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Meg Nordale knows what it means to give back and be a part of your community. To her, these are fundamental to a sustainable business. Meg is President of GHEMM Company, a long-established general contracting firm in Fairbanks. Outside of GHEMM, Meg is active in the community of Fairbanks and participates in a number of civic organizations and events.

GHEMM is invested in educating Alaska’s future workforce. The firm established the GHEMM Company Scholarship in 1999 to support students studying civil engineering who graduated from an ������Ƶhigh school. In addition, GHEMM Company has partnered with Design ������Ƶby providing matching gifts during KUAC’s Fall and Spring fundraisers and regularly sponsors special events at the university. Meg notes that GHEMM “strongly believes in educating individuals who have the ability to potentially work with and for” Alaskan businesses.

A life-long Alaskan with deep roots in the Anchorage community, Jennifer earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism as a student athlete with the University of Alaska Anchorage Cross-Country Ski Team. After 15 years of sales and marketing experience, coupled with 25 years of property management and real estate acquisitions, Jennifer and her husband Tim established Signature Land Services--a leading contracting service company specializing in snow removal, concrete, and asphalt paving. Jennifer oversees major client relations, marketing, and contract management. She is an outdoor enthusiast and an active volunteer with a variety of organizations including the Covenant House, West Anchorage High School, and the ������ƵWomen’s Gold Nugget Triathlon.

Roald serves as the chief operating officer for the Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. He previously served as the chief executive of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the SouthEast ������ƵRegional Health Consortium. Roald leverages community relationships and partners to gain resources for program development, facility expansions, community infrastructure, and service and system improvements.  

He graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and minor in public administration from the University of ������ƵAnchorage and a Master of Science in health care administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He began his undergraduate education at the University of ������ƵSoutheast – Sitka Campus.

Roald grew up in Sitka, Alaska. He splits his time between Juneau and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. He is Eagle/Frog of the Sgajuuga.ahl clan, an enrolled tribal citizen of Sitka Tribe of ������Ƶand Tlingit & Haida, and a shareholder of Sealaska Corporation. He is married to Carly Helgesen and together they have two children.

Stephanie Erickson is Greater Prudhoe Area Manager for ConocoPhillips Alaska, where she leads a multidisciplinary team of professionals to oversee ConocoPhillips' non-operated interest in Prudhoe Bay and its satellite fields.  

Stephanie was raised in Minnesota. She earned a bachelor’s in geological engineering from Michigan Technological University and a master’s in geophysics from the University of Utah. Stephanie began her career at Phillips Petroleum Company in 1998 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. She lived in Anchorage 2002-2009, spent 12 years in Texas, and moved back to Anchorage in 2020

Stephanie has a passion for engineering, sciences, and analytical thinking. She loves spending time outdoors and playing music with her two sons and husband.

Anna Atchison is a lifelong Alaskan, born in Palmer and raised on a traditional homestead at the base of the Talkeetna Mountains. She calls Fairbanks home and enjoys traveling internationally and spending time hiking with her husband, Shane, and their daughters.

Anna is the director of external affairs for Kinross Alaska, overseeing its interests and assets including the Fort Knox mine in Fairbanks and the Manh Choh project located on Tetlin tribal land.

She has over two decades of professional experience in government and community affairs; environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and corporate social responsibility; communications; and risk management. A University of Alaska
Fairbanks graduate, Anna earned her B.S. in natural resource management.

In addition to her service to the University of ������Ƶas UA Foundation Board member and member of the UAF Board of Advisors, she serves on the National Mining Association’s ESG Task Force as well as on the boards of the Resource Development
Council, the Council of ������ƵProducers, and others.

Anna was honored to be a 2022 UAF Meritorious Service Award recipient.

Andrea Canfield is a partner at the law firm Stoel Rives LLP, where she advises Alaska Native corporations and privately held, small and middle market companies in mergers and acquisitions.
As a life-long Alaskan from Eagle River, Andrea is passionate about giving back to the community and creating a bright future for Alaskans. In addition to her legal work, she is actively involved in numerous pro bono and community-focused initiatives including serving as the President of the Board of Directors of Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis, Inc. (AWAIC), as a mentor for Color of Justice Alaska, and as a volunteer attorney through the American Bar Associations’ Free Legal Answers Program. She is also a long-time member and former President of the Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers (AAWL). As a collegiate softball hall of fame athlete, Andrea is also a dedicated advocate of the local softball community. ������ƵJournal of Commerce included Andrea in its 2023 Top Forty Under 40 ranking.
Andrea received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, and graduated from Delaware State University with an M.B.A. and a B.A. in political science. She has been a member of the UA community since joining the UAA Legal Studies Program Advisory Committee in 2019. Andrea also studied Japanese at UAA.
Whenever possible, Andrea loves spending time outdoors with her family.

Ella Goss, MSN, RN, is Providence ������ƵMedical Center’s senior executive, overseeing all medical center services at the 401-bed hospital. She previously served as the director of the Providence Cancer Center, the state's most comprehensive cancer treatment facility.

Since joining Providence in 1997 as a staff nurse in the hospital's Emergency Department, Goss has served in a variety of leadership positions, including chief flight nurse for LifeGuard, clinical manager of Emergency Services, director of Medical Staff, Risk Management and Regulatory Services. Prior to joining Providence, she worked in rural emergency departments in Kotzebue and Newfoundland.

Goss has a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing, Illinois. She also has certification as a professional in health care risk management and health care quality.

Providence enjoys a decades-old partnership with the University of ������Ƶ(UA), particularly the University of ������ƵAnchorage School of nursing. Between alumni recruitment and hands-on learning opportunities for nursing students, Providence is committed to working with UA leaders to build a robust health care workforce in Alaska.

During more than 20 years in health care, Jason has become widely recognized as a thought leader and civic influencer, deeply committed to helping communities transform the way they provide and pay for healthcare. He currently serves as a senior vice president at the Moda family of companies, headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

Prior to moving into this role, Jason served as Moda’s director of ������Ƶsales and service and then moved to be vice president of sales and strategic market development in Portland, OR. He earned a bachelor's in English from the University of ������ƵFairbanks (UAF), a master’s in business administration from the University of ������ƵSoutheast, a past president of the UAF Alumni Association, and chair of the UAF Board of Advisors.

Jason’s responsibilities today include the growth, expansion, and innovation of business for the entire family of Moda companies throughout Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, and Texas. With more than 1,400 employees, Moda is a multi-faceted organization working to innovate how we utilize and pay for health care. Affiliated enterprises include Moda Health Plan, Delta Dental of Oregon and Alaska, BenefitHelp Solutions, Ardon Health, Dentists Management Corporation, EOCCO, Summit Health and Emerging Health.

Jason resides in suburban Portland with his wife Katie and four children.

As a retired Financial Services Executive, Mr. Greimann enjoyed a 35 year career while living and serving clients in Alaska, Nevada and Colorado. The majority of his corporate tenure were spent in Senior and Executive leadership roles with Wells Fargo Private Bank, Morgan Stanley Private Bank, Guarantee Bank and Trust of Colorado and most recently Northrim Bank in Alaska. Mr. Greimann has broad expertise in Real Estate Markets, Wealth Advisory, Multigenerational Client Relationships, Private Banking and Commercial Credit Structuring.

Currently, Mr. Greimann manages a family office consisting of Real Estate, Equity and Bond Investments. In addition to his role with the University of ������ƵFoundation, Mr. Greimann is a Charter Member of the Colorado based Economic Development Conservancy.

Greimann is a 3 rd generation Alaskan and holds a BBA in Finance from the University of ������ƵFairbanks.

Shauna is a huntress, skier, leader, advocate, and mentor. She joined Koniag in 2016 and serves as President. Prior to joining Koniag, she was the Chief Administrative Officer for the ������ƵNative Tribal Health Consortium and the Vice President of Shareholder Services for Afognak Native Corporation.
 
A homegrown Alaskan, Shauna holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of ������Ƶand a graduate certificate in ������ƵNative Executive Leadership from Alaska Pacific University. Shauna is a YWCA Woman of Achievement, Anchorage Athena Society inductee, German Marshall Memorial Fellow, Native American Top Forty Under 40, and ������ƵTop Forty Under 40.
 
Shauna is a Shareholder of Koniag and Afognak Native Corporation and an enrolled tribal member of the Native Village of Afognak and Native Village of Port Lions.

Dave Karp is the senior vice president and managing director for Saltchuk in Alaska. Saltchuk owns and operates 11 companies in the state of Alaska. Prior to his current role, he served as president and chief executive officer of Saltchuk’s Aviation division with operations in Alaska, Hawaii, Florida and the Caribbean.

Dave is a member of the Northrim Bank board of directors, ������ƵCommunications community advisory board, and serves on many nonprofit boards. Dave is a graduate of the University of Oregon. He and his wife Debbie grew up in Nome and have resided in Anchorage for the past 34 years. They enjoy spending time at the cabin with family and travel.

Melissa Reiser is a trusted partner who develops financial strategies and customized solutions to help Alaskans and their businesses and communities thrive.

For more than 15 years, she has worked with healthcare professionals and organizations throughout Alaska. As senior healthcare lending officer for First National Bank Alaska, her local knowledge and experience has helped numerous businesses, medical professionals, and practices succeed.

Melissa majored in finance and graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's in business administration from Troy State University in Dothan, AL. She attended the Foster School of Business Executive Leadership Training and graduated with honors from the prestigious Pacific Coast Banking School.

Melissa is active in the Anchorage business community and has served on several local boards, including the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce and Anchorage Project Access, an organization dedicated to ensuring low-income, uninsured Alaskans gain access to specialty and dental care. She is also a member of the Anchorage South Rotary. Melissa enjoys the outdoors, hiking, fishing, and golfing.

Ben Roth is a lifelong Alaskan with deep roots in the region. He has always been a strong advocate for his community, having served on a number of charitable boards of directors in the area. Born and raised in Fairbanks, he graduated from the University of ������ƵFairbanks with two degrees: a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and a BBA in Economics, while a student athlete with the University of ������ƵFairbanks Nanooks Division I Ice Hockey team.
 
After Ben graduated from the University of Alaska, he went on to start his financial planning career and is a founding partner of SBS Retirement Consultants in Fairbanks. Ben earned his Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® (CRPC®), and Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®) professional designations during his 30-year career of helping people plan for their lives in retirement.
 
Ben loves to spend time with his wife, Karma, playing in the outdoors of ������Ƶand traveling around the world. His primary passion in life is to support other Alaskans as best he can through the work that he does along with other like-minded advocates and partners in our great state.

Tim Thompson is the public relations and marketing director – ������Ƶfor ������ƵAirlines, where he is responsible for community, media, and public relations. Tim also oversees the state of ������Ƶcorporate giving programs for ������ƵAirlines and is the executive director for the ������ƵAirlines Foundation.

As a third generation Alaskan with over 30 years of communications experience, Tim's specific areas of expertise are corporate communications, community relations, public relations, government affairs, crisis communications, digital and traditional media.

Before joining ������ƵAirlines, Tim was a partner at Thompson & Company Public Relations. Previous to Thompson & Company, he was the director of external affairs for the Alaska Railroad Corporation and the assignment manager for KTUU Channel 2 News.

Tim holds a master's in business administration in telecommunications management from ������ƵPacific University and is a 1994 graduate of the University of ������ƵAnchorage with a bachelor's in journalism and public communications. He currently serves on the boards of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, ������ƵState Chamber of Commerce, the Atwood Foundation, The Foraker Group, and the Anchorage Museum.

Dale Anderson was appointed to the University of ������ƵBoard of Regents in 2012 by Governor Parnell and re-appointed by Governor Dunleavy in 2021. Regent Anderson, a lifelong Juneau resident, works in the financial services industry and owns Auke Lake Bed & Breakfast. He brings to the board extensive life experiences from both the private and public sector. He has owned and operated numerous enterprises as well as served as a member of the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly, legislative aide for the House Finance Committee in the ������ƵState Legislature and as commissioner of the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission. 

Regent Anderson holds a certificate of judicial development in administrative law from the University of Nevada and a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Oral Roberts University. He is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, ������ƵTravel Industry Association, Juneau Chamber of Commerce and the Juneau Convention and Visitors Bureau. He lives in Juneau with his wife Honey Bee and has four children and a grandson.

Steve Colligan was appointed to the University of ������ƵBoard of Regents by Governor Mike Dunleavy in 2023. Regent Colligan is a lifelong Alaskan; he holds an Associate of Applied Sciences in petroleum engineering technology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and has studied engineering at UAF and the University of ������ƵAnchorage.

Regent Colligan has national and international experience specializing in information technology integration, geographic information systems, and geomatics.

The University of ������ƵBoard of Regents appointed Pat Pitney as the university system’s 17th president on Feb. 25, 2022. She served as interim president since Aug.1, 2020.

Previously Pitney served as the state’s Director of the Division of Legislative Finance. She was the former Vice Chancellor of Administration, University of ������ƵFairbanks and worked at UA Statewide for 17 years. In all, Pitney spent 23 years with the University of ������Ƶbefore leaving to serve as the State Budget Director in the administration of former Governor Bill Walker. 

Pitney moved to Fairbanks in 1987 from Billings, Montana. She earned her MBA from UAF and an engineering physics degree from Murray State University (Kentucky). She has three adult children and three grandchildren. All three of her children are UA graduates, with degrees from UAF, UAA and UAS.

Before moving to Alaska, she was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team and won a gold medal in women’s air rifle.

Ambassador Mike Sfraga (ret.), Ph.D., was appointed to serve as interim chancellor of the University of ������ƵFairbanks in July 2025. 

A lifelong Alaskan and UAF alumnus, Sfraga brings more than 30 years of experience in university leadership and Arctic policy. Most recently, he served as the first U.S. ambassador-at-large for Arctic affairs, and he previously chaired the U.S. Arctic Research Commission. He also held senior roles at the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute and Global Risk and Resilience Program. His UAF career includes positions as vice chancellor, associate dean, department chair and faculty member, as well as executive roles at the UA system level. 

A Fulbright Scholar and geographer, Sfraga has a bachelor’s degree from UAF, a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University, and received UAF’s first Ph.D. in Northern studies and geography.