Arctic Encounter Anchorage — April 10-12, 2024

ANCHORAGE, AK, USA | PRODUCED AND DIRECTED AT THE DENA’INA CONVENTION CENTER & The anchorage museum

- confirmed speakers -

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, United States Senator R-AK, United States Senate (United States)
State Secretary Eivind Vad Petersson, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norway)
Director General Charlina Vitcheva, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), European Commission (European Union)
Minister David Rutley MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Americas, Caribbean and the Overseas Territories) (United Kingdom)
Minister Dan Vandal MP, Minister of Northern Affairs (Canada)
Ambassador Jovita Neliupšienė, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States (European Union)
Ambassador Bergdís Ellertsdóttir, Ambassador of Iceland to the United States (Iceland)
Ambassador Anniken R. Krutnes, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the United States (Norway)
Ambassador Marek Magierowski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United States (Poland)
Ambassador Radovan Javorčík, Ambassador of Slovakia to the United States (Slovakia)
Ambassador Iztok Mirošič, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the United States (Slovenia)
Ambassador Audra Plepytė, Ambassador of Lithuania to the United States (Lithuania)
Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States (Ireland)
Ambassador Szabolcs Takács, Ambassador of Hungary in the United States of America (Hungary)
Ambassador Jean-Arthur Régibeau, Ambassador of Belgium to the United States (Belgium)
Ambassador Francisco Duarte Lopes, Ambassador of Portugal to the United States (Portugal)
Ambassador TAKEWAKA Keizo, Ambassador for International Economic Affairs and Arctic Affairs (Japan)
Ambassador Petteri Vuorimäki, Ambassador of Arctic Affairs, Senior Arctic Official, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Finland)
Ambassador Morten Høglund, Senior Arctic Official Chair of the Arctic Council; Arctic Ambassador for Norway (Norway)
Premier Ranj Pillai, Premier of the Yukon (Canada)
The Honorable Mike Dunleavy, Governor of Alaska (United States)
Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, Lieutenant Governor, State of Alaska (United States)
Ms. Aaja Chemnitz, Member of Folketing (MP), Chair of Arctic Parliamentarians (Greenland)
Mr. Chris Thomson, Counsellor, Scottish Government America (Scotland)
Mr. Kenneth Høegh, Head of Greenland Representation to the United States and Canada (Greenland)
Mr. Robert Sinclair, Canada Senior Arctic Official and Director General for Arctic, Eurasian and European Affairs, Global Affairs Canada (Canada)
Mr. Torsten K. Nielsen, Chief Counsellor for Arctic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Denmark)
Mr. Eric Carlson, Senior Arctic Official, Department of State (United States)
Ms. Rebecca Zimmerman, PTDO Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense (United States)
Vice Admiral Doug Perry, Joint Force Command Norfolk, NATO (United States)
Colonel Juha Helle, Defence Attachè of Finland to USA and Canada, Embassy of Finland, Washington D.C. (Finland)
Rear Admiral Brendan McPherson, Deputy Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area; Commander, US Coast Guard Task Force-Arctic. (United States)
Rear Admiral Megan Dean, Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District (United States)
Major General Randy “Church” Kee, Director (Maj Gen, USAF, Ret),Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies. U.S. Department of Defense (United States)
Ms. Sara Cohen, Deputy Head of Mission, Foreign Policy & National Security, Embassy of Canada in the United States (Canada)
President Pat Pitney, President, University of Alaska (United States)
Ms. Gwen Holdmann, Associate Vice Chancellor, Research for Innovation and Industry Partnerships, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Ms. Tara Sweeney, Vice President, External Affairs, ConocoPhillips Alaska (United States)
Mr. Barry Romberg, Vice President, Commercial and Midstream, ConocoPhillips Alaska (United States)
Ms. Sierra Minder, External Affairs Manager, Alaska Oil & Gas Association (United States)
Mr. Jimi Onalik, President, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (Canada)
Ms. Ulla-Kirsikka Vainio, Mayor of Rovaniemi (Finland)
Mr. Jukka Kujala, Mayor of Tornio (Finland)
Ms. Asisaun Toovak, Mayor of Utqiaġvik (United States)
Ms. Saima Chase, Mayor of Kotzebue (United States)
Mr. Dickie Moto, Mayor of Northwest Arctic Borough (United States)
Ms. Ásthildur Sturludóttir, Mayor of Akureyri (Iceland)
Mr. Dave Bronson, Mayor of the Municipality of Anchorage (United States)
Mr. Bryce Ward, Mayor of Fairbanks North Star Borough (United States)
Mr. Evon Peter, Senior Research Scientist, Center for Alaska Native Health Research, UAF (United States)
Ms. Patti Bruns, Secretary General, Arctic Mayors' Forum (Norway)
Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director, National Science Foundation (United States)
Dr. Geraldine Richmond, Under Secretary of Science and Innovation, Department of Energy (United States)
Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov, Under Secretary for Science and Technology, Department of Homeland Security (United States)
Mr. Michael Look, Northwest Deputy Regional Administrator, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (United States)
Mr. Willie G. Nunn, Regional Administrator - Region 10, FEMA, Department of Homeland Security (United States)
Dr. Brendan Kelly, Science Director, Study of Environmental Arctic Change, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Dr. Kelly A. Kryc, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Fisheries, Office of the Under Secretary, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (United States)
Dr. Michael Byers, Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law, University of British Columbia (Canada)
Dr. Michael Sfraga, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission; Chair & Distinguished Fellow, Polar Institute, The Wilson Center (United States)
Dr. John P. Holdren, Arctic Initiative Co-Chair, Harvard Kennedy School (United States)
Dr. Erin Whitney, Director, Arctic Energy Office, Department of Energy, (United States)
Mr. Robert Schwiers, Chief Economist, Chevron Corporation (United States)
Dr. Larry Hinzman, Assistant Director for Polar Sciences, Office of Science and Technology Policy (United States)
Dr. David Hik, Chief Scientist & Executive Director, Polar Knowledge Canada (Canada)
Mrs. Alison Hahn, Acting Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Nuclear Energy, Department of Energy (United States)
Mr. Michael McEleney, Senior Advisor, Arctic Energy Office - Department of Energy (United States)
Mr. Rob Gillam, CEO/President, McKinley Management, LLC (United States)
Mr. Hugh Short, CEO/Chairman, Pt Capital, LLC (United States)
Ms. Karla Brollier, Director of Patagonia’s Home Planet Fund; Partner at Velveteen Ventures (United States)
Dr. Dwayne Menezes, Founder and Managing Director, Polar Research and Policy Initiative (PRPI) (United Kingdom)
Mr. Douglas Jones, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European & Eurasian Affairs, Department of State (United States)
Dr. Sue Natali, Senior Scientist & Permafrost Pathways Lead, Woodwell Climate Research Center (United States)
Dr. Pearl K. Brower, President/CEO Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation and Affiliate Research Professor, International Arctic Research Center (United States)
Mr. John Boyle, Commissioner, Department of Natural Resources, State of Alaska (United States)
Mr. Douglas Vincent-Lang, Commissioner, Department of Alaska Fish and Game, State of Alaska (United States)
Mr. Deven MItchell, Chief Executive Officer, Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (United States)
Mr. Mead Treadwell, Former Lt. Governor of Alaska 2010-2014, Treadwell Development (United States)
Mr. Apagzuk/Apagruk Roy Agloinga, President & CEO, First Alaskans Institute (United States)
Dr. Liza Mack, Board Member, Aleut International Association (United States)
Chief Gary Harrison, Chickaloon Native Village; Arctic Athabaskan Council (United States)
Chief Bill Erasmus, Chief, Dene Nation, Turtle Island (Canada)
Ms. Kiera O'Brien, Public Policy Representative, TOTAL Energies (United States)
Mr. Aaron M. Schutt, President and CEO, Doyon, Limited. (United States)
Mr. Mads Qvist Frederiksen, Executive Director, Arctic Economic Council (Norway)
Dr. Aaron Dotson, Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)
Ms. Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer, Director of Climate Initiatives, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (United States)
Ms. Emily Edenshaw, President & CEO, Alaska Native Heritage Center (United States)
Ms. Melanie Bahnke, President & CEO, Kawerak, Inc. (United States)
Mr. Nagruk Harcharek, President, The VOICE of the Arctic Inupiat (United States)
Mr. Morrie Lemen Jr., Executive Director, Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS) (United States)
Ms. Anu Frederikson, Executive Director, Arctic Frontiers (Norway)
Ms. Julie Decker, President, Pacific Seafood Processors Association (United States)
Mr. Jeremy Woodrow, Executive Director, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (United States)
Ms. Kasaŋnaaluk Marie N. Greene, President, Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) - Alaska (United States)
Mr. Edward Alexander, Co-Chair, Gwich’in Council International (Canada)
Ms. Vera Kingeekuk Metcalf, Executive Director, Eskimo Walrus Commission; Co-Principal Investigator, Study of Environmental Arctic Change (United States)
Mr. Tero Vauraste, Senior Advisor of ICEYE Ltd.; Senior Advisor IQM, IQM Finland OY (Finland)
Dr. Juha Vartiainen, Co-Founder & Global Affairs Officer, IQM Quantum Computers (Finland)
Mr. Frode Halvorsen, CEO, Ocean Autonomy Cluster; City Council Member, City of Trondheim (Norway)
Ms. Kristina Woolston, External Affairs Manager, Donlin Gold (United States)
Ms. Christine Resler, President and CEO, ASRC Energy Services (United States)
Ms. Marilyn Romano, Regional Vice President, Alaska Airlines; Arctic Encounter Board of Directors (United States)
Ms. Courtney Unruh, SAF & Sustainability Engagement Director, Alaska Airlines (United States)
Mr. Tim Thompson, Community Marketing and Public Relations Director - Alaska, Alaska Airlines (United States)
Dr. Haliehana Stepetin (Unangax̂), Assistant Professor, Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies (United States)
Ms. Liz Qaulluq Cravalho, Vice President of Lands, NANA Regional Corporation; Commissioner, U.S. Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Mr. Paul Fuhs, Arctic Goodwill Ambassador, The Northern Forum (United States)
Ms. Dalee Sambo Dorough, Senior Scholar and Special Adviser on Arctic Indigenous Peoples, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)
Ms. Bridget Anderson, Senior Vice President - External Affairs, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (United States)
Ms. Nicole Wojciehowski, Deputy Director, North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife (United States)
Ms. Doreen Leavitt, Director of Natural Resources and Tribal Council Secretary, Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (United States)
Mr. Oliver Peetook, Board Chairman, Olgoonik Corporation (United States)
Mr. Nicholas Rotker, Chief BlueTech Strategist, MITRE (United States)
Ms. Lisa Charles, Resident, Mertarvik (United States)
Ms. Della Carl, Resident, Mertarvik (United States)
Ms. Carolyn George, Lower Kuskokwim School District; Resident, Newtok (United States)
Ms. Christina Waska, BIA Tribal Climate Resilience Program Relocation Coordinator, Resident, Mertarvik (United States)
Ms. Libby Casey, Senior News Anchor, The Washington Post (United States)
Mr. Matt Hickey, Director of Engagements, Ted Stevens Center, U.S. Department of Defense (United States)
Mr. Benjamin Kellie, Entrepreneur and Space Industry Expert; Arctic Encounter Board of Directors (United States)
Mr. Clay Koplin, CEO, Cordova Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CEC) (United States)
Ms. Emily Schwing, Rural Alaska Correspondent, Freelancing for the New York Times, Washington Post and National Public Radio (United States)
Mr. Arne O Holm, Editor/Commentator, High North News (Norway)
Ms. Cordelia Kellie, Policy Advisor and Special Assistant for Rural Affairs, Office of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (United States)
Mr. Pete Chelkowski, Producer/Director, Vitamin Sea (United States)
Mr. Andrew Smith, Intergovernmental Relations, Government of Yukon (Canada)
Ms. Sara Boario, Regional Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska (United States)
Ms. Mercedes Kashatok, Alaska Pacific University Elders' Council Liaison and Chixtax Designs (United States)
Ms. Tayler Higgins, Arctic Youth Ambassador and Center for Native American Youth Champion for Change (United States)
Mr. Cade Terada, Community Organizer, Common Justice (United States)
Ms. Nivea-Alexis Kinneeveauk, Arctic Youth Ambassador (United States)
Mr. Andreas Raspotnik, Senior Researcher, High North Center for Business and Governance, Nord University (Norway)
Ms. Linda Simensen, Regional Manager, Akvaplan-Niva AS (Norway)
Mr. Shane Sadoway, Regional Director, Navigational Programs & Operations, Arctic Region, Canadian Coast Guard (Canada)
Mr. Jean-Luc Bédard, Federal Policing Criminal Operations - Border Integrity Arctic Region Manager, RCMP (Canada)
Mr. Alex Shahbazi, Research & Program Management Fellow, Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) (United States)
Dr. P. Whitney Lackenbauer, Canada Research Chair in the Study of the Canadian North and Professor in the School for the Study of Canada at Trent University (Canada)
Mr. Youssef Mani, Assistant Commissioner, Arctic Region, Canadian Coast Guard (Canada)
Mr. Duncan Smith, President, Smith Advocacy Group LLC (United States)
Mr. Jim Butler, Principal, Incident Response Group LLC (United States)
Mr. Andrew Hartsig, Senior Director, Arctic Program, Ocean Conservancy (United States)
Ms. Karen Plentikoff, Environment & Safety Administrator, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (United States)
Ms. Alice Rogoff, Publisher, Arctic Today and Arctic Business Journal (United States)
Mr. Forgiveness “Givey” Kochanowski, Regional Director Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (United States)
Mr. Jeffrey Brooks, Social Scientist, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska Region
Mr. Mick Bradway, Regional Supervisor, Resource Evaluation, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (United States)
Mr. Michael Haller, Tribal & Community Liaison, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (United States)
Dr. John Farrell, Executive Director, US Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Dr. Mark Myers, Commissioner, US Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Dr. Geoffrey Ellis, Research Geologist, US Geological Survey (United States)
Ms. Richelle Johnson, Lead Analyst, UAA Center for Economic Development (United States)
Dr. Alexander Hirsch, Director of Climate Scholars Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Dr. Courtney Carothers, Professor, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Mr. Nicholas Jacuk, Indigenous Stewardship Fellow/Master’s Student of Fisheries (Tamanta Fellow), Ocean Conservancy/University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Mr. Jeffrey Libby, Executive Director, UAA Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC-ARCTIC) (United States)
Dr. Jason Fellman, Director, Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center, University of Alaska Southeast (United States)
Dr. Jennifer Spence, Senior Fellow, Arctic Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School (United States)
Ms. Rachel Kallander, Founder & CEO, Arctic Encounter; Chief Strategist, Kallander & Associates; Owner & Publisher, The Cordova Times; Honorary Consul of Iceland for Alaska (United States)
Ms. Deborah Vo, Commissioner US Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Ms. Nikoosh Carlo, Commissioner, US Arctic Research Commission (United States)
Mr. Evon Peter, Senior Research Scientist, Center for Alaska Native Health Research, UAF (United States)
Dr. Sohvi Kangasluoma, Postdoctoral researcher, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland (Finland)
Mr. Juho Karhu, Arctic sailor & Video producer, Alluring Arctic (Finland)
Mr. Ethan Berkowitz, Founding Member, Far North Fiber, LLC (United States
Dr. Diane Hirshberg, Director, UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research, Professor of Education Policy, University of Alaska Anchorage, and Vice President - Academic, University of the Arctic (United States)
Dr. Kirk Anderson, Professor of Educational Administration, Memorial University of Newfoundland and University of the Arctic Chair in School Effectiveness and School Improvement Canada (Canada)
Dr. Panigkaq Agatha John-Shields, Assistant Professor Indigenizing Education, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)
Dr. Gregor Ross Dørum Maxwell, Associate Professor in Pedagogy and Inclusive and Special Education, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway (Norway)
Ms. Anne-Mette Bjøru, Lecturer, Master’s program in Special Education, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Campus Alta (Norway)
Dr. Carl Egede Bøggild Ph.D., Special Advisor, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Church (Greenland)
Dr. Nadia Filimonova, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Arctic Initiative - Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School (United States)
Dr. Lynn Zender, Executive Director, Zender Environmental Group (United States)
Ms. Evelyn Agnus, Rural Environmental Program Specialist, Zender Environmental Health Group; Native Village of Chefornak Tribal Member (United States)
Ms. Anahma Shannon, Environmental Program Director, Kawerak, Inc (United States)
Mr. Bob Blankenburg, P.E, Solid Waste & Pesticide Programs Manager, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (United States)
Dr. Kristin Reardon, PE, Water/Sanitation, Victims of Crime, and Health Facilities Program Manager,Denali Commission (United States)
Mr. Andreas Raspotnik, Senior Researcher, High North Center for Business and Governance, Nord University (Norway)
Mr. Apostolos Tsiouvalas, PhD Candidate, The Norwegian Center for the Law of the Sea, University of Tromsø (Norway)
Mr. Bjørn Larsen, Executive of Business Development, Nordland County Council, Bodø (Norway)
Ms. Gry Agnete Alsos, Dean, Nord University Business School (Norway)
Mrs. Linda Simensen, Regional Manager Nordland, Akvaplan Niva (Norway)
Mr. Ephraim D. Froehlich, Founder, AKWA-DC (United States)
Dr. Francis Wiese, Co-Principal Investigator, Study of Environmental Arctic Change (United States)
Ms. Savannah Fletcher, Presiding Officer of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly, Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly (United States)
Dr. Torre Jorgenson, Affiliate Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Mr. Jimmy Fox, Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge Manager, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (United States)
Dr. Mohammad Heidari Kapourchali, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)
Dr. Michelle Mack, Professor of Ecosystem Ecology, Northern Arizona University (United States)
Mr. Art Dahlin, Vice President & Alaska General Manager, TOTE Maritime Alaska (United States)
Lieutenant Commander Abbie Lyons, United States Coast Guard (United States)
Mr. Taylor Holshouser, Investment Associate, Builders Vision (United States)
Mrs. Taylor Burgh, Operations Manager, Alaska Resource Education, (United States)
Ms. Emily Hart, Environmental Scientist, Kuna Engineering, (United States)
Mr. Liam Zsolt, Director of Innovation, ASRC Energy Services, (United States)
Mr. Dylan Faber, Government and Community Affairs, Manager, Matson Alaska, USA
Dr. Kelsey Frazier, Acting Associate Director, Ted Stevens Center (United States)
Ms. Sheyna Wisdom, Director, Alaska Ocean Observing System (United States)
Mr. Mead Treadwell, Co-Chair, Advisory Committee, Polar Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Former Lieutenant Governor, State of Alaska; former Chair, US Arctic Research Commission(United States)
Dr. Kathryn Bryk Friedman, North American Arctic Policy Advisor, Ted Stevens Center (United States)
Dr. Diana Bensyl, Director, Arctic Investigations Program CDC (United States)
Dr. Margaret Honein, Director, Div of Disease Readiness and Innovation CDC (United States)
Dr. Brenna Simons, Deputy Director, Arctic Investigations Program CDC (United States)
Ms. Jocelyn Fenton, Interim Federal Co-Chair, Denali Commission (United States)
Dr. Joe McLaughlin, State Epidemiologist, Alaska Dept of Health (United States)
Dr. Joe Klejka, VP Quality, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (United States)
Ms. Patuk Glenn, Executive Director, Arctic Slope Community Foundation (United States)
Ms. Alice Qannik Glenn, Podcast Host/Producer, Coffee & Quaq (United States)
Mr. Aaron Leggett, President & Chair, Native Village of Eklutna (United States)
Ms. Elle Márja Eira, Artist & Director, Sakkhon (Norway)
Ms. Polly Andrews, Cup’ik Indigenous Artist, Alaska (United States)
Ms. Ria Smyke, Student & Legislative Intern, University of Alaska Southeast/Office of State Senator Forrest Dunbar (United States)
Mr. Rhayne Loggins, Student & Climate Scholar, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Ms. Bree Smith, Student & Climate Scholar, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Ms. Harmony Wayner, Northern Visions Fellowship Coordinator, Arctic Encounter (United States)
Ms. Hannah-Marie Garcia, Director of the Indigenous Sentinels Network (ISN), Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government (United States)
Mr. Nicholas Jacuk, Indigenous Stewardship Fellow/Master’s Student of Fisheries, Ocean Conservancy/University of Alaska Fairbanks, Kenai, AK (United States)
Ms. Priscilla Aumaqpaq Frankson, Graduate Research Assistant - American Indian Studies, Arizona State University, Point Hope, AK (United States)
Ms. Lila Bellucci, International Marine Policy Fellow, NOAA Office of International Affairs, Valdez, AK (United States)
Ms. Alexis Aqavzik Rexford, Student and Development Intern, Reindeer Herders' Association, Gambell, AK (United States)
Ms. Brooke Hansen, Caseworker/Field Representative, Office of U.S. Representative Mary Sattler Peltola, Anchorage, AK & Washington DC (United States)
Mr. Sean McDowell, Community Centered Fundraising Fellow; 2024 Alaska Fellow (United States)
Ms. Arina Didriksen, Graduate Student - Security & Disaster Management (Arctic Security), University of Alaska Fairbanks, Kyiv (Ukraine)
Mr. Jus Tavcar, Master’s Student of Arctic Policy/Teaching Assistant, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Mr. Tuan Graziano, Donor Relations Manager, American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, Anchorage, AK (United States)
Mr. David Jiang, Program & Policy Fellow, Arctic Encounter (United States)