Executive Director, CRRC

Mrs. Hetrick has a BA in marine resource management, and a MS in Natural Resources and Environmental Management and an MPA in Public Administration with a focus in Natural Resource Policy. She is born-and-raised in Prince William Sound and takes pride in serving the region to this day. Her educational background was focused in fisheries/marine biology, natural resource management, climate energy and food security, and environmental planning. She has ten years of professional environmental experience combined with a lifetime of local knowledge of Alaska’s natural resources and history. Her work experience includes a variety of marine and terrestrial biology research, collaborating on projects with state, federal, public, NGOs and private stakeholders, state and federal permitting, regulatory compliance, and cultural community sensitivities. She also has experience designing and implementing terrestrial and marine wildlife monitoring programs at remote locations and coordination for field environmental technicians and programs. Mrs. Hetrick has experience in climate change sustainability planning and how environmental effects of climate change, including coastal zone management, fish and wildlife management, sustainable energy, forest management, food security, land-use planning, and environmental equity and policy coordination, are affecting the region. As the regional environmental coordinator, she leads efforts on building administrative and communications capacity, water quality monitoring in villages, and development of geographic information systems for the organization.

Anchorage, Alaska

Executive Director, AMBCC

Patty (Gii-wii-aa-si-no-kwe) is an enrolled member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. She was born and raised on her reservation in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, located on the northern border of the state. She and her family moved to Alaska in 1992 where she immediately started working with Alaska Native Tribes in western Alaska with her husband, Dewey. She has been blessed with three children, seven grandchildren, and her two dogs. Patty served as the Executive Director of CRRC for 23 years. In her retirement, she is serving as the Executive Director of the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council (AMBCC), the entity responsible for setting regulations for the spring-summer subsistence harvest of migratory birds. She has been honored with the Caleb Pungowiyi Award for Outstanding Achievements by an Alaska Native Individual or Organization by the Alaska Conservation Foundation (2017) and the Chief Sealth Award for Outstanding Contributions toward the Preservation, Protection and Prudent Conservation of this Nation’s Vital Fish and Wildlife Resources from the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society (2015). Throughout her career, Patty has organized many Tribal initiatives from the grass roots level, such as developing a region-wide integrated natural resource management plan for the Tribes of the Chugach Region; assisted Tribes to develop and build a fish hatchery, shellfish hatchery, mariculture farms, and grow-out facilities, as well as a sockeye enhancement program.

Anchorage, Alaska

IGAP Regional Environmental Coordinator

Stephen Payton was born and raised in Seldovia. He was raised hunting and fishing in the area and developed an interest in the regions marine and terrestrial resources. He began his career working in various salmon hatcheries on the Kenai peninsula for Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association. This lead him back to Seldovia to work for the Seldovia Village Tribes Environmental Department in 2014. He has worked on many projects on air quality, water quality, and subsistence resources. Stephen is the Secretary for the Alaska Department of Fish and Games Seldovia Advisory Committee and is a director on the board of Seldovia Oil Spill Response Team. In his current position with CRRC he works with the five federally recognized tribes to identify Tribal environmental priorities and maintain an environmental presence in regulatory activities affecting the region.

Seldovia, Alaska

Climate Change Coordinator

Erin is originally from Kenai, Alaska and was raised in Alaska, California, Oregon, Colorado, and Louisiana. She has extensive experience working on Native American and Alaska Native policy at the local, state, and federal levels. After a brief stint teaching English abroad, Erin began her sustainable development career as an IGAP Environmental Assistant for the Native Village of Eyak in Cordova, and since then has worked all throughout the state of Alaska conducting research on ecological change and its impacts on subsistence resources. Her experience includes working as a research forester for the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a fish and wildlife anthropology technician for the Alaska Department of Game subsistence division. She served as an environmental advisor for the Obama administration where she helped establish a working group to coordinate federal agencies’ services for environmentally threatened communities as part of the Climate Preparedness team at the Council on Environmental Quality. Erin started as an AmeriCorps volunteer with CRRC in 2019 before transitioning into her current role as Climate Change Coordinator in 2020. Erin’s professional interests include sustainable development, community-driven climate adaptation planning, and learning more about the place and the people CRRC serves. Erin holds a degree in East Asian Studies from Lewis and Clark College, and enjoys skiing, hiking, jogging, and foraging in her down time.

Anchorage, Alaska

Cost Control Specialist

Tanja Davis has specialized in Cost and Project Controls in various industries since 1993 to include the International Business sector and overseeing large scale import and export activities for multiple manufacturing industries in Germany as well as the United States. Ms. Davis joined Chugach Regional Resources in December 2020 and is responsible for cost controls, analysis and management, reporting and billing. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, riding horses and motorcycles, skiing, ice skating and playing table tennis. Tanja came to Alaska from New Orleans in 2010 to join her son and grandson and to welcome her granddaughter in 2012.

Anchorage, Alaska

Research Scientist Intern

Allison Carl was born and raised in Anchorage and has recently graduated with her B.S. in biological sciences at University of Alaska Anchorage. On her mother’s side, her family is from Cordova and originated in Nuchek, and her father’s family is from Pennsylvania. A partnership between Chugach Alaska Corporation (CAC) and Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) has allowed Allison to participate in the CAC Apprenticeship Program as a Research Scientist with CRRC. Her educational and career interests include water and food security in Alaska’s rural communities. During her down time, Allison enjoys spending time at local parks and trails around the Anchorage area.

Anchorage, Alaska

Inter-Tribal Liaison

Hope is a seven-year resident of Valdez, Alaska which is the ancestral land of the Sugpiaq, Alaska's First People; She is holding her second term as a Board of Director at The Valdez Native Tribe as the Secretary. She is also in her second term as Chair of the Valdez Advisory Committee (V.A.C.) reporting to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G.) Hope is currently finishing a B.A. in Indigenous Peoples in Law, Governance, and Politics. She has an A.A.S. in Applied Business Management, and an A.A. in Tribal Governance. Hope owns and operates Surreel Saltwater's in the Summer. She is a Tlingit-Athabascan who was born in Fairbanks, Alaska. When she realized her place was on the open waters of Alaska, she moved to Valdez from Anchorage where she resided since 2011. Harvesting her first Harbor Seal in the Prince William Sound (PWS) was life changing in a positively enhancing way. After this day in an early 2014 morning, Hope knew that her place was near the salty sea with the resources that made her Tlingit ancestors who they are. Hope Roberts Joined Chugach Regional Resources Commission in 2020 to serve the Sugpiaq and Eyak tribal communities in support of any Fish & Game related discussions they may have. She enjoys supporting cultural resourcefulness, reconnection, and ancestral preservation through the Fish & Game forums.

Valdez, Alaska

Fish & Wildlife Coordinator

Christine was born and raised in Anchorage and has a BA in Anthropology and Environmental Studies through the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). She is currently working on an MA in Applied Cultural Anthropology at UAA. Her thesis work is titled, “Who is Rural Alaska? A Case Study of Rural Community Practice,” and her research focuses on people’s perceptions of community and ruralness within the Moose Pass area of Southcentral Alaska. Christine has interned for the National Park Service, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, and the Fish and Wildlife: Office of Subsistence Management. She joined the CRRC team at the end of October 2021 as the Fish and Wildlife Coordinator. Her job focuses on regulatory advocacy for CRRC’s 7 tribes to the Board of Fish, Board of Game, Federal Subsistence Board, Southcentral Regional Advisory Council, and North Pacific Fishery Management Council. The mission is to protect Alaska Native hunting and fishing rights and ensure traditional land and resource management. During her down time, Christine enjoys biking, hiking, and gardening. Christine fills in a local veterinarian office occasionally as a veterinary technician assistant, and volunteers for the Alaska Birds & Bogs Program and the Anchorage Waterways Council.

Anchorage, Alaska

Marine Mammal Management Coordinator

Raven Cunningham is a Chugach-Eyak Alaska Native and a lifelong Cordova resident. Mrs. Cunningham received her bachelor's degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development with a concentration in Natural Resource Management. She has seven years of professional Tribal government and ANSCA corporation experience combined with a lifetime of local knowledge of Alaska’s history and local natural resources. Her work experience started early, working for her family on their commercial fishing operations both drift gillnet and seine fishing. After college she started working for her village corporation and then continued onto working for her Tribal government. Mrs. Cunningham also owns her own small business, Made by Raven, creating garments, jewelry, and accessories from local, sustainable resources.

Hatchery Director

Jeff Hetrick holds a BS in Biology from the University of Maryland, and an MBA from Portland State University. Jeff has over 30 years of experience in the Alaskan aquaculture industry. He worked 20 years in the salmon enhancement industry working for private non-profits and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game before taking over as Director of APMI in 2002. Jeff has operated an oyster farm in Prince William Sound and is a founding member of the Alaskan Shellfish Growers Association.

Seward, Alaska

Science Director

A longtime Seward resident, Maile holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Master’s Degree in Fisheries with an emphasis on aquaculture and fish health, and a PhD in Biological Sciences focusing on disease ecology and wildlife virology. Maile is passionate about studying OneHealth issues as they relate to the People, animals, and environment of the Chugach region. When Maile isn’t at work, she loves doing anything in the outdoors!

Seward, Alaska

Mariculture & Husbandry Manager

Michael has a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis on aquaculture from Unity College in Maine. While studying there, Michael worked on salmon aquaculture. Michael joined APMI in 2014, and currently manages shellfish, kelp, and microalgae production and husbandry.

Seward, Alaska

Ocean Acidification Research Laboratory Manager

Jacqueline Ramsay joined APMI in 2011 and has experience working with many different species of shellfish. Jacqueline earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology at the University of California, Davis and went on to earn an Master’s Degree from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks’ Juneau campus in Fisheries Science with emphasis on crab endocrinology and physiology.

Seward, Alaska

Harmful Algal Bloom Laboratory Technician

Annette Jarosz has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology with a concentration in ecology, evolution and environmental biology from Appalachian State University. Annette moved from the East coast to Seward in May of 2021 to start a position as the harmful algae bloom laboratory technician at Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute. She is responsible for collecting phytoplankton, shellfish, and ocean chemistry samples in Resurrection Bay. Additionally, Annette does algae identification and conducts enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for regional samples.

Seward, Alaska

Hatchery Technician

Jennifer Wells, a married mother of two boys, has lived in Moose Pass for the past 18 years. She loves nature, the outdoors, fishing, hiking ,and spending time with family and friends. Jennifer spent over 14 years as a fish culturist and Assistant Manager at a hatchery working with silver and sockeye salmon. She loved experiencing the salmon life cycle each year which always commenced in the release of millions of tiny salmon fry. Jennifer has had a deep passion for nature and wildlife since she was a little girl growing up in Minnesota.

Seward, Alaska

Maintenance & Facilities Manager

Dano started at APMI in 2012 after retiring from the Alaska Vocational Technical Center where he was the Building Maintenance Foreman and Special Projects Manager. Prior to that, Dano worked for the State of Alaska Department of Military Affairs maintaining National Guard armories throughout Alaska.

Seward, Alaska

(907) 224-5181 (907) 224-5181