Advisory Committee
Wanetta Ayers, Economic Development Director, State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, And Economic Development
Wanetta recently joined the Alaska Office of Economic Development, where she is responsible for overseeing the state's economic development efforts. She formerly served as executive director of the Western Alaska Community Development Association, the governing panel for the Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) program. Ayers has worked in community and economic development for more than twenty-five years. She received an MBA from the University of Washington and earned a BBA from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. "AKSourceLink helps to bridge the urban-rural divide, illustrate the interdependencies of our most far-flung communities, and opens the door to support growing businesses that result from self-reliance, ingenuity and hard work.”
Keith Baxter, Director of Member Relations, Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council
Keith Baxter is a lifelong Alaskan and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism and Public Communications from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Baxter is the Director of Member Relations for the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council (KPTMC), and has a broad background of experience working with media outlets, nonprofit agencies and the business community in Southcentral Alaska.
Christi Bell, Director, University of Alaska Center for Economic Development
As the director of UACED, Christi Bell provides technical assistance to community-based organizations engaged in economic development activities throughout Alaska. She holds a Master of Business degree and a Master of Science degree in Resource Management, both from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Prior to joining UACED Bell was a principal of a privately held consulting firm, Aurora Consulting. Before that she worked for Alaska Village Initiatives and the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference. In her work, Bell has been responsible for issue identification, economic analysis and planning, and business counseling and development. "AKSourceLink has provided an opportunity for economic development professionals and organizations across the state to collaborate on a shared vision - increasing access to vital entrepreneurship and small business resources and resources providers."
Carl Berger, Executive Director, Lower Kuskokwim Economic Development Council
Carl Berger has served as the staff person for the Lower Kuskokwim Economic Development Council since its formation in 1991 as an Alaska Regional Development Organization (ARDOR). He has worked in community and economic development throughout rural Alaska for more than 25 years. Berger holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from California State University at Sacramento.
Bryant Hammond, Planning & Development Program Director, Kawerak, Inc.
Bryant Hammond has worked in Kawerak Community Planning and Development since March 2011. He oversees a staff of five specialists providing technical assistance in small business development, e-commerce, energy conservation and development, planning, and grant writing to residents of the 16 communities of the Bering Strait Region. He also serves as support staff to the Bering Strait Development Council, one of Alaska’s Regional Development Organizations. Bryant holds a BA in Literary Studies from Beloit College (Beloit, WI) and an MS in Geography from Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA). He previously served as director of and continues to work with NEST, a grassroots organization addressing housing, homelessness, and public intoxication issues in Nome.
Sioux-z Humphry-Marshall, CEO, Business & IT Consultant, Sioux-z Co
Sioux-z Marshall, CEO of Sioux-z Co, provides Business and IT consulting to startups, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations. She started her first business when she was 15 years old and maintained a successful entrepreneur for the last 30 years. Sioux-z has an MBA from Alaska Pacific University and has a very active role in the entrepreneur community in Anchorage. In February 2012, Sioux-z coordinated and managed the first Anchorage Startup Weekend. You can learn more about Sioux-z via LinkedIn.
Sean O'Shea, Program Manager, Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation
Sean moved to Fairbanks, Alaska in April 2011, as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer. Sean served as the Program Director for Fairbanks First, a buy local program advocating that the Fairbanks North Star Borough community purchase more goods and services from within the borough. Sean now works as a program manager for the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation. He supervises the Fairbanks First program and is working to create a business accelerator program for Interior Alaska.
Charles Parker, President/CEO, Alaska Village Initiatives
Originally from Nome, Charles Parker has family ties to Point Hope and Kotzebue. After graduating from West Valley High School in Fairbanks, he went on to Dartmouth College. Parker has lived and worked in Economic Development in many areas around the state, working primarily with non-profits, regional organizations, and tribes. Parker serves as President of the Mat-Su Community Transit (MASCOT) Board, Treasurer of the Houston Chamber of Commerce Board, and Vice-Chairman of the Alaska Chapter of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife.
Cassie Pinkel, Forest Products Developmental Specialist, State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, And Economic Development
Bio coming soon...
Kay Slack, Management Consultant, Capital Idea LLC
Kay Slack is an experienced management consultant providing business planning and management consulting to private businesses, government, tribal, and nonprofit organizations throughout Alaska. Her specialty is working with science and technology firms. Slack was a Business Consultant contractor to the Alaska Science & Technology Foundation in the 1990s, and provided business consulting and development assistance to Foundation grantees. Today, she is a consultant for the Juneau Economic Development Council's SpringBoard program, which provides Alaskan businesses technical assistance to transfer technology from Department of Defense laboratories into private sector businesses. Slack's business is headquartered in Palmer, and she serves on the Mat-Su Crime Stoppers board.
Jackie Stewart, Principal, Catalyst Business Consulting
Jackie Stewart has been involved with small business in Alaska for more than twenty years. She developed and managed her own small business with a national market for ten years, worked for local businesses as marketing staff, and was director of the Alaska Small Business Development Center Southeast Region for nine years. Since retiring from sate work in 2007, she has been a private consultant, and is currently working on contract to the UAA Center for Human Development, assisting individuals with disabilities to launch their business ventures. Jackie has counseled more than 1,100 clients in their endeavors, provided assistance with over 160 business startups, and helped her clients to raise more then $17 million in business development financing.
Carrie Sykes, Manager, Business & Economic Development, Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Carrie has worked for Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska since 1995 in a variety of positions. These have included Environmental Protection Specialist for the Native Lands & Resource Department, where she assisted Southeast Tribes with their EPA environmental programs. Since then, she has worked in the Business & Economic Development Department - first as the Economic Development Specialist, then as Subsistence and Sustainable Development Coordinator, and currently as Manager. Carrie previously worked with the Alaska Coastal Management Program as a Project Review Coordinator for the State of Alaska.
Isaac Vanderburg, Interim Associate State Director, Alaska Small Business Development Center
Isaac Vanderburg joined the Alaska Small Business Development Center (AKSBDC) in 2008. The AKSBDC assists pre-ventures, startups, and existing business owners through free, confidential business advising, low-cost workshops, and resource libraries throughout Alaska. Vanderburg has served as Regional Director for the South Central Region. In this capacity, he managed staff, set strategic focus, and strengthened this region's offerings. Currently serving as Interim Associate State Director, Vanderburg assists in the statewide management of five regions, eight centers, and a staff of 28. He is part of the executive leadership team that sets direction and development for the annual strategic plan. Vanderburg has a BA in Ethics and Public Policy from the University of Portland (Portland, OR) and will complete his MBA at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) in the fall of 2011.
Andy Varner, Executive Director, Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference
Andy Varner has worked at the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference (SWAMC) since 2005, taking on the role of Executive Director in 2010. SWAMC is one of twelve Alaska Regional Development Organizations in the state, and is also a federally designated economic development district. SWAMC provides technical assistance, policy advocacy, and small business training to the residents of Southwest Alaska. Varner originally ventured to Alaska as a VISTA, serving as Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Kenai. He has a B.S. in marketing from the University of Missouri and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Varner became involved with AKSourceLink because he recognizes the value and practicality the network provides for Alaska’s budding entrepreneurs and innovators across the state.