Arctic Encounter Anchorage — March 29 - 31, 2023

ANCHORAGE, AK, USA | PROUDLY CO-HOSTED BY ALASKA AIRLINES, THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, mckinley management, CONOCOPHILLIPS ALASKA, and citizens for responsible energy solutions forum

PRODUCED AND DIRECTED AT THE DENA’INA CONVENTION CENTER & THE ANCHORAGE MUSEUM

- 2023 CONFIRMED SPEAKERS -

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, United States Senate – Alaska (United States)
U.S. Congressman John Curtis, United States House of Representatives — Utah (United States)
U.S. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, United States House of Representatives — Maine (United States)
U.S. Congresswoman Mary Sattler Peltola, United States House of Representatives — Alaska (United States)
Ambassador Emily Haber, Ambassador of Germany to the United States (Germany)
Ambassador Pétur Ásgeirsson, Ambassador of Arctic Affairs, Senior Arctic Official, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iceland)
Ambassador Thomas Winkler, Ambassador of Arctic Affairs, Senior Arctic Official, Head of Department of Arctic and North America, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kingdom of Denmark)
Ambassador Petteri Vuorimäki, Ambassador of Arctic Affairs, Senior Arctic Official, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Finland)
Ambassador Louise Calais, Ambassador of Arctic Affairs, Senior Arctic Official, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
Ambassador Morten Høglund, Ambassador of Arctic Affairs, Senior Arctic Official, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norway)
Ambassador Keizo Takewaka, Ambassador for International Economic Affairs and Arctic Affairs (Japan)
Ambassador David Balton, Executive Director, Arctic Executive Steering Committee, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President (United States)
Ambassador Mark Green, President and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; Former Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development & U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania (United States)
Ambassador Balz Abplanalp, Consul General of Switzerland in San Francisco (Switzerland)
The Honorable Melissa Dalton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, Department of Defense (United States)
Dr. Michael Sfraga, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission; Chair & Distinguished Fellow, Polar Institute, Wilson Center (United States)
Mr. Sam Tan, Special Envoy for Arctic Affairs & Non-Resident High Commissioner to Canada, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore)
Deputy Ambassador Michael Curtis, Deputy Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union to the United States of America (European Union)
Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau, Deputy Secretary, Department of the Interior (United States)
Mr. Adam Krzywosądzki, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the United States (Poland)
Mr. Margus Särglepp, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Estonia in the United States (Estonia)
Ms. Sara Cohen, Deputy Head of Mission, Foreign Policy & National Security, Embassy of Canada in the United States (Canada)
Ms. Heidi Kutz, Senior Arctic Official, Government of Canada (Canada)
Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Business and Trade, Government of Greenland (Greenland)
Minister Erik Jensen, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Government of Greenland (Greenland)
Mr. Kenneth Høegh, Head of Greenland Representation to the United States and Canada (Greenland)
The Honorable Micheál Smith, Consul General of Ireland, Western United States (Ireland)
Mr. Nick Williams, Minister Counsellor Foreign Security Development, British Embassy in Washington, D.C. (United Kingdom)
Mr. Chris Thomson, Counsellor, Scottish Government America (Scotland)
Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, Lieutenant Governor, State of Alaska (United States)
Ms. Sue Biniaz, Deputy Envoy for Climate, Department of State (United States)
Dr. Geraldine Richmond, Under Secretary for Science and Innovation, Department of Energy (United States)
Mr. Douglas Jones, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European & Eurasian Affairs, Department of State (United States)
Dr. Tasha Hippolyte, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Trade and Economic Security, Department of Homeland Security (United States)
Mr. Manuel Carmona Yebra, Counsellor for Environment and Oceans, Delegation of the European Union to the United States (European Union)
Mr. Louis Crishock, Senior Arctic Official, Department of State (United States)
Vice Admiral Andrew Tiongson, Commander, Pacific Area; Commander, Defense Force West, U.S. Coast Guard (United States)
Major General Randy “Church” Kee, USAF (Ret)., Senior Advisor, Arctic Security Affairs, Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies. U.S. Department of Defense (United States)
Dr. John P. Holdren, Co-Director, Arctic Initiative, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs & Emeritus Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, Harvard University; Former Science Advisor to President Obama and Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (United States)
Dr. Zachary Penney, Senior Advisor, Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Department of Commerce (United States)
Dr. Jackie Richter-Menge, Commissioner, US Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Dr. Nikoosh Carlo, Commissioner, US Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Ms. Deborah Vo, Commissioner, US Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Dr. Mark Myers, Commissioner, US Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Mr. David Kennedy, Commissioner, US Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Ms. Emily Edenshaw, President & CEO, Alaska Native Heritage Center
Mr. Rex A. Rock Sr., President and CEO, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (United States)
Mr. Joe Sprague, President, Horizon Air; Board of Directors, Arctic Encounter (United States)
Mr. Kyle Hill, President, Alaska Commercial Company (United States)
Mr. Nagruk Harcharek, President, The Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat (United States)
Dr. Hajo Eicken, Director, International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Ms. Kati Capozzi, President and CEO, Alaska Chamber (United States)
Ms. Justina Wilhelm, President, Ilisaġvik College (United States)
Ms. Alana Peterson, Executive Director, Spruce Root (United States)
Ms. Leila Kimbrell, Executive Director, Resources Development Council (United States)
Ms. Colleen Dushkin, Executive Director, Association of Alaska Housing Authorities (United States)
Ms. Mindy O’Neall, Executive Director, Cold Climate Housing Research Center (United States)
Ms. Athena Copenhaver, Executive Director, SEARCH (United States)
Ms. Vera Kingeekuk Metcalf, Executive Director, Eskimo Walrus Commission; Co-Principal Investigator, Study of Environmental Arctic Change (United States)
Dr. Larry Hinzman, Executive Director, Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee; Assistant Director for Polar Sciences, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President (United States)
Mr. Haven Harris, Senior Director Strategic Business Development, Bering Straits Native Corporation (United States)  
Mr. Scott Coughlan, Director of Sustainability, Alaska Airlines (United States)
Dr. Bill Schnabel, Dean, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Mr. Brian Hirsch, Founding Partner and CEO, DeerStone Consulting, LLC (United States)
Commander John Z. Downing, Chief of Prevention Sector Anchorage, U.S. Coast Guard (United States)
Mr. Jay Byam, Founder and CEO, Kartorium (United States)
Dr. Brett Watson, Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)
Dr. Greg Poelzer, Co-Lead, Energy and Mineral Resources for a Sustainable Future, University of Saskatchewan (Canada)
Mr. Steve Douglas, Vice President, Alliance for Auto Innovation (United States)
Ms. Bridget Anderson, Vice President of External Affairs, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (United States)
Mr. Art Dahlin, Vice President and Alaska General Manager, TOTE Maritime Alaska (United States)
Mr. Paul Friese, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Lynden Transport (United States)  
Ms. Karla Brollier, Partner, Goldenrod Ventures; Director of Operations, Patagonia, Home Planet Fund (United States)
Mr. Matt Bell, Dean, School of Arctic and Climate Studies, Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies (United States)
Mr. Kevin Ivanoff, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Bering Straits Native Corporation (United States)
Ms. Lucille Sands, Vice President of Shareholder Development, Bering Straits Native Corporation (United States)
Mr. Larry Pederson, Vice President of Nome Operations, Bering Straits Native Corporation (United States)
Ms. Mary Miner, Vice President, Community Development, McKinley Alaska Growth Capital (United States)
Mr. Barry Romberg, Vice President, Strategy and Commercial Transportation, ConocoPhillips (United States)
Mr. Ben Meng, Executive Vice President and Chairman, Asia Pacific (United States)
Mr. Matt Hickey, Director of Engagements, Ted Stevens Center, U.S. Department of Defense (United States)
Mr. Chad Stovall, Alaska Field Office Director, Department of Housing and Urban Development (United States)
Ms. Meghan Gavin, Attorney, Cascadia Law Group; Board of Directors, Arctic Encounter (United States)
Mr. Griffin Haggle-Forster, Chief Financial Officer, Taġiuġmiullu Nunamiullu Housing Authority (United States)
Dr. Nettie La Belle-Hamer, Vice Chancellor, Research, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Ms. Raina Thiele, Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Alaska Affairs and Strategic Priorities, U.S. Department of the Interior (United States)
Representative Josiah Aullaqsruaq Patkotak, State Representative, Alaska State Legislature (United States)
Mayor Bryce Ward, Mayor, Fairbanks North Star Borough (United States)
Mayor Harry Brower Jr., Mayor, North Slope Borough, Alaska (United States)
Mayor Dave Bronson, Mayor, Municipality of Anchorage (United States)
Mayor John Handeland, Mayor, City of Nome (United States)
Mr. Paul Fuhs, Goodwill Ambassador, The Northern Forum; Former Mayor of Unalaska (United States)
Mr. Torsten Kjølby Nielsen, Senior Chief Counsellor for Arctic affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (Denmark)
Ms. Shauna Hegna, President, Koniag (United States)
Mr. Aaron Schutt, President & CEO, Doyon, Limited (United States)
Ms. Gail Schubert, President & CEO, Bering Straits Native Corporation (United States)
Mr. Isaac Vanderburg, CEO, Launch Alaska (United States)
Mr. Thomas Mack, CEO, The Eyak Corporation; Vice-Chair, Arctic Economic Council
Ms. Bonnie Gestring, Program Director, Earthworks (United States)
Ms. Jenna Krohn, General Counsel, Bering Straits Native Corporation (United States)
Ms. Ann Robertson, Policy Director, AKWA-DC (United States)
Mr. Chris Kolerok, Director of Public Policy, Cook Inlet Housing Authority (United States)
Dr. Lauren Divine, Director of Ecosystem Conservation Office, Aleut Community of St. Paul (United States)
Mr. Ephraim Froehlich, Managing Partner, AKWA-DC (United States)
Chief Gary Harrison, Chickaloon Native Village; Arctic Athabaskan Council (United States)
Mr. Edward Alexander, Co-Chair, Gwich’in Council International (United States)
Chief Bill Erasmus, Chief, Dene Nation, Turtle Island (Canada)
Mr. Aaron Leggett, President & Chair, Native Village of Eklutna (United States)
Ms. Nicole Wojciechowski, Alaska Vice President, Inuit Circumpolar Council (United States)
Ms. Gunn-Britt Retter, Head of the Arctic and Environmental Unit, Saami Council (Norway)
Dr. Brendan Kelly, Science Director, Study of Environmental Arctic Change; Board of Directors, Arctic Encounter (United States)
Brigadier General William Radiff, Royal Canadian Air Force; Deputy Commander, Alaska NORAD Region (Canada)
Rear Admiral Nathan Moore, Commander, Seventeenth District, U.S. Coast Guard (United States)
Commissioner Douglas Vincent-Lang, Commissioner, Department of Alaska Fish and Game, State of Alaska (United States)
Commissioner Julie Sande, Commissioner, Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (United States)
Mr. Mads Qvist Frederiksen, Director, Arctic Economic Council (Norway)
The Honorable Tara Sweeney, Former Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior; President & CEO, Tack-71 (United States)
The Honorable Mead Treadwell, Chairman/CEO, QilakLNG; Chair, Arctic Circle Mission Council on Shipping and Ports; Owner, Treadwell Development; Former Lieutenant Governor of Alaska; Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission 2006-2010; Co-Chair, Polar Institute, Woodrow Wilson Center Polar Initiative (United States)
Ms. Heather Reams, President, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Forum (United States)
Mr. Michael Conathan, Senior Policy Fellow, Aspen Institute (United States)
Ms. Elizabeth “Liz” Qaulluq Cravalho, Vice President of Lands, NANA Regional Corporation; Commissioner, U.S. Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Dr. Pearl Brower, President & CEO, Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation (United States)
Ms. Ana Hoffman, President/CEO, Bethel Native Corporation (United States)
Mr. Hugh Short, President & CEO, Pt Capital (United States)
Ms. Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer, Director of Climate Initiatives, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium; Board of Directors, Arctic Encounter (United States)
Ms. Jenifer Nelson, Chairperson, The Aleut Corporation (United States)
Ms. Margaret Salazar, Regional Administrator, Department of Housing and Urban Development (United States)
Professor Christina Viskum Lytken Larsen, Head of Research, Center for Public Health in Greenland, University of Southern Denmark and University of Greenland (Denmark)
Dr. Anne Zink, Chief Medical Officer, State of Alaska (United States)
Ms. Libby Casey, Senior News Anchor, The Washington Post (United States)
President Pat Pitney, President, University of Alaska (United States)
Mr. Robert Gillam, Chief Executive and Chief Investment Officer, McKinley Management (United States)
Ms. Stacia Gillam, Chief Managing Officer, McKinley Management (United States)
Ms. Marilyn Romano, Regional Vice President, Alaska Airlines (United States)
Dr. Dwayne Ryan Menezes, Founder and Managing Director, Polar Research and Policy Initiative (PRPI); Director, All-Party Parliamentary Group for Greenland, UK Parliament (United Kingdom)
Dr. Jennifer Spence, Senior Fellow, Arctic Initiative, Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School
Ms. Rachel Kallander, Founder & Executive Director, Arctic Encounter; Chief Executive Officer, Kallander & Associates; Owner & Publisher, The Cordova Times; Honorary Consul of Iceland for Alaska (United States)
Ms. Penny Gage, Managing Director, Launch Alaska (United States)
Ms. Alice Glenn, Founder & Host, Coffee & Quaq; Alaska Native Iñupiaq, Utqiagvik (United States)
Ms. Kara Moriarty, President/CEO, Alaska Oil and Gas Association (United States)
Ms. Sheyna Wisdom, Director, Alaska Ocean Observing System (United States)
Mr. Garrett Evridge, Director, Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation Startup Accelerator (United States)
Mr. Logan Birch, President, McKinley Alaska Growth Capital (United States)
Ms. Anu Fredrikson, Executive Director, Arctic Frontiers (Norway)
Mr. Matt Hickey, Director of Engagements, Ted Stevens Center, U.S. Department of Defense (United States)
Mr. Justin Poulsen, Vice President of Itinerary Planning & Destination Development, SilverSea Cruises (United States)
Mr. Matt Perkins, President/CEO, Alaska Renewables (United States)
Ms. Kiera O'Brien, Public Policy Representative, TOTAL Energies (United States)
Ms. Dana Diehl, Wellness and Prevention Director, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (United States)
Ms. Lori Townsend, News Director, Alaska Public Media (United States)
Mr. Joe Sarcone, Assistant Professor, Director of Environmental Public Health, Alaska Pacific University (United States)
Dr. Julie Decker, CEO, The Anchorage Museum (United States)
Dr. Tuija Turunena, Dean of Education, University of Lapland (Finland)
Dr. Michele Yatchmeneff, Executive Director for Alaska Native Education & Outreach, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)
Dr. Charlene Stern, Vice Chancellor, University of Alaska, Fairbanks (United States)
Dr. Diane Hirshberg, Director & Professor of Education Policy, Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)
Ms. Megan Webb, Director of Corporate Communications, GCI (United States)
Ms. Heather Handyside, Chief Communications Officer, GCI (United States)
Mr. Justin Sternberg, Director, Alaska Blue Economy Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Ms. Benedikt Gíslason, CEO, Arion Banki (Iceland)
Mr. Doug Bernauer, CEO, Radiant (United States)
Dr. Erin Whitney, Director, Arctic Energy Office, Department of Energy, (United States)
Ms. Tami Fordham, Operations Director Alaska, Environmental Protection Agency, (United States)
Ms. Gwen Holdmann, Associate Vice Chancellor, Research for Innovation and Industry Partnerships, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Mr. Alex Friedman, CEO, Novata; Board of Directors, Franklin Resources (Franklin Templeton) (United States)
Ms. Jocelyn Fenton, Director of Programs, Denali Commission, (United States)
Ms. Julia Hnilicka, State Director, USDA-Rural Development, Anchorage, AK, (United States)
Ms. Amy Holman, Alaska Regional Coordinator, NOAA, (United States)
Ms. Dustin Madden, Rural Energy Program Manager, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (United States)
Ms. Katie Conway, Energy Program Manager, Denali Commission (United States)
Ms. Kristina Tirman, Alaska Marine Debris Manager, Ocean Conservancy (United States)
Ms. Kristina Woolston, External Affairs Director, Donlin Gold (United States)
Dr. Andreas Raspotnik, Senior Researcher, Fridtjof Nansen Institute; High North Center for Business and Governance, Nord University (Norway)
Dr. Marika Holland, Senior Scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research (United States)
Mr. Miles Baker, Principal, MB Alaska (United States)
Ms. Erika Ammann, Fisheries Biologist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (United States)
Mr. Benjamin Jacuk, Indigenous Researcher, Alaska Native Heritage Center (United States)
Mr. Andrew Smith, Intergovernmental Relations Officer, Government of Yukon (Canada)
Mr. Francis Wiese, Technical leader for Marine Science, Stantec (United States)
Mr. Cyrus Harris, Natural Resource Advocate, Maniilaq Association (United States)
Mr. Fred Jay Ivanoff, Senior Crew Leader, Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (United States)
Mr. Jackson Blackwell, Managing Director, Arctic Encounter; Senior Associate, Kallander & Associates (United States)
Ms. Mercedes Blancaflor, Board Treasurer, Arctic Youth Network; Program Director, Arctic Encounter (United States)
Ms. Lisa Charles, Tribal Workforce & Benefits Navigator, Association of Village Council Presidents, Newtok (United States)
Ms. Doreen Leavitt, Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (United States)
Ms. Taqulik Hepa, North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management (United States)
Ms. Della Carl, Resident, Mertarvik (United States)
Ms. Carolyn George, Lower Kuskokwim School District; Resident, Newtok (United States)
Ms. Harmony Jade Sugaq Wayner, Commercial Fisher, Alaska Sea Grant Fellow (United States)
Ms. Kikiktagruk Aŋnuk Macy Rae Kenworthy, Staff, Alaska Conservation Foundation; Alumni, Arctic Youth Ambassador (United States)
Mr. Nolan Qamanirq, Board member, Arctic Youth Network (United States)
Ms. Zoe Okleasik, Board member, Arctic Youth Network; Arctic Youth Ambassador (United States)
Ms. Tayler Tanginiq Higgins, Arctic Youth Ambassador; Undergraduate Student, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)
Mr. Sam Schimmel, Director, Operation Fish Drop (United States)
Mr. Joshua Cannon, Fellow, Arctic Resilient Communities Youth Fellowship (United States)
Mr. Eben Hopson, Fellow, Arctic Resilience Communities Youth Fellowship (United States)
Ms. Kristi Nguyen, Alaska Fellow, Arctic Encounter (United States)
Ms. Madeleine Redfern, Co-CEO, CanArctic Inuit Networks Inc.; Former Mayor, Iqaluit, Nunavut (Canada)
Ms. Cordelia Kellie, Special Assistant for Rural Affairs, Office of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (United States)
Dr. Liza Mack, Head of Delegation, Sustainable Development Working Group; Former Executive Director, Aleut International Association (United States)
Ms. Joy Huntington, President & CEO, Uqaqti Consulting (United States)
Ms. Nivi Rosing, Fellow, Arctic Youth Resilient Communities (Greenland)
Mr. Chris Henderson, Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Canadian Coast Guard (Canada)
Ms. Julie Decker, PhD, CEO, Anchorage Museum (United States)
Ms. Betsy Baker, Global Fellow, Wilson Center Polar Institute (United States)
Ms. Deantha Skibinski, Executive Director, Alaska Mining Association (United States)
Ms. Carol Fraser, Vice President, Aspen Hotels of Alaska (United States)
Mr. Randy Ruaro, Executive Director, Alaska Industrial Development & Export Authority (United States)
Mr. Chris Rose, Executive Director, Renewable Energy Alaska Project (United States)
Mr. Lance Miller, Vice President of Natural Resources, NANA (United States)
Mr. John Espindola, Special Assistant to the Governor of Alaska (United States)
Mr. Rolf Lau Nancke, Head of Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure, Government of Greenland (Greenland)
Mr. Lee Lipton, Senior Vice President, Aviation Strategy, Airport Strategy and Marketing, Aviation Week Network (Canada)
Ms. Patuk Glenn, Executive Director, Arctic Slope Community Foundation (United States)