HOW I CAME TO ALASKA

     At 18 after my freshman year at the University of Wisconsin, I came to Alaska as a VISTA Volunteer. Many friends were being drafted to fight in Vietnam—we all felt called to action. The Mountain Village Council had asked for two male carpenters, but instead, got a teacher from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—and me.  Our job responsibility was to help villagers develop community improvement ideas. We started an adult education program and helped high schoolers continue their studies when they returned from boarding schools for family emergencies. After a year, we asked the village council if they wanted carpenters for the next year. They said they wanted us to stay. When I asked “why us,” after a silence, the response was, “We have good luck while you’re here.”

     After another year, I returned to UW to complete my BA degree. I then went to Washington, DC to work for Alaska US Senator Mike Gravel, who had just released the Pentagon Papers.  We worked to end the Vietnam War, stop the nuclear testing at Amchitka, get Federal Highway status and funds for the Alaska Marine Highway System, seek a fair settlement of the Alaska Native Land Claims Settlement, and pass an Amendment that allowed the building of the Alaska Pipeline.       Eventually, I became Senator Gravel’s Office Manager in Fairbanks, married a third generation Alaska Vietnam Veteran, and attended the University of Alaska where I earned my Masters in Business Administration. 

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EXPERIENCE AND FAMILY

      We moved to Oceanview and raised our three children. I worked and volunteered at the Alaska Literacy Council, the Anchorage Literacy Project, and as Director of the University of Alaska Anchorage Adult Learning Center, managing a multi-million dollar budget.  At the UAA Adult Learning Center, thousands of Alaskans earned their High School Diplomas and GED’s—credentials that helped them get jobs, into the military, trade schools and through college. Recently, I’ve worked in compliance, audit and as a tax preparer and advisor, so I am accustomed to helping individuals navigate government regulations and make great financial decisions.  

     Unlike my opponent, I’ve had to work throughout my life. I didn’t have parents that sent me through private schools and I don’t have a trust fund. My achievements are my own and my values come from understanding the needs and concerns of regular Alaskans—Alaskans like the people of Senate District E. Alaskans like you. My experience in business, finance, education and government give me the knowledge and skills to be effective and make the right decisions as we chart our course towards the future. Please vote as if your life depends on it—because our children’s do!