Staff
ACE's Staff members' bio's, contact information, and link for staff mail.
Thomas Burek, Trailside Discovery Director
(907) 274-3669 / trailside@akcenter.org
Thomas Burek has been working with ACE since the summer of 1996 as the Trailside Discovery Camp Director. He is responsible for overall management, strategic planning, administration, program development, marketing, and edutainment. During his tenure at TDC, he has worked to expand the program from 250 campers annually to over 2500.
Prior to serving as TDC director, Thomas worked for the Detroit YMCA as the environmental education, summer camp & Tri Gra-Y director. He graduated with a Bachelors degree in Park & Recreation Management from Eastern Michigan University, in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He also plays a mean acoustic blues guitar!!
Jessica Cler, Membership Director
(907) 274-3647 / jessica@akcenter.org
Jessica began working with ACE during its 2006 field canvass and is now the Membership Director. As the Membership Director, Jessica oversees the membership fundraising, outreach, volunteer and special events programs.
She is originally from Wasilla, AK, but enjoyed stays in Idaho and Nova Scotia while in college. She graduated with a BA in Political Science and minors in Environmental Studies and French from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2006.
In her spare time Jessica enjoys hiking, yoga, traveling, reading, and anything that takes her outside.
Valerie Connor, Conservation Director
(907) 274-3632 / valerie@akcenter.org
Valerie moved to Alaska in 1982 after receiving a B.S. in Environmental Planning and Management from UC Davis, California. After a brief stint as a “Spit Rat” in Homer she moved across Kachemak Bay to a remote location accessible only by water. There she learned the trade of wooden boat building, ran a water taxi, and refined the art of lifting and carrying heavy objects.
Returning to Homer in 1999, Valerie spent the next several years building a house and becoming a community organizer and activist. This work eventually led her to the Alaska Center for the Environment, where she is happily devoting herself to being an advocate for the environment.
As the Conservation Director, she is responsible for educating and organizing ACE members and the general public in support of protecting the wild resources of the Chugach National Forest and other beloved lands in and around Southcentral Alaska. She has also incorporated her love of wildlife into her work and advocates for a more balanced, ecosystem approach to wildlife management.
Valerie has traveled extensively, loves to hike and view wildlife, is an avid reader, and a supporter of the arts. She currently resides in Anchorage with her husband, dog, two cats, and several chickens.
Doug Tosa, GIS Analyst
(907)-274-3639 / doug@akcenter.org
Fascinated by the vastness of the west on family trips to the National Parks, Doug developed a love for the natural world. He graduated with a Physical Geography degree and a concentration in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from North Michigan University. Putting his degree to work, he has more than 5 years of GIS experience ranging from data collection to map production.
Through his experiences in the remote Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Doug quickly developed a love and respect for all places wild. Exploring and venturing into the outdoors he naturally became interested in maps. Alaska represented a great opportunity for an outdoor enthusiast, allowing him to pursue a wide range of activities like hiking, biking, sailing, skiing, and camping. Being able to help save the places that he has become attached to in Alaska is something he considers as a great privilege.
Nick Moe, Sustainable Communities Coordinator
(907) 274-3662 / nick@akcenter.org
As a life-long Alaskan, Nick joins Ace with a strong sense of responsibility for his home, working to enhance the quality of life in Anchorage by growing a sustainable community that we are all proud to live in. As coordinator for the Sustainable Communities program at ACE, Nick focuses his efforts on issues such as local food, transit and water. He creates opportunities for Alaskans who might not even like the words “sustainable” or “green” to care about issues that affect all of us and our families.
Nick has a rich background in local government and sustainable issues having worked for the Municipality of Anchorage's Renewable Resources Office, Alaskans for Clean Water and several projects at the University of Alaska Anchorage as a student. Nick brings with him a great track record of getting things done by bringing Alaskans together and a passion for our community that keeps him highly driven. When Nick isn't working with local businesses or finding ways for Anchorage to be more sustainable, you'll find him sleeping under the stars or climbing a rock wall. Nick's love for Alaska's outdoors is expressed in his frequent backpacking, biking and climbing trips in the Chugach State Park and beyond.
Louisa Yanes, Energy Organizer
Louisa harbors a life-long love for the out-of-doors and the earth's wilder places. Her passion for conservation first led her to Vermont Law School to pursue a J.D. and a Masters of Environmental Law and Policy, and then to Alaska in search of bigger mountains, wider rivers, and better fishing. As the Energy Organizer, Louisa works on a variety of coal-related issues in South-Central Alaska, and to develop a statewide plan for Alaska to meet its 50% renewable energy goal by 2025. To take advantage of these opportunities, she fosters cooperation between various groups and citizens, and empowers the region's residents to participate in decisions affecting their state, communities, and natural resources.
Before coming to Alaska Center for the Environment, she worked with Trustees for Alaska and the Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP). In addition to her J.D. and Masters, Louisa holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Dickinson College. When she is not "energizing" Alaskans about current energy issues, she can be found exploring Alaska by land or water with her trusty husky, or honing the skills she will need to eventually live off the grid.
Rachel Flanagan, Communications Coordinator
(907) 274-3640 / rachel@akcenter.org
Rachel has been travelling and exploring the great outdoors since she was a toddler in tuff boots. She's tromped around the country working in various national and state parks. In 2008, she moved to Alaska from Ohio to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Outdoor Studies with a focus in Land Management from Alaska Pacific University.
Through her degree program and her many personal trips in the Alaska backcountry, she came to realize what a beautiful, unique, and fragile place Alaska is. In the summer of 2011, Rachel joined the ACE community as a canvasser with the goal of learning more about Alaska's current environmental issues and working on them at a hands-on level. Shortly thereafter she joined the team as Communications Coordinator.
In her spare time, Rachel enjoys caving, backpacking, sea kayaking, skiing, and commuting on her fabulously hand painted bike!
Dwayne Lee, Financial Director
(907) 274-3677 / dwayne@akcenter.org
Dwayne is responsible for reporting the financial functions of ACE. He does all of the day to day accounting, processes payroll, and accounts payable. Dwayne works closely with the Executive Director and the Board of Directors to provide financial information, various reports, budgetary information and other projects as assigned by the ED.
Prior to working for ACE, Dwayne worked full time in a CPA office, has taught accounting and business courses full time at Duluth Business University, and part time at four other universities. In addition, Dwayne completed a 28- year career in managing retail stores for a national chain.
Dwayne moved to Alaska from Wisconsin in 2001, has a Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of Minnesota and passed the CPA examination in 1990. He is also an adjunct professor of accounting at UAA and teaches accounting courses as well as business courses each semester.
Dwayne resides in Chugiak Alaska, likes to play bluegrass guitar, fish, travel the beautiful areas of Alaska, and can be seen about town on his motorcycles when the snow is off the roads.
Hannah Brewster, Outreach Education Specialist (SAGA/AmeriCorps Service Position for Trailside Discovery)
Hannah hails from Massachusetts but has lived in several states along the journey that has brought her to Alaska. Drawn by the close proximity of ocean and mountains, she came to Alaska to works as an instructor at Trailside Discovery Camp and enjoyed it so much that she stayed on as the newest SAGA/Americorps member serving as the Outreach Education Specialist.
Hannah spent the majority of her childhood and life outdoors, playing, exploring, and learning. She has shared her love of learning in nature with children in environmental education jobs in Ohio and Colorado before coming to Alaska and looks forward to helping kids gain the skills they need to become positive, active members of their community. Hannah holds a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Massachusetts.
When not playing with kids outside for her job, Hannah can be found outside playing on her own and enjoys biking, hiking, skiing, trying new sports, and exploring as much of the wild areas of Alaska as she can.
Penny Bauder, Climate Change Coordinator
(907) 980-0256 / penny@akcenter.org
As ACE's Climate Change Coordinator, Penny works to draw attention to the pervasive consequences of climate change in Alaska and pursues solutions to the problem by promoting conservation and renewable energy.
Originally from Michigan, Penny came of age in Alaska during a summer internship as a backcountry canoe ranger at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. After that fated summer, she couldn't stay away from wild places and rambled about the country working as a wilderness ranger at national parks and forests in Idaho, Utah, Alaska, and Oregon before finally settling down in Alaska in 2002 to attend graduate school.
After receiving and M.S. in Environmental Science from Alaska Pacific University, Penny worked as an Invasive Plant Biologist with the National Park Service and then as an Interpretive Planner with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Penny comes to ACE after taking some time to hang out with her baby daughter.
Butch Allen, Oceans Organizer
Butch Allen washed ashore on the ACE doorstep at the beginning of 2005. As ACE’s Ocean Organizer he works to build support for Alaska’s ocean environment through the Oceans Film Festival and well as ongoing marine advocacy work.
Butch grew up in rural south Louisiana and migrated to Alaska 6 years ago to start up a service company. His love of organizing and the outdoors led him and some friends to create the HAMMER, an Alaskan adventure race. After organizing 8 such events, he was ready to organize large events for ACE. Teaching, coaching, and glacier guiding have all helped round out his "road-less-traveled" approach to employment.
Time away from ACE finds him enjoying the Alaska backcountry by foot or
by pack raft. He enjoys introducing Alaska's nooks and crannies to fellow
friends and his trips usually lead to preposterous misadventures.
Currently, Butch is working from New Zealand where he is finding many new
adventures. You can contact him at the e-mail address above.
Jedediah Smith, Legislative Liaison
(907) 274-3650/ jed@akcenter.org
In his second season as the Juneau Watchdog, Jed is excited to wade through the muck that is Alaskan politics, exploring, organizing and exploiting new and uncharted opportunities to make conservation part of the agenda. Jed was born in the high deserts of New Mexico and moved to Alaska in 2001. He worked as a journalist for five years, in Seward, Valdez and Dillingham.
In 2006, he moved to Fairbanks to attend classes in the Northern Studies program. In 2009 he completed his master’s thesis on the role of watershed partnerships in Alaska’s freshwater management. He is a bicycle commuter and enjoys running, hiking, and skinning the backcountry of South Central Alaska in search of tele turns.
