The management and affairs of the Alaska Public Health Association are under the direction of the Board of Directors. The Officers for the organization are the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Affiliate Representative to the APHA Governing Council, Secretary and Treasurer. The President-Elect is elected prior to the annual meeting of the organization. The Secretary and Treasurer are elected from the twelve elective members at the first Executive Board meeting following the annual meeting. Term of office for the Executive Board Members is three (3) years each.
2010 Board of Directors
Sandra Woods, President
Term Expires: 2011
Sandra Woods is currently the Nurse Consultant for Staff Development with the Section of Public Health Nursing. Sandra received her BSN in 1985 from the University of Oklahoma, and an MS from UAA in 2003. Sandra served on active duty with the US Army Nurse Corps from 1985 to 1993 living in both Europe and the US. She moved to Anchorage, Alaska in 1994 with her husband and daughter, and joined Public Health Nursing in November 2001 as the Nurse Consultant for Preparedness Training. In February 2009, she accepted the position of Staff Development Nurse Consultant. Through her work, she traveled throughout the state, from Dutch Harbor/Unalaska to Barrow, and from Ketchikan to Hooper Bay. Sandra and her daughter traveled with a youth group mission team to Mexico in 2006 and 2008 to build houses through Amor Ministries. In 2010, Sandra and her two children (daughter and son) will travel to Eagle as a part of a youth mission trip to assist in disaster recovery operations.
Jennifer Meyer, President Elect
Health Summit Chair
Term Expires: 2012
Jennifer began her public health career in 1994 after college with a focus on HIV/AIDS prevention care and treatment, community development and health promotion. She has had the opportunity to work with clients and communities in limited resource settings, as well as various cultural and linguistic backgrounds both domestically and abroad. Later she studied nursing and worked in emergency departments. However, her interest in population health, social justice and community development led her to continue her public health training obtaining an MPH in International Health from the University of Washington in 2002. She moved to Alaska in 2004 and was a resident of Bethel working at the Bethel Regional Public Health Center as a public health nurse. In 2009, she moved to Anchorage, and now works for the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Rural and Community Development as an Assistant Professor teaching Allied Health courses.
Jayne Andreen, Past-President
Term Expires: 2010
Jayne Andreen has worked with the Alaska Division of Public Health in Health Promotion since 1999. During that time she has overseen the Health Promotion Unit, which has included Community Preventive Services, the Health Survey Lab, the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant, School Health, Cardiovascular Health Program, Obesity Prevention and Control, and Tobacco Prevention and Control. She has is a past President of the Alaska Health Education Consortium and the Alaska Public Health Association, as well as Treasurer of the national Directors of Health Promotion and Education. Her current responsibilities focus on providing training, technical assistance and consultation on community organizing and development, community health assessment, planning and evaluation, as well as coordinating Injury Prevention programs. She is active in several statewide task forces, working groups and collaborative efforts. In addition to public health, Jayne has 16 years experience in community development, policy and environmental change, and advocacy in the domestic violence and sexual assault arenas. She has a BA in Psychology/Counseling from Winona State University, and is a graduate of the Public Health Education Leadership Institute.
Karol Fink, Affiliate Representative to the APHA Governing Council
Term Expires: 2010
Karol is a public health professional and dietitian with an interest in policy. She works to educate decision and policymakers about how the health of the public is impacted by policies, systems, and the environment in which people live, work, and play. In her free time, Karol serves as board president for the Alaska Center for the Environment, is involved in the planning and coordination of the July 4 Mount Marathon Race in Seward, and can be found running or biking on Alaska's trails.
Sheila Soule, Secretary
Term Expires: 2010
Sheila Soule, M.Ed. is the Special Projects Director for Health Programs at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She holds a Bachelors degree in Sociology and a Masters degree in Gerontology and Adult Education from the University of Central Oklahoma, and is a current student in the Masters in Public Health program at UAA. Before moving to the Health Programs office, Ms. Soule was the project coordinator for the Alaska Geriatric Education Center at UAA, and has worked with seniors in a variety of settings, from direct service in long-term care to higher education in geriatrics and gerontology. She also sits on the Municipality of Anchorage Senior Citizens Advisory Commission, Day Break Adult Day Center Advisory Board, Alaska Geriatric Education Center Statewide Advisory Board, and the Alaska Public Health Association Board of Directors.
Shannon Deike-Sims, Treasurer
Term Expires: 2010
Shannon Deike-Sims is the ALPHA Board Treasurer and serves on the Executive and Membership Committees. His goal for ALPHA is to find ways to increase and sustain membership and to increase membership value. Shannon and his wife Cynthia have two children. He is an MPH student at the University of Alaska Anchorage and sits on the MPH Student Advisory Committee. Shannon began his work in public health working with at-risk teens at Covenant House Alaska and volunteering at McLaughlin Youth Center. He also worked as an instructor in Adult Basic Education teaching math literacy and computer competencies. He is a Research Analyst with the State of Alaska and has worked in research with the Dept. of Commerce, Community & Economic Development, the Dept. of Environmental Conservation, and the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies (UAA). His favorite research topics include youth substance abuse and mental health, women and violence, geriatric education, and telemedicine. Shannon has volunteered as a youth hockey coach, facilitated drug and alcohol groups at McLaughlin Youth Center and mentored teens at the Alaska Military Youth Academy. His hobbies are to spend time with his family in the outdoors ice skating and camping.
Gretchen Clarke, Director
Term Expires: 2011
Gretchen Clarke, MPH has most recently worked as the Community and Workplace Coordinator for Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium’s Steps to a Healthier SE Alaska, which uses a community planning and capacity building model to increase access to fruits and vegetables, physical activity and clean air. Gretchen works with communities, schools and workplaces to make the healthy choice the easy choice through policy and environmental/organizational changes. She has lived and worked in bush Alaska since 2001 and currently resides in Sitka with her husband and their four-legged, furry children. Gretchen received her undergraduate degree in biology from Emory University and her Master of Public Health, Epidemiology from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Sarah Hargrave, Director
Term Expires: 2012
Sarah Hargrave, RN, MS is the Regulatory Specialist with Bartlett Regional Hospital where she is responsible for coordination and reporting of accreditation activities, and related quality improvement initiatives. Sarah has served in several leadership positions related to quality in both acute care and public health settings. Specific interests include health equity and social justice, and the role of the nursing profession in improving the health status of populations. Sarah received her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Pacific Lutheran University and her Master’s of Science with a focus in Public Health Nursing from the University of Colorado Health Science Center. She resides in Juneau with her husband and two children.
Vanessa Hiratsuka, Director
Term Expires: 2011
Vanessa Hiratsuka, MPH is a Researcher at Southcentral Foundation in Anchorage. She graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Human Biology with an emphasis in the ethics of health policy from Stanford University in 1999. Since 1999, she has worked in the field of public health in Anchorage on health promotion and disease prevention projects aimed at improving healthy behaviors in the Alaska Native adult population. In 2007 she completed her Master of Public Health degree with an emphasis in rural development and research methods through the University of Alaska Anchorage. Vanessa is currently a student with Walden University working towards a Ph.D. in public health with a specialization in community health promotion and education. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys sewing and knitting projects as well as camping and fishing with her husband and two children.
Doreen Leavitt, Director
Term Expires: 2012
Doreen Ayalhuq Leavitt is an Inupiaq Eskimo from Barrow, Alaska. She obtained her bachelors of arts in nursing from Carroll College in Helena, Montana in 2001 and began her career as a public health nurse for the North Slope Borough Health Department in 2001. Doreen moved to Kenai in 2008 and is currently the Kenai sub-regional Nurse Manager for the State of Alaska Division of Public Health Section of Nursing.
Mrs. Leavitt is a current student in the University of Alaska Masters of Public Health Program and is expected to graduate in 2012. Her concentration is circumpolar health. Other activities include the University of Alaska Master's in Public Health Student Advisory Council, North Slope Borough School District School Advisory Council 2005-2008, EMT II and ambulance crew leader for the North Slope Borough Volunteer Fire Department 2004-2008, and Pathways Into Health Student Advisory Member. Other activities include actively participating in her Inupiaq culture through subsistence activities such as whaling, camping and fishing.
Brian Lefferts, Director
Term Expires: 2010
Brian Lefferts is an Environmental Health Officer with the US Public Health Service. He works as the Injury Control & EMS program and RMW program manager at the Yukon Kuskowkwim Health Corporation in Bethel. He graduated from Illinois State University with a B.S. in environmental health in 2004 and moved to Bethel in 2005. He's currently working towards an MPH at UAA.
When he’s not working, Brian enjoys all of the activities that go along with living in the Bush including: snow machining, boating, fishing, hunting and camping. His newest hobby is spending time with his son, Silas.
Jordan Lewis, Director
Term Expires: 2012
Jordan is an Assistant Professor with the UAF Alaska Native Studies Department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks where he will be teaching the Cultural Knowledge of Native Elders, mentoring students and assisting with the new Indigenous Studies doctoral program, as well as continuing his community health work in Bristol Bay, and statewide. He has been involved with numerous professional conferences and organizations where he has presented his dissertation research and continues to engage in community health research with Indigenous elders.
Dr. Lewis received his doctoral degree in Cross-Cultural Community Psychology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), where he did his research with Alaska Native elders in Bristol Bay (SW) Alaska to establish an Alaska Native definition of successful aging. He was also actively involved with the Alaska Native Social Workers Association at the UAF and served as the Vice President for the National Association of Social Workers, Alaska Chapter. His research interests include rural community health, circumpolar health issues, Indigenous gerontology, and cross-cultural health care.
Regan Mattingly, Director
Term Expires: 2010
Regan lived in Fairbanks for 8 years and for the last 21 years, has resided in Anchorage. He graduated from Dimond High School and then obtained a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in International Political Economics from the University of Alaska, Anchorage.
Regan began working with the Alaska Legislature as the Government Relations Director for the Union of Student at the University of Alaska in 2005. After graduating from UAA, Regan began working for the Alaska Primary Care Association (APCA) as the State Affairs Coordinator. In this role, Regan has worked to develop Legislative Priorities and Resolutions by working with all APCA stakeholders to determine what state policy issues are most important to the APCA membership which includes Community Health Centers and other safety net providers.
With over five years of experience working with state and federal policy makers, Regan has developed valuable legislative expertise that will be beneficial to achieving ALPHA’s public policy goals. Regan is enthusiastic, hard working and well prepared to support the advancement of public health to promote improved health and quality of life for Alaskans.
Masayo Nishiyama, Director
Term Expires: 2012
Masayo is a public health nurse at the Juneau Public Health Center where she works as a team leader for field based services, providing home visiting services to high risk families and collaborating with community agencies. Last year, Masayo received a public health nursing grant from the Alaska Nurses Foundation to promote the importance of well child care in Juneau, focusing especially on uninsured and underinsured children. Masayo has worked as a public health nurse at the Juneau Public Health Center since July 2007. Before that, she earned her Master of Science in Nursing (International Nursing) and Master in Public Health (global health) from Emory University. For her graduate thesis work, Masayo spent part of two summers researching nursing skills competency in the Republic of Georgia.
Kathy Stanton, Director
Term Expires: 2011
Kathy is the Immunization Coordinator for the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) in Bethel, AK. She joined the US Public Health Service in 2009. Kathy moved to Alaska from Philadelphia in 1992. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from UAA in 1995. In 1998, she moved to Bethel where she worked for the State of AK as a Public Health Nurse for 10 years. Then in 2008, she began working for YKHC. She enjoys traveling and working with the villages to improve the health of the people of the YK Delta. Kathy also serves on the board of the Vaccinate Alaska Coalition. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and taking her dog “Boozer” for long walks on the tundra.
Tammy Zulu, Director
Term Expires: 2011
Tammy Zulz, MPH, is a Surveillance Epidemiologist at the Arctic Investigations Program, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. She has a BA in English from the University of Washington and an MPH from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Tammy’s work is focused on the prevention of infectious disease in circumpolar populations not only in Alaska but across all Arctic regions. Other public health interests include global health, cancer epidemiology and social justice. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the American Society for Circumpolar Health. Tammy was raised in Fairbanks, has lived in Valdez and currently resides in Anchorage. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cultural events, cooking and a variety of outdoor activities.
