Term Expires March 2028

John Brown was appointed to the Commission by Governor Dunleavy in March 2020. During John's under graduate studies at the University of California, he studied remote sensing geographical information systems. He received his Master's of Arts in Teaching at Alaska Pacific University and Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

During the 1980s, John worked in his family run business with his father; the company, Alaskan Chalets, developed and built recreational properties throughout south-central Alaska. He has spent the past 30 years committed to providing non-traditional educational opportunities to students in the Mat-Su Borough School District. John is currently the principal of Mat-Su Central, an innovative personalized learning program, the largest school in the MSBSD. He takes pride in empowering people to make meaningful opportunities for students.

John is a third generation life-long Alaskan; he and his high school sweetheart are proud of their three daughters and their families, including two grandsons, all of whom live in Alaska.

John enjoys all outdoor activities that Alaska has to offer.

Special Education Teacher Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
Term Expires March 2028

Josh Bicchinella is a Special Education Teacher Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Josh holds a MS in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University and is actively pursuing a Doctorate in Public Administration.

Born and raised in Alaska, Josh is an avid Alaskan embracing all things outdoors. When not actively engaged in work, community activities, or public service, Josh enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and of course hiking.

Hi, I’m Julie Coulombe. I’ve lived in Alaska for 36 years and raised my family right here in our South Anchorage district.
Here is what I stand for:

Limited government & a strong Alaskan economy: My vision is a robust, thriving private sector in Alaska, with individuals creating their own personal wealth and investing in their communities without the burden of complicated government regulations. Responsibly reduced government spending lightens the tax burden and provides more opportunity for the private sector to rise and fill those needs.

Responsible Development: I have a vision that takes Alaska into a prosperous future. I will support responsible resource development and those policies that support growing business in Alaska. Let’s make things easier for Alaskans as they work and raise their families. A robust resource industry will help provide jobs and create much-needed infrastructure.

Education: A quality education offers opportunity, freedom, and choices. It is essential that Alaska provide our youth with the tools they need to be successful adults and responsible citizens. I will work hard for stable funding, parental rights, supporting school choice, vocational education, and educators. Veterans/Military: We are a military family. My husband is a retired Army officer and I have two sons in the Air Force. I strongly support our veterans and service members, and believe they should receive the benefits and care they have earned.

Bio to come

Term Expires 2025

Donald Handeland is a Professional Engineer who has worked on a variety of construction projects across Alaska. Most of his work involves transportation projects in south-central Alaska. He was born in raised in Nome and graduated from Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. He earned a B.S in Civil Engineering and Finance from Oregon State University and an MBA from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

While a high school student, Donald served on the Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development and the Alaska Advisory Task Force on Higher Education and Career Readiness as the student member.

Born and raised in Nome, Alaska, Senator Löki Gale Tobin is a University of Alaska Anchorage graduate and holds a master’s degree in rural development from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Peace Corps Master’s International Program, having served as a Youth Development Volunteer in Azerbaijan from 2008-2011.

Currently, she's a PhD candidate at the University of Alaska Fairbanks; her research topic is focused on culturally responsive education. Löki has worked in marketing and communications for Alaskan nonprofits like Boys & Girls Clubs, Kawerak, and the Alaska Community Foundation. She was also a certified fundraiser for the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center. Löki met her mentor, Tom Begich, on one of his many trips to Nome. This started a long friendship that eventually led to her joining his legislative team in Juneau as Policy Director, where for the past several years Löki has worked to serve Alaskans by expanding universal, voluntary pre-K across Alaska, protecting renters and homeowners from predatory insurance practices, and recognizing the resiliency and continued saliency of the Alaska constitution.

Löki is active on several nonprofit boards and cares deeply about serving her community and doing good in the world. She's an avid bicycle commuter and community volunteer.

Trish currently serves as the CTE Program Administrator for the Mat-Su Borough School District. She brings 30 years of enthusiastic service to Career & Technical Education (CTE) at both the secondary and post-secondary level. Trish has taught Business Education and Computer Science - specifically, the routing & switching based instruction in the Cisco Networking Academy. She has served as President for the Alaska Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and currently serves 18 Western States on the ACTE Region V Policy Committee. She also currently serves on the Alaska Workforce Investment Board (AWIB). While in the classroom she was awarded the Alaska Career & Technical Education Teacher of the Year, BP Teacher of Excellence, and the Business Education Teacher of the Year. She easily claims teaching and catching up with her students’ life journeys as the most rewarding part of her career.

Trish holds a master’s degree in vocational education, and before entering education, she received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and spent time working in accounting & finance, the oil & gas industry, and in legal services. Growing up in a military family of 9, hard work was expected; so, putting herself through college by performing general labor in the oilfield, driving semi-trucks, front-end loaders, and experiencing work at 50 below zero, didn’t surprise many! Trish’s passion for all things Career & Technical Education and the workforce has truly been hands-on, she has taught it, administered it, worked it, and lives it!

Term Expires March 2025

Lorri Van Diest is a life-long Alaskan who grew up in Seward. She graduated with honors from Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, WA in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. Lorri obtained her teaching credential the following year from SPU and returned to her hometown of Seward to begin her teaching career.

Later, Lorri moved to the Mat-Su Valley and was part of the original staff who opened Colony High School. In 1996, Lorri received her Master of Science in Counseling and Guidance from Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR and later obtained the Alaska Licensed Professional Counselor credential. She worked at Colony High School and Teeland Middle School as a school counselor for 11 years. While Lorri was at Colony High School, she was an assistant varsity coach for the girls’ basketball program.

Prior to retiring from the Mat-Su School District in 2010, Lorri was the District Curriculum Coordinator for 6 years. After retirement, she worked as a substitute school counselor and later a part-time elementary counselor. Recently, Lorri started her own counseling business and is currently working part-time as a school clinician at a high needs elementary school in the Mat-Su School District. Lorri is a member of the State Board of Education and currently serves as the First-Vice Chair. She is completing her sixth year on the board. She is also involved in her local community council and church and has served on various community boards.

Registrar and Assessment Coordinator
Alaska Christian College
Term Expires March 2027

Brittany Williams received her BA in Elementary Education from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She taught for a year on the Kenai Peninsula and then transitioned into higher education, where she has been for the last five years.

She now works for Alaska Christian College as the Registrar and Assessment Coordinator. She coordinates semester schedules, helps faculty build out their courses, and coordinates the completion of various reports for ensuring compliance with the State of Alaska and federal guidelines. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and their three boys.

Term Expires March 2025

Tina Hamlin was appointed by Governor Dunleavy in June of 2023. Tina is from Soldotna, Alaska, and has lived there for 25 years. She lived out of state for ten years, in California and Texas. She attended Mount San Jacinto College in Menifee, Ca. Tina is currently a student at Kenai Peninsula College. She is pursuing an AAS in Human Services, with an emphasis in Art. She is currently the President of the Kenai River Campus Student Union. Her goal is to help others heal Childhood Trauma with Art expression. Currently she is also in an Occupational Endorsement Certificate program for Children’s Behavioral Health.

Tina has been in the Human Services field since she was 19. In California, she began this by becoming a Sexual Assault Advocate where she ran a hotline and would go to the hospital with victim’s to help advocate and be their support during examinations to collect evidence. In 2011, when she returned to Alaska, she began working as a PCA for clients. Shortly thereafter, Tina began working as a Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence advocate for the local woman’s shelter. She was there for about 3 years and then joined the Board of Directors, as Treasurer, for 2.5 years.

Her passion for helping people led her to the substance abuse arena where she received her Chemical Dependency Counselor 1 certification. Tina was contracted to the local prison where she held groups and conducted assessments where she would diagnose inmates and prepare them for inpatient or outpatient care upon release from prison.

After a couple of years outside of these fields, Tina decided to go back to school to further her education and further develop her passion for advocacy, understanding, and to help make a difference in her community.

Paula Harrison

Term Expires February 2025

Governor Dunleavy appointed Paula Harrison in 2023. She has 40 years of experience in human resources and labor relations across the public and private sectors. Regent Harrison is the past chair of the Alaska Labor Relations Board. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science/economics from the University of Colorado-Denver and her Master of Arts in management from Webster University. Regent Harrison and her husband, Dirk Craft, a retired internal medicine physician, have three daughters who are graduates of the University of Alaska and one son who is a graduate of the University of South Dakota.

Karen Perdue -

Term Expires February 2025

Karen Perdue, vice chair of the board, was appointed in 2017 by Governor Walker. She is a lifelong Alaskan with a background in health care, public policy and interests in the history and culture of Alaska. Regent Perdue is a graduate of Stanford University. She is semi-retired, focusing her work on critical public health issues and serves on the board of the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Foundation.

Most recently she represented the interests of Alaska’s hospitals and nursing homes as the CEO of the Alaska Hospital and Nursing Home Association. She served a decade as the Associate Vice President of Health Programs at the University of Alaska working with industry, chancellors and faculty in the expansion of the nursing, medical education, pharmacy, therapies and behavioral health academic programs.

She served as Commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services for eight years - the longest serving health commissioner since statehood. During her commissionership, the state launched the Medicaid waiver system, closed institutions that serve the developmentally disabled and implemented Denali KidCare. She served as a congressional aide and press secretary to Senator Ted Stevens.

She is the recipient of numerous awards including the National Rural Mental Health Association Victor Howery Award and the Alaska Historical Society for her role in the Lost Alaskans Morningside Project, which traced the history of mental health care in territorial Alaska and the ancestral information of over 5,000 Alaskans sent outside for care. She has been honored by both the Girl and Boy Scouts as a Distinguished citizen.

If you are interested in applying for this seat, please visit the Governor's Boards and Commissions website. https://gov.alaska.gov/services/boards-and-commissions/apply-for-a-board-appointment/

Bio to come

Term Expires 2025

Donald Handeland is a Professional Engineer who has worked on a variety of construction projects across Alaska. Most of his work involves transportation projects in south-central Alaska. He was born in raised in Nome and graduated from Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. He earned a B.S in Civil Engineering and Finance from Oregon State University and an MBA from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

While a high school student, Donald served on the Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development and the Alaska Advisory Task Force on Higher Education and Career Readiness as the student member.

Special Education Teacher Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
Term Expires March 2028

Josh Bicchinella is a Special Education Teacher Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Josh holds a MS in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University and is actively pursuing a Doctorate in Public Administration.

Born and raised in Alaska, Josh is an avid Alaskan embracing all things outdoors. When not actively engaged in work, community activities, or public service, Josh enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and of course hiking.

Commissioner Paula Vrana is a fourth generation, lifelong Alaskan, raised in the southeastern Alaska community of Skagway. Ms. Vrana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate degree. Prior to joining the Department of Administration, Ms. Vrana practiced law and served as the managing attorney for the law firm of Brena, Bell, and Clarkson for thirteen years.

She has also served as the Chief Executive for two Alaskan nonprofits in the health industry. Ms. Vrana lives on a farm in the Matanuska Valley with her husband and two sons, where they raise horses and cattle and enjoy all the outdoor activities that Alaska has to offer.

A lifelong Alaskan, Commissioner Sande grew up in the remote logging camps of Southeast Alaska. She brings extensive experience in both the public and private sectors to the role of Commissioner and is focused on building stronger, more resilient communities and growing Alaska’s economy for the benefit of Alaskans.

Commissioner Sande spent much of her 20 years of healthcare experience working with the pioneers and elders of Alaska and credits many of her values and passion for Alaska’s history to the inspiring individuals she has been privileged to care for. Most recently, she served as the Director of the Ketchikan Pioneer Home and as a member of the governing board for the local hospital in Ketchikan. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Montana and a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Southern California. She was appointed to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority board and the Alaska Energy Authority board in 2019 and elected Vice Chairman in 2021. Commissioner Sande is also a business owner, whose companies provide services across a range of industries including engineering, construction, tourism, retail, and mariculture. She believes in finding creative solutions when faced with challenges and is grateful to come from a state that is abundant in natural resources—the most valuable of which are the people who live and work in Alaska.

Genevieve Wojtusik is the Division Director of Permannent Fund Dividend Division within the Department of Revenue. Genevieve was born and raised in Anchorage and moved to Juneau in 2016. Prior to this role, Genevieve was a Legislative Aide for many years in Juneau and Anchorage.

Bio to come

Appointed January 2019
Dave.Donley@alaska.gov

B.S. Political Science, University of Oregon, 1976 Law Degree, University of Washington Law School, 1979.

Deputy Commissioner Donley worked on the Alaska Pipeline construction as a firefighter, construction worker, and logger. Mr. Donley represented Spenard in the State House from 1987-1992. He was a State Senator from 1993-2002. Beginning in 2003, he served as Chief of Adjudications and Hearing Officer for the State of Alaska. He retired from the State of Alaska and Laborers' Local 341 in 2008.

Since his retirement, Mr. Donley has worked for Hope Community Resources, Inc. and practiced law. He has been an officer in the Alaska State Defense Force since 2009 and is currently a Lieutenant Colonel and the Staff Judge Advocate. He was most recently a member of the Anchorage School Board. He is a certified BBB arbitrator, Federal Emergency Management professional, and Military Police/State of Alaska Constable. Mr. Donley is a recipient of the Alaska State Community Service Medal. He and his wife Jamie have three children.

- See Director of Operations for Bio

Jamie Oliphant - Director of Information Support Services

Jamie Oliphant started with the commission in 1998 as an intern while attending secondary and postsecondary education. In 2004 she joined the commission full time. During her tenure with the commission, she has served in both Operations and Information Support Services (ISS) Divisions providing expertise in business process and data analysis, project management, leadership and team development, and technical solution design and implementation. In 2019, she was appointed to the Acting Director of ISS and was permanently appointed to the position in early 2020.

Ms. Oliphant graduated Cum Laude from Eastern Washington University with a bachelor of business administration with an emphasis in marketing and management.

Kate Hillenbrand - Director of Communications & Outreach

Kate Hillenbrand joined the Commission in 2020 with over 15 years of experience working in higher education. After moving to Alaska in 2005, Kate held positions at public and private postsecondary institutions, with responsibilities and oversight in admissions, recruiting, marketing, strategic planning, and change management.

Earning a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Alaska Southeast, Kate is committed to the Mission of ACPE to provide sustainable solutions for college, career and technical training for all Alaskans.

Julie Pierce - Chief Finance Officer

Julie Pierce, CPA, was appointed as the Chief Finance Officer for the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education and the Alaska Student Loan Corporation, effective June 1, 2020.

She holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Alaska Southeast. Ms. Pierce brings extensive experience to her role, having previously served as Chief Financial Officer at True North Federal Credit Union; Director of Finance & Development at Sealaska Heritage Institute; Assistant Comptroller and State Comptroller for the State of Alaska; Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Alaska Pacific Bank; and most recently, as the Finance Officer for the Department of Corrections, State of Alaska.

Kerry Thomas - Director of Operations

As of October 1, 2024, Kerry was appointed Acting Executive Director of the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE). Since 2016, Kerry has served as ACPE’s Director of Program Operations where she leads the administration of Alaska’s financial aid programs, including education loans, scholarships, and grants. With over 20 years of experience in finance and audit management, Kerry oversees a team of 15, directs division budgets, and contributes to the organization’s strategic and legislative initiatives.

Previously, Kerry served as ACPE’s Internal Auditor, implementing a risk-based audit program and managing a $4 million federal grant project. Prior roles in the State of Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and in public accounting provided a foundation in financial oversight, compliance, and client service.

Kerry holds an MBA in Service Management from the University of Alaska Southeast and a BBA in Accounting from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Known for her strategic vision, leadership, and collaborative approach, Kerry is committed to advancing educational opportunities in Alaska.

Dannielle Erickson - Executive Secretary

Dannielle joined the Commission in February 2022 as the Executive Secretary. Prior to joining the team at ACPE, she worked in the Office of the Governor’s Constituent Relations Office for nearly 7 years. She is enrolled part-time at the University of Alaska Southeast working toward a Bachelor of Science in Biology and is interested in someday working with animals or in healthcare. Dannielle is a born and raised Juneauite who is passionate about spending time outdoors, her dogs, holistic health, and learning.