Board
The Board of Directors for Alaska Center for the Environment
Alaska Center for the Environment's Board of Directors
Valerie Waldrop, President
Valerie received a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Colorado State University. During her college years, she was a leader in the Colorado Public Interest Research Group (CoPIRG) where she served as State Chairperson and also organized the first Fort Collins Earth Day Fair - an event that is still going strong 20 years later! For over ten years, she worked as an instructor and course director for Colorado Outward Bound, a wilderness leadership school. She has also guided students in Nepal, Tibet, Mexico, and Italy.
Valerie moved to Anchorage five years ago and has stayed busy raising her two boys and completing an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Western Michigan University. Valerie has been a supporter of ACE since moving to Alaska and has also volunteered for the organization before becoming a board member in January of 2010.
Nancy Tankersley, Vice President
M.S. Wildlife Biology, Certified Interpretive Guide and Trainer
Nancy Tankersley discovered a love of wildlife in college after sneaking through the woods to spy on a nesting pair of pileated woodpeckers with birdwatching friends. She changed her major from math to conservation of natural resources, started recycling, and competed an M.S. in wildlife management at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
She has worked as a wildlife biologist for state and federal agencies in Alaska for 25 years. In the last 5 years, she has combined her love of conservation, environmental education, and the outdoors by being a naturalist guide on 8-11 day eco-tours in Alaska's backcountry.
Nancy has two daughters who enjoyed being Trailside Discovery campers, and are now both outdoors enthusiasts. She wants to keep Alaska clean, green and wild for her future grandchildren.
Sharon Weddleton, Treasurer
Sharon earned a BA in Marketing and an MBA at the University of Washington with a triple major in Accounting, HR and International Business, then came to Alaska to earn her CPA.
She has worked as an auditor, finance manager and CFO for over 20 years. She has a long history of public involvement, having served on the boards of Trailside Discovery Camp, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the ACDA, the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility, Boys and Girls Club of Alaska and CSA. She’s also currently the Treasurer of the West High School PTSA.
Sharon is married to John Weddleton who is a strong advocate for Title 21, and has two kids – daughter Katie and son Ry. Both kids are long-time Trailside alumni. !
Shannon Kuhn, Secretary
Communications and Development Director
Shannon is the Communications Development Director for the Anchorage Park Foundation and holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana. Shannon is passionate about sustainable community development and working on environmental issues through a social justice lens. She has been a US delegate to Japan regarding climate change, studied environmental justice issues in Guatemala, wilderness leadership in New Zealand, and food policy in Washington, D.C. Shannon was born on the coast of South Korea and grew up in Anchorage's Chugach Mountains. She is excited to be on the ACE Board and help protect Alaskan's rich quality of life and natural environment. Shannon loves exploring wild places, gardening, and creative cooking.
Brendan Babb
Karol Fink
MS, RD (Registered Dietitian)
Karol’s first memory of environmental action was the implementation of curbside recycling in her hometown. Recycling educators came to her Third grade classroom to teach about what, how and why one should recycle. Karol was convinced it was her social responsibility to protect the environment by recycling and became a household dumpster diver by the age of 8. Since then she has become convinced that promotion and protection of the public’s health will only be achieved by conservation of the earth, the oceans, the air, and our food supply. As a Board member, Karol hopes to increase public awareness of how human health is affected by the environment. Her other volunteer board memberships include the Alaska Public Health Association, the Mount Marathon Race, and Safehaven Corporation. She enjoys running trails, especially around Seward, playing soccer, and cooking healthy meals.
Anne Gore
Anne Gore has been working with non-profit conservation organizations for more than 15 years, primarily in marketing, communications and fundraising capacities. She earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.S. from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment. She also began coursework towards a PhD in environmental history at Georgetown University, but changed her plans and moved to Alaska.
Anne has been in Alaska since 2002 and is a freelance writer and independent consultant focused on using science to help raise awareness of the value and vulnerability of Alaska's wild places.
Anne enjoys skiing, running, bicycling and anything that gets her outdoors, especially in big mountains and wilderness.
Melissa Heuer
Born and raised in Alaska, the mountains, long days of summer and a never ending list of adventures brought Melissa back to Anchorage. Having been a long time supporter of ACE, Melissa joined the board and is looking forward to being part of future positive changes that ACE brings to Alaska. Carole Holley
Co-Director, Alaska Program for Pacific Environment
Carole co-directs the Alaska Program for Pacific Environment (PE), working to keep the environment clean for the people and wildlife of the Arctic Slope. Prior to her work with PE, Carole was an attorney working on indigenous issues. Before law school, Carole ran the Environmental Program for the Louden Tribal Council in Galena, Alaska focusing on federal facilities clean-up, waste management issues, and protection of subsistence foods.
Carole has lived in Peru and Switzerland and traveled extensively throughout South America and Europe, splitting her time between studying international environmental legal challenges and leading outdoor trips and community service projects for youth.
Carole first discovered ACE when she volunteered for the Annual Spring Auction in 2007. Since that time she's been intrigued and excited about ACE's work to protect our local environment. In Carole's free time, she enjoys running and hiking with her dogs.
Meghan Johnson
Meghan grew up in Oakland, CA and arrived in Alaska in 1992 as a Jesuit Volunteer. Her love for the outdoors, slower pace and local and sustainable living practices continue to keep herinvolved in advocacy and volunteer work. Meghan has served on many councils and advocacy committees to improve outcomes for children and families. Her work extends to public schools, non-profits and state government where she continues to work on system change on behalf of all of Alaska’s children and families. Meghan became a supporter of ACE shortly after moving to Alaska and has volunteered for the organization before becoming a board member in December, 2011. She is an active advocate of sustainable and community living practices. Meghan has a MS in Early Intervention from the University of Oregon and currently works as the Training Coordinators for the State of Alaska’s Early Intervention program. Her other hats include producing local vegetables and eggs for her neighbors and friends, cultivating safe and secure neighborhoods, and being outdoors as much as possible all year round.
Peter Mjos
Bio and picture to come soon!
Alex Sheshunoff
Alex Sheshunoff is an Anchorage-based freelance writer. His work has appeared in National Geographic Adventure, Slate.com, Marketplace on National Public Radio, The Anchorage Daily News and other, very, very prestigious media outlets. Before deciding to start calling himself a writer, Alex ran an internet company in New York called E-The People, a nonpartisan precursor to Moveon.org.
A long time ago, Alex snuck through Yale and later convinced the University of Iowa to give him a masters degree in creative nonfiction writing. He is currently finishing a book called Paradise Misplaced - a semi-humorous, first-person account of giving it all up to move to a remote island in the Pacific to read one hundred books. Alex and his wife, Sarah, have lived in Alaska since 2002; their two children since 2007 and 2009 respectively.
Because of his unique last name, Alex is often asked if he's somehow related to Ian Shenanigan Sheshunoff, the first-place winner of the Diaper Derby crawling contest at the 2008 Alaska State Fair, the one who came from behind to best at least thirty other, less-talented toddlers. They are indeed related. Ian is his son.
