central to the decisions and systems that affect their lives.

Bexx believes meaningful employment and community inclusion can strengthen independence, confidence, identity, connection, and personal choice. Her approach emphasizes collaboration, practical problem-solving, and challenging systems or practices that unintentionally limit opportunity.

Bexx is honored to present “Nothing About Us Without Us: Lived Experience and Employment in Action” alongside colleagues and self-advocates whose firsthand experiences, perspectives, and leadership are essential to advancing meaningful employment and inclusion.

Carrie Goodman

Senior Associate

HCBS Strategies, Inc

Carrie Goodman has over a decade of experience in healthcare operations and community-based research. Carrie joined HCBS Strategies as a Senior Associate in May 2025, after seven years directing home and community-based services (HCBS) programs for Maryland Medicaid, including two years as Acting Deputy Director covering the breadth and depth of long-term services and supports (LTSS). Carrie is adept at fostering reciprocal relationships with a broad range of partners and continuously supporting their needs and development, leading synchronously to better program outcomes.

Prior to Carrie’s work with Maryland Medicaid, she was instrumental in starting a new Community Health Center (CHC) in western North Carolina, building upon her previous work with a practice-based research network of CHCs in New York City. The connective thread throughout Carrie’s work is a passion for improving population health through the lens of equity and the collaborative generation of evidence-based strategies in support of this vision.

Adam Grove

Executive Director

Alaska Brain Injury Consortium

Dr. Adam Grove is a Naturopathic doctor based in Anchorage specializing in children and adults with traumatic brain injury. Dr. Grove received his doctorate from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington in 2002. He also holds a Masters of Arts degree in Soviet Area Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. He is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, member of the Alaska Brain Injury Council, founder of the Alaska Brain Injury Consortium and Alaska Brain Bus project as well as a Certified Brain Injury Specialist.

Holly Handler

Co-Director/Kin Attorney

Kin Support Program Haa Yatx'u Saani

Holly Handler co-founded the non-profit Kin Support Program Haa Yatx’u Saani (ha yut koo saw knee – “Our Precious Children”) in 2023 to support grandparents and other relatives raising children outside the state foster care system. This culturally based kinship navigator program aims to ease everyday life for kinship families by improving access to financial, therapeutic, cultural, educational, and legal resources, and to reduce avoidable entry into the system. Holly previously worked at the Alaska Public Defender Agency, Alaska Legal Services Corporation, and Tlingit and Haida Tribal Family and Youth Services. She’s a mom of twin teenage boys and loves the outdoors.

Sara Hannon

Director, Interprofessional Health Sciences Simulation Center

University of Alaska Anchorage

I am a registered nurse, nursing educator, and simulationist based in Anchorage, Alaska, with a strong interest in healthcare quality and population health. I enjoy co-creating relevant and effective simulation-based learning experiences for academic and clinical needs. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to present and collaborate with the UAA Center for Human Development team.

Karen Heath

Director

UAA Center for Human Development

Karen Heath, a lifelong Alaskan, is the Director of the University of Alaska Anchorage Center for Human Development (CHD). She has been at CHD for 20 years now, in various roles. Karen started her career in developmental disability residential and vocational services and served as one of the first job coaches in Alaska. Her favorite projects have been those that

a) champion employment of individuals with disabilities,
b) ensure individuals with disabilities are supported in the justice system, and
c) support the mental health needs of Alaskans.

She is passionate about ensuring individuals with disabilities have opportunities and support that allow them to live their best lives.

Sandra Heffern

CEO

Effective Health Design

Sandra Heffern, PhD is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Effective Health Design, a healthcare consulting firm specializing in health system transformation, Medicaid policy, home and community-based services (HCBS), long-term services and supports (LTSS), reimbursement design, and strategic planning.

With more than 30 years of executive leadership and consulting experience, Dr. Heffern is recognized for bringing diverse stakeholders together to solve complex policy and operational challenges. She has built trusted relationships with state administrations, legislators, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, and business leaders, enabling successful collaboration across competing interests and priorities.

Dr. Heffern has led statewide initiatives focused on healthcare reform, Medicaid redesign, payment methodology, workforce strategy, and the development of sustainable systems of care. She has facilitated multi-organization strategic planning efforts, guided policy development and implementation, and helped organizations translate complex regulatory and financing changes into practical, measurable solutions. Her work combines policy expertise with operational experience, allowing her to develop recommendations that are both innovative and implementable.

Before founding Effective Health Design, Dr. Heffern successfully built, led, and ultimately sold a senior and disability services organization that was one of Alaska's largest employers. Under her leadership, the organization expanded access to high-quality community-based services while maintaining strong financial performance and operational excellence. This entrepreneurial experience provides her with a unique perspective on balancing public policy objectives with the realities of service delivery, workforce management, and organizational sustainability.

Drew Herby

Re-entry Program Manager

Ketchikan Wellness Coalition

I’m a mom first, a Program Manager for Ketchikan Reentry, and someone who is deeply passionate about helping people rebuild their lives. Recovery and second chances have shaped who I am, and I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to grow, heal, and become a positive part of their community. My focus is on rebuilding our community by creating strong partnerships, supporting individuals through reentry, and helping people find hope, purpose, and stability. I’m committed to making a difference - one person, one family, and one success story at a time.

William Hutchings

Mental Health Clinician

Anchorage Police Department

William Hutchings has over a decade of clinical service in Alaska’s behavioral health system, currently serving as a mental health clinician with the Anchorage Police Department’s Mobile Intervention Team (MIT). APD’s Mobile Intervention Team operates as a co-response model where mental health clinicians are paired directly with a police officer and the two primarily respond to 911 mental health calls. MIT has existed within APD for 3.5 years and William has been part of the program for nearly 2 years. Prior to APD, William spent more than 10 years at Alaska Behavioral Health (formerly ACMHS), where he led multidisciplinary teams across programs including Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Permanent Supportive Housing, Adult Outpatient Services, and as a liaison to Alaska’s only psychiatric hospital (API) to ensure continuity of care.

As a 2-time alumnus (BS & MS) from UAA, William participated and engaged in extensive research and academic involvement, including multiple research assistantships, conference presentations (national and local), and graduate teaching positions. William continues to promote trauma-informed, recovery-oriented care across systems, focusing on improving behavioral health for underserved Alaskans through crisis services, interagency collaboration, and ongoing program development.

Odessa Jackson

Peer Support Professional

True North Recovery

My name is Odessa Jackson. I have lived experience with homelessness, addiction, and recovery. I work full-time for True North Recovery and serve on both the MY House YBOD as a youth representative and the MY House Board of Directors as secretary. I have a passion for advocacy and helping others by using my past experiences as a potential survival guide.

Robert Lawrence

Chief Medical Officer

State of Alaska Department of Health

Robert Lawrence, MD is the Chief Medical Officer for the State of Alaska Department of Health. He is a Family Practice physician, trained in the Alaska WWAMI program at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who began his work as a community physician in Nome, Alaska in 2006. From 2013-2024, he served as the Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Corrections and has served in the Department of Health since April of 2024. Dr. Lawrence is board certified in Family Medicine and has advanced degrees in Education and Medical Ethics. He earned his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine, a master’s degree in Bioethics from Trinity International University, and a master’s degree in social science education from Harding University. He is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. His major contributions have been in supporting health care professionals and organizations who address the health needs of vulnerable populations.

Sam Longacre

Housing Director

United Way of Anchorage

Sam Longacre (she/they) is the Housing Director at United Way of Anchorage. She is grateful to work with a compassionate, experienced team that inspires her to think creatively about partnerships and problem solving. Sam has a background in public health and previously led patient supportive services at the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center.

Steven Lutzky

President

HCBS Strategies, Inc

Steven Lutzky has extensive experience designing, implementing, and evaluating home- and community-based systems for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with long-term illnesses for the federal government, states, and private-sector clients.

He served as the Director of the Division for Advocacy and Special Issues (DASI) within the Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group, Center for Medicaid and State Operations (CMSO), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Steve has also served as the Chief of the Office on Disabilities and Aging within the District of Columbia’s Medical Assistance Administration and was a Senior Manager with The Lewin Group.

He received his doctorate in Gerontology and Public Policy from the University of Southern California, Davis School of Gerontology.

Nikki Marcano

Supported Employment Program Coordinator

Frontier Community Services

Nikki is the Supported Employment Program Coordinator with Frontier Community Services on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Her work centers on helping people with disabilities pursue meaningful employment, build confidence, strengthen workplace skills, and create lives rooted in choice, dignity, and community belonging.

She has extensive experience supporting individuals through job exploration, employer engagement, workplace accommodations, educational planning, job coaching, and long-term employment retention. She is especially passionate about person-centered services, supported employment, and the belief that lived experience must guide the systems and decisions that affect people’s lives.

In her role, she works closely with job seekers, families, employers, community partners, and service providers to identify practical opportunities and remove barriers to employment. Her direct, creative, and relationship-based approach allows her to challenge assumptions about what people with disabilities can contribute in the workplace.

Her responsibilities also include program development, staff training, maintaining clear, accurate, and person-centered documentation practices, and community education related to employment services and inclusion. She regularly advocates for stronger partnerships between businesses and disability service organizations, believing employers benefit when they recognize talent, adaptability, and potential rather than focusing on limitations.

Through this work, she has seen how employment can strengthen independence, identity, social connection, and overall quality of life. She believes real inclusion begins when people are heard, respected, supported, and trusted to lead.

Nikki is honored to present “Nothing About Us Without Us: Lived Experience and Employment in Action” alongside colleagues and self-advocates who bring firsthand knowledge, honesty, and leadership to the conversation.

Sarah McCutcheon

Regional Medical Director

Comagine Health

Dr. Sarah McCutcheon is Regional Medical Director at Comagine Health and is based in Anchorage, Alaska. Dr. McCutcheon completed medical school and her psychiatric training at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She went on to receive advanced training in Quality and Safety through the prestigious Veterans Affairs Quality Scholars program. For nearly 8 years, she has served as the medical director for Comagine’s care management programs in Alaska, and she has since expanded her role to include strategic and operational leadership for nationwide care management initiatives. An expert in caring for patients with complex needs, Dr. McCutcheon is a strong advocate for care models that are person-centered, equity-informed, and designed to effectively meet the real-world conditions that influence care delivery and outcomes.

Michael Montgomery

MIT Officer

Anchorage Police Department

Officer Michael Montgomery graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 2014. He has served with the Anchorage Police Department since 2015. Since 2018, Officer Montgomery has been a Crisis Intervention Team Officer and a member of the APD Crisis Negotiation Team. In 2023, he joined the Mobile Intervention Team, where he continues to serve.

Anthony Newman

Director

Alaska Division of Senior and Disabilities Services

Mr. Newman has served as director of the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services since 2022. He has worked in various roles at the Alaska Department of Health since September 2001. Currently, he resides in Juneau.

Michelle Parker

Greenhouse Project Manager

MY House

My name is Michelle Parker, and I am a person in long-term recovery with over 5 1/2 years of sobriety. Growing up, I experienced homelessness from an early age and struggled with mental health, addiction, and incarceration. Those challenges shaped who I am, but they do not define me. Through recovery, Alcoholics Anonymous, and the support from MY House, I found hope, purpose, and a new way of life.

Today, I am an active member of AA, a devoted mother of two boys, and a Human Services student. I work at MY House, where I use my lived experience to support youth experiencing homelessness, addiction, and other life challenges. I am passionate about helping young people discover their strengths through peer support, gardening, food security projects, and community connection.

My goal is to show others that recovery is possible and that our past does not determine our future. By sharing my story, I hope to inspire others to believe in themselves, ask for help, and never give up on the possibility of a better life.

Roberto Perea

Operations Manager

Southcentral Foundation

Robert Perea is an Operations Manager in Southcentral Foundation’s Nuka System of Care. In his role, he is responsible for the day-to-day performance and operation of the Child and Family Outpatient Services West and Intensive Home-Based Treatment departments. Robert joined SCF in 2024 as the Supervisor of Community Case Managers for the IHBT program. He worked collaboratively to help start the program, and in October 2025, he was promoted to Operations Manager. Robert has worked in a variety of fields, from recreation to education and employment, as well as behavioral health. Robert is Inupiaq and loves to work out, hike, and play the acoustic guitar.

Erik Peterson

SDS Chief of Programs

Alaska Division of Senior and Disabilities Services

Erik has worked for the State of Alaska for 18 years across several agencies, including Adult Corrections, Juvenile Justice, the Division of Public Assistance, and the Department of Labor. His work has largely focused on connecting individuals with training, support, and the resources needed to live independently. Since joining Senior and Disabilities Services in 2021, Erik has overseen the ADRC and DDRC networks, served as the Grants Unit Manager, and recently accepted the role of Chief of Programs.

Jonathan Pistotnik

Reentry Program Manager

Alaska Department of Corrections

Jonathan Pistotnik is the Reentry Program Manager with the Alaska Department of Corrections. In his role, he oversees a team of staff who support the delivery of correctional education programming, vocational training, and reentry support across the state. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from UCLA. He currently resides in Anchorage, Alaska, with his wife and two children.

Eiden Pospisil

Youth Program Manager

Alaska Humanities Forum

Eiden Marston Pospisil is a youth program leader, educator, and musician whose work focuses on youth well-being, storytelling, and community connection. As Youth Program Manager at the Alaska Humanities Forum, he leads the Story Works program, supporting young people through creative expression, reflective writing, and relationship-centered programming that promotes resilience, self-awareness, and belonging. His work emphasizes the role of storytelling in supporting mental health and helping youth build confidence, empathy, and connection to community.

Eiden’s background spans youth development, education, refugee support, and the arts in Alaska and internationally. He holds dual degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory, and brings an interdisciplinary, human-centered approach to his work with young people and communities.

Bridger Reed-Lewis

Disability Advisor

UAA Center for Human Development

Bridger is a disability advisor, as well as an all-star advocate, who goes above and beyond for his community by trying to find solutions to the biggest or smallest issues his community faces every day. At work, Bridger enjoys writing, giving trainings, and advocating for change.

Sara Risi

Clinical Supervisor

Southcentral Foundation

Sara Risi is a Clinical Supervisor in Southcentral Foundation’s Nuka System of Care. In her role, she provides clinical oversight for the Child & Family Outpatient Services West Clinic and Intensive Home-Based Treatment. Sara has a Master's in Social Work with a concentration in Mental Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board Approved Supervisor. Sara has been in this role with SCF since September of 2021; prior to that she spent 14 years working with children, adolescents, and their families in inpatient and residential psychiatric care. Sara is from Homer, Alaska, and in her free time she likes to drive her children to all their activities, crochet, and sew.

Lauren Rocco

Senior Manager

Agnew::Beck Consulting

Lauren specializes in research projects that target improvement of long-term health and social outcomes for Alaskans through systems change. She has a knack for synthesizing complex data into accessible information, prioritizes engaging stakeholders with lived experience, and cares about developing real and authentic relationships with clients. Her approach is practical, grounded in hands-on experience in the social services sector as an operations director, program director, and educator. Lauren grew up living in the U.S., Europe and Asia; she is proud to claim Alaska as home. Lauren lives in Anchorage with her husband and sons. She loves to spend time cross-country skiing, trying not to kill plants in her garden, and hiking with her family.

Chuck Seaca

Director

Alaska Humanities Forum

Chuck was raised along the Kuskokwim River in Bethel and now calls Anchorage home. He is passionate about how our stories connect and build empowered communities, and he is lucky to do this as the Director of Leadership Programs. Chuck works in both adult and youth development with Leadership Anchorage, Story Works, and as the lead for Storytelling to Build Community. He has facilitated programming at AKHF since 2019, including serving as the lead facilitator for Leadership Anchorage. Prior to moving home to Alaska, he developed his facilitation practice at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he served as the Head Teaching Fellow for Storytelling as a Leadership Practice, Teaching Fellow for Adaptive Leadership, and Course Instructor for the Innovation Field Lab.

He has facilitated and coached executives from across the world. His past clients include the Bloomberg City Leadership Initiative, the National Urban League, the Advanced Leadership Initiative, the Obama Foundation, and the Center for Public Leadership. After traveling the country as a leadership trainer and coach, he is thrilled to be developing leadership capacity in his home state. Chuck holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Analysis-Sociology from Pomona College and a Master in Public Policy with a Certificate in Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Liz Sewell

Fairbanks Mobile Crisis Team Clinician

Alaska Behavioral Health

Liz Sewell, M.Ed., LPC-S, is a licensed professional counselor and clinician with the Fairbanks Mobile Crisis Team. She is a certified hostage and crisis negotiator, holds certification in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), and serves as a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) instructor. Liz is dedicated to advancing intentional, coordinated crisis response to better support individuals and communities across Alaska.

Bailey Singstad

Case Manager

Ketchikan Wellness Coalition

Bailey Singstad was born and raised in Ketchikan Alaska. After spending 15 years of her life stuck in drug addiction, she now has a truly blessed life. Now, at almost 5 years clean, she gets to work in a profession dedicated to giving back to those struggling just like she once did.

Isaac Smoldon

Chief Communications Officer

MY House

Isaac Smoldon is the Chief Communications Officer at MY House and has worked for the organization for over four years. As a previous donor to the organization, Isaac has a strong belief in MY House’s mission and philosophy of removing barriers for youth so that they can achieve their dreams. He began working for MY House after receiving his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage in Journalism and Public Communications. He oversees the MY House Recording Studio and has helped produce hundreds of podcasts, YouTube videos, and other communications materials for MY House that highlight the work done by the organization in the fields of recovery, prevention, and homeless services. He has also been a key part of many successful fundraisers, events, and community initiatives on behalf of the organization dating back to 2022. He was recognized in 2026 by the Frontiersman as one of the “15 people making a difference in the Mat-Su in 2026.”

When not working at MY House, Isaac works for the Anchorage Wolverines as a play-by-play announcer for their broadcasts and referees youth, high school, and adult hockey in Alaska and at national events. When not working, he enjoys traveling with his wife, Ashlynn, volunteering at his church, and spending time with friends and family, which usually involves watching hockey, the Seahawks, and the Seattle Mariners.

Chris Sturm

Healthcare Engagement Specialist

healthEconnect Alaska

Chris recently transitioned from UAA's Center for Human Development to the health information field at healthEconnect Alaska. His desire to make such a shift was to work at a systems level to fill gaps in care that he experienced while working across Alaska as a Complex Behavior Specialist.

For more than 15 years, Chris worked around the State with teams consisting of agencies, families, community organizations, and schools. These teams supported our most complex and vulnerable individuals who were at risk of being hospitalized and/or sent out of state. Teams were doing the most they could with what they had. However, for many individuals who had complex needs, there were a variety of issues that contributed to their complex behaviors. Some were untreated conditions, like seizures, while others had medication-related issues. Some even had unknown medical issues that impacted their behavior and quality of life.

It was through the sharing of records and close review of these that helped resolve some behavioral challenges with limited interventions required. It is this experience and learning that Chris brings to his work now at healthEconnect.

Jacqueline Summers

AHWC Program Director

Alaska Safety / Workforce Alliance

Jacqueline Summers has a background in entrepreneurship and project development and management. Currently, she leads the Alaska Health Workforce Coalition as part of the Alaska Safety Workforce Alliance, focusing on coordinating efforts to improve Alaska’s health workforce development.

From 2020 to 2025, Jacqueline was the Executive Director of Health TIE, an Alaskan healthcare innovation hub that she co-founded. As Executive Director, Summers improved Alaskan healthcare by partnering with healthcare startup companies and innovators, elevating their work, making connections, and launching Alaska-based pilot projects that directly addressed Alaska healthcare challenges. This work continues to inform and inspire her current projects.

In addition to being a University of Alaska Anchorage’s Alaska AI Solutions Consortium Board Member, Jacqueline serves as a Commissioner on the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, is a member of the Comagine Alaska Advisory Board, and also serves on the Alaska HOSA and Alaska AHEC Advisory Steering Committees.

Jacqueline Summers has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Master of Adult Education from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Phillip Tafs

CEO

MethodWorks AK, LLC

Phil was born, raised and educated in Alaska. He attended West Anchorage High School and received both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Social Work from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Phil started his career in the Juvenile Justice system as a youth counselor at McLaughlin Youth Center while attending college for his BSW. While working towards his master's degree, he helped develop services for individuals who experience brain injuries, and became the Executive Director for the Brain Injury Network (formerly the Alaska Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Board). During this time, he also ran his first business, consulting with peer-run organizations and coordinating a federal evaluation of their services, where he became a proponent of "nothing about us without us." Eventually, Phil began working at the Center for Human Development, and developed and ran the Capacity Building in Autism Interventions (CBAI) program, focused on increasing the availability of Behavior Analysts in Alaska. During this time, Phil became a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Phil gravitated towards challenging behaviors, and became the first consultant for the Complex Behavior Collaborative. He has spent considerable time traveling across Alaska working towards keeping complex individuals in their community. Phil started MethodWorks Alaska in 2016, and has provided waiver services, consulting services, and insurance-based autism services. He currently oversees a staff of 35 employees. Phil is president of the Alaska Association for Applied Behavior Analysis. He believes the use of positive behavior analytic approaches can help us solve many of the world's biggest challenges!

Colby Takeda

CEO

Pear Suite

Colby Takeda is the co-founder and CEO of Pear Suite, where he oversees operations, workforce development, and strategic partnerships. Colby brings his diverse background in public health, aging, and community-based care to support Pear Suite’s focus on addressing the social and environmental drivers of health, especially for older adults and underserved communities. Colby is a former senior care executive who helped open numerous care facilities. Colby also previously taught CHW courses and continues to enjoy providing direct client care as a CHW.

Colby serves on the board of directors for the CTA Foundation, Better Business Bureau of the Great West and Pacific, and the National Association of Community Health Workers.

Jane Thomas

Outreach Specialist, Mat-Su

Alzheimer's Resource Alaska

Jane Showalter Thomas is an Outreach Specialist with Alzheimer’s Resource Alaska, focusing on the Mat-Su Borough. She grew up in Ohio and has lived in Alaska most of her adult life. She lives in Peters Creek, Alaska, with her husband, dog, and a tiny flock of chickens.

After 40 years working as an environmental engineer, Jane has changed directions, launching a second career.

Jane is the daughter, grandchild, and niece of people who experienced dementia. Once she discovered that research was revealing how lifestyle factors have a big impact on brain health, her passion turned to helping people do what they can to reduce their risk of cognitive decline. After becoming an FMCA Certified Health and Wellness Coach and a ReCODE 2.0 Certified Health Coach, she joined Alzheimer's Resource Alaska. She teaches courses and leads other programs to support people joining her on this journey, striving to stay sharp throughout life.

Her current mission is to increase awareness about dementia, programs supporting people impacted by dementia, and what we can do to reduce our risk of developing symptoms. To replace helplessness with hope.

Tafilisaunoa Toleafoa

Executive Director

Pacific Community of Alaska

Tafilisaunoa "Tafi" Toleafoa is the Executive Director of the Pacific Community of Alaska (PCA), an Anchorage-based nonprofit dedicated to serving Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities across the great state of Alaska. At the heart of Pacific Community of Alaska’s work is a powerful truth: for many underserved communities, the path to health and well-being doesn't begin in a clinic or a hospital. It begins with a trusted neighbor, a familiar voice, someone who shows up where people already are. Community Health Workers are that bridge! They meet people in their homes, their churches, their communities, providing culturally grounded support, resource navigation, and connection to care in spaces far beyond the walls of the formal healthcare system. For Pacific Islander communities in Alaska, who are navigating barriers of language, culture, geography, and systemic inequity, this kind of person-centered, community-rooted care is not just beneficial. It is absolutely essential.

Originally from the beautiful islands of Samoa and a proud Alaskan for over two decades, Tafi’s career is built at the intersection of housing, civil rights, domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy, mental health, substance abuse, and human trafficking, always centering the dignity and wholeness of the people she serves. Tafi is a mother of a 17-year-old daughter, Mealii, and a 9-year-old son, Ropeti.

Kathi Trawver

Professor/Director

UAA School of Social Work/ Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies

Dr. Kathi Trawver is a Professor of Social Work at the University of Alaska Anchorage and directs the UAA Center for Alcohol and Addictions Studies. Her community-driven research, evaluation, and technical assistance focuses on finding improved responses for individuals, families, and communities facing legal system involvement, homelessness, serious mental illness, substance use, interpersonal violence challenges, health inequities, and basic needs insecurity.

Michael Washington

Program Participant

Frontier Community Services

Michael moved to Alaska in 2022, beginning a journey that would transform his life and connection to his community. After experiencing homelessness and staying at the Friendship Mission, Michael met Cami and Rich Zifko, who became meaningful and inspirational influences in his life. He later transitioned to Alpha House, a sober living home, where he learned about Frontier Community Services and began building a new path forward.

Through Frontier’s employment services, Michael worked with Employment Specialist Bexx Geleide and obtained a position as a Breakfast Chef at the Quality Inn, where he remained employed for three years. The experience allowed him to demonstrate his passion for cooking, hospitality, and serving others. A relationship formed through his employment has since developed into an opportunity to pursue his goal of opening his own café with a business partner.

Michael also credits Frontier team members Cindy Vasille, Nikki Marcano, and Isaac Cryer with providing support and encouragement that helped him recognize his strengths and ability to contribute meaningfully to his community.
Today, Michael is working to establish Men With Mindsets, a men’s mental health group focused on creating a safe environment for men to express their emotions, fears, and experiences while building connections with others.

As a co-presenter of “Nothing About Us Without Us: Lived Experience and Employment in Action,” Michael brings firsthand perspective on recovery, employment, personal growth, community connection, and the impact meaningful support and opportunity can have on a person’s life.

Jackie Yates

Executive Director

Ketchikan Wellness Coalition

Jackie Yates is the Executive Director of the Ketchikan Wellness Coalition, leading a coalition-driven approach to community wellness that brings together public safety, health services, nonprofit partners, and residents to build coordinated, compassionate responses to local needs. Born and raised in Ketchikan, Alaska, Jackie draws on deep local ties and decades of front-line experience — from four years as an emergency dispatcher with the Ketchikan Police Department and five years as a court clerk with the Alaska Trial Court, to eight years as an adult probation officer focused on successful reentry. Today she oversees both a reentry program and a Crisis Now initiative, applying the System Intercept Model to reduce harm, strengthen supports, and create pathways to stability for people returning to the community.

Jackie believes strongly in the power of neighborhood-level solutions and the transformative role of collective action. Her work centers on practical collaboration: aligning services, removing barriers to reentry, and building community capacity so that people get the timely help they need where they live. She lives in Ketchikan with her husband and two daughters and brings both professional expertise and personal commitment to nurturing a healthier, safer community for all.

Audra Yewchin

Doctor of Occupational Therapy

REAL Solutions AK

Audra Yewchin is an occupational therapist and lifelong Alaskan whose work bridges clinical care, education, and community outreach. She served as Director of Rehabilitation at the Alaska Psychiatric Institute before establishing her own Anchorage practice, where she works with children and adults and specializes in brain injury, psychosocial rehabilitation, and neurovision remediation.

Much of Dr. Yewchin's career has centered on expanding access to brain injury care in Alaska's rural communities. Through her work with the Alaska Brain Injury Network, she helped bring outreach clinics to communities from Utqiaġvik to Ketchikan. Today she also serves as the executive director of REAL Solutions AK, a non-profit created to address gaps in care, where she partners with the Alaska Brain Injury Consortium's Brain Bus project to provide consultation and early treatment as the organization's programs continue to grow.

Alongside her clinical work, Dr. Yewchin has been a dedicated educator. As adjunct faculty in the University of Alaska Anchorage doctoral occupational therapy program, she taught psychosocial rehabilitation and mentored graduate students through clinical fieldwork - work for which she was named Fieldwork Educator of the Year. Her approach to therapy is collaborative and creative, grounded in the belief that Alaskans deserve care tailored to their strengths, goals, and communities.

Keynote and Plenary Speakers

Joshua Arvidson

Eric Arzubi

Jacoline Bergstrom

Kim Champney

Jessica Cheeseman

Larenda Coy

Matthew Hirschfeld

Commissioner Heidi Hedberg

Cassie Sheridan

Karl Soderstrom

Anne Zink

Breakout Session Speakers

Lia Abraham

Bre Andersen

Monique Andrews

Kelda Barstad

Ariel Berg

Becky Bitzer

Alice Campbell-Jones

Megan Carlson

Charity Carmody

Andrew Cieslinski

Alicia Clements

Jena Crafton

Elizabeth Diviney

Haylee Donovan

Mary Eckart

Brenda Elizalde

Tami Eller

Raven Evan

Courtney Evans

Melinda Freemon

Nyabony Gat

Bexx Geleide

Carrie Goodman

Adam Grove

Holly Handler

Sara Hannon

Karen Heath

Sandra Heffern

Drew Herby

William Hutchings

Odessa Jackson

Robert Lawrence

Sam Longacre

Steven Lutzky

Nikki Marcano

Sarah McCutcheon

Michael Montgomery

Anthony Newman

Michelle Parker

Roberto Perea

Erik Peterson

Jonathan Pistotnik

Eiden Pospisil

Bridger Reed-Lewis

Sara Risi

Lauren Rocco

Chuck Seaca

Liz Sewell

Bailey Singstad

Isaac Smoldon

Chris Sturm

Jacqueline Summers

Phillip Tafs

Colby Takeda

Jane Thomas

Tafilisaunoa Toleafoa

Kathi Trawver

Michael Washington

Jackie Yates

Audra Yewchin

Joshua Arvidson

Eric Arzubi

Jacoline Bergstrom

Kim Champney

Jessica Cheeseman

Larenda Coy