Our Staff
Chantal organizes events and campaigns to help raise the financial resources to support the mission of The Alaska Center and The Alaska Center Education Fund. She loves building relationships with supporters who share our values and vision and inviting them to participate in our work. Chantal is grateful every day to work for an organization that is helping to build a powerful movement of engaged Alaskans to fight the climate crisis and build a democracy that represents all people.
Originally from Yokut lands, she earned her BA and MA at the University of Notre Dame. Previously, Chantal has worked in political fundraising and direct service nonprofits serving unhoused families. She lives on Dena'ina lands and enjoys spending time with her family in their backyard farm, cooking, playing music with friends, and traveling around the globe and in the Alaskan backcountry.
Rachel was born and raised on Anishinaabe lands in Northern Minnesota and currently lives and works on Ahtna and Dena’ina lands in Palmer, Alaska. She is a clean energy advocate who empowers Alaskans across the state to change their energy systems and build a more sustainable and equitable future. She loves building relationships in her Mat Su Valley community and is passionate about increasing accessibility and transparency in the electric utility industry. Rachel started at The Alaska Center in 2021 with Trailside Discovery Camp, creating environmental education curriculum for the Palmer site. She was then introduced to community organizing and quickly fell in love with movement building, which brought her to her work as the Clean Energy Organizer.
Rachel feels most at home on the tundra with her dogs and can often be found playing outside, reading, or trying and abandoning all kinds of crafts.
Kyla is a lifelong Alaskan and UAA alum. She started volunteering with The Alaska Center in 2015, as a member of the organization’s Volunteer Leadership Committee. Working alongside community organizers, she helped fight the Pebble Mine, the Chuitna Mine, and engage community members during state and local elections. In 2016, she became the Deputy Canvass Director and has knocked on thousands of doors all across the state. She is passionate about giving Alaskans a voice and has spent countless hours talking to community members about the issues they care about. When she isn’t scrolling through social media, she enjoys fishing, hiking, and solving puzzles.
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Vicki is a critical partner in ensuring the organization runs efficiently and effectively and drives toward our vision. Vicki oversees our operations and finance department while also managing our youth programs, Trailside Discovery Camp and AYEA.
With a passion for outdoor education and youth leadership, Vicki strives to make a difference in the world. In 2017 Vicki moved to Alaska to work for The Alaska Center/The Alaska Center Education Fund and was blown away by AKC/EdFund's commitment to creating a thriving, just, and sustainable Alaska for future generations. Previously Vicki worked as an educator, trainer, and mentor to youth and young adults. Born and raised in Felixstowe, England, Vicki now lives and works on the lands of the Dena'ina people, where she and her family are avid fisherfolk, hunters, and rugby players.
Leah was born and raised on the unceded territories of the Jumanos, Ndé Kónitsąąíí Gokíyaa, Coahuiltecan, Comanche, and Tonkawa in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. She now lives, learns, and works on Dena'ina lands in Dgheyey Kaq' (Anchorage). Leah moved to Alaska in 2015 and currently volunteers with several arts and outdoor nonprofits. Leah has been with The Alaska Center since 2017 and is now the Communications and Creative Director. She loves that the work allows her to learn and engage in such a rich diversity of programs and happily helps all of our programs and campaigns across the org. Her passion for community connection, humor, storytelling, and design has been invaluable to our work. She is committed to weaving creativity and effective multi-tiered communications strategies into the movement we are building so that more Alaska can stay informed and engaged in the work of building a sustainable future for all. Leah brings a diverse history of experiences to this work, including advocacy, education, event coordination, production, marketing, and service industry. She will gladly talk your ear off about fonts, foraging, 90s hip-hop, cocktail history, her dog, and the path to decolonize our minds and narratives.
Kristal works closely with the Development Director on fundraising events to support Alaska's climate and democracy. She also advocates for a diverse and active donor program through acknowledgment and appreciation. Kristal is grateful for a hard-working team that engages the community and strives for a better Alaska. She came to this organization after taking a gap year to travel around the United States in a campervan. Kristal holds an International Studies degree and a Dance minor from the University of Alaska Anchorage, which have both helped her foster an interest in politics, translation, diversity, and immigration law. Outside her role at AKC, she enjoys dancing in nature, adventuring with her dog Couscous, and visiting her family in Puerto Rico. She was born and raised on Taino lands and now lives and works on Dena'ina lands.
Alyssa Quintyne is the Interior Organizing Manager at The Alaska Center on (Chena Dene lands in Tanan, colonially known as Fairbanks). She works to create a space of strength and empowerment for people to protect and build what they love. On our team, Alyssa plays an influential role in the Solarize Fairbanks initiative, increasing voter engagement in local elections, guiding our Equity and Inclusion work, and supporting other projects around town. She believes that every person is capable of creating the futures we all deserve to live right now. Her job is to help us get it done.
She and her parents came a long way to Alaska. Her entire family is from Barbados but was stationed in Fort Wainwright in 2001, where she was raised. During her time, Alyssa has built an extensive community organizing background of 12 years. With a BA in Political Science, she’s done a wide variety of research and advocacy work, both locally and internationally. Researcher, painter, violinist, curator, and avid napper are some of the other titles she carries. Alyssa strives to use her skill to give back and help build the community she loves.
Jenny-Marie Stryker (she/her) is the Political Director for The Alaska Center. She leads The Alaska Center's work to elect leaders that will champion our values, which includes assisting the Board of Directors with the endorsement process, leading collaboration on elections with our many partner organizations, and running The Alaska Center Independent Expenditure program. Jenny-Marie also helps guide our political strategy on the many levels we work on, including legislative, local municipal, and utility boards.
Jenny-Marie joined The Alaska Center after working on over a dozen Alaska campaigns and briefly as a journalist. She joined the organization to make longer-term positive change that doesn't stop after each election cycle. She loves spending every day focused on helping elect, support, and hold accountable leaders across the board in our state. She gets immense joy from seeing Alaskans feel empowered to engage in our democracy.
Outside of work, she can be found walking her Malamute pup Nala, hiking (slowly), and cooking. She is honored to live and play on Dena'ina land but originally grew up on Coastal Miwok land in the Bay Area, CA.