Conference Agenda

Agenda

Affiliate agendas are available here. Download the Conference Program PDF.

Newly Elected Officials Training, Monday, December 8, 2025
9:00 AM Quasi Judicial Role & Ex-Parte Law Max Holmquist, JDOLAW  
10:45 AM Roles & Responsibilities of Municipal Officials April Trickey, FNSB Roles and Responsibilities of Municipal Officials
    Holly Wells, Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot  
11:45 AM Introduction to AML Nils Andreassen, Alaska Municipal League  
1:00 PM Open Meetings Act Jill Dolan, Fairbanks North Star Borough  
2:30 PM Parliamentary Procedure Sheri Pierce, City of Valdez  
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
9:00 AM Tikahtnu Ballroom Opening Session – Welcome and Reflection Lisa Parker, President, Alaska Municipal League AML President  
      Pat Branson Past AML President  
      Bruce Botelho Former Alaska Attorney General  
      Marty Rutherford Board Member, Pantheon Resources PLC  
      Jim Cooper Past AML President  
      Mark Springer Past AML President  
10:30 AM   Embracing a Culture of Leadership Nils Andreassen Executive Director  
      Tim Rahschulte Co-founder  
12:00 PM   Community Compass: Navigating Today’s Realities Nils Andreassen Executive Director Navigating the Storm
      Kevin Berry, University of Alaska Professor of Economics and Department Chair  
      Nate Macek, HDR Infrastructure Finance Director  
           
1:15 PM Kahtnu 1 Defense Communities Brittany Smart, University of Alaska Fairbanks Senior Advisor for Defense, Community, and Research  
      Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, Municipality of Anchorage Mayor  
      Mayor Grier Hopkins, Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor  
           
  Kahtnu 2 Collapsing Cash – Managing through Fiscal Deficits Melody Nibeck, AMl Senior Community Resilience Manager Collapsing Cash – AML
      Lynn Kenealy, DCRA Local Goverment Specialist  
      Anne Bailey, Aleutians East Borough Borough Administrator Bailey – Aleutians East Borough Administrator
      Beth Weldon, City & Borough of Juneau Mayor Weldon – CBJ Mayor
           
  Tikahtnu Ballroom Addressing Housing Challenges Alicia Hughes-Skandijs, AML Director or Programs Addressing Housing Challenges
      Griffin Hagle Forster, Association of Alaska Housing Authorities Executive Director  
      Daniel Delfino, AHFC Director, Planning and Program Development  
      Matt Labrenz, UAF Cooperative Extension Forest Products Specialist  
      Lauren Lowery, Housing & Community Development, NLC Director of Housing and Community Development  
           
  Tubughnenq 3 Navigating the Not-So-Perfect-Storm Farha Karim & Danielle Meeker, AML Farha – Program Manager; Danielle – Resilience Coordinator  
      Bryan Fisher, DHS&EM Division Director  
      Jason Bauer, AKEMA Emergency Operations Center Specialist  
      James Benzschawel, ANTHC Emergency Preparedness Program Manager  
      Kelly Hamilton, Emergency Manager, NWAB Emergency Manager  
           
  Tubughnenq 4 Pools, Parks, and Play Carole Triem and Erin Reinders, AML Carole – Intergovernmental Affairs Manager; Erin – Senior Director of Planning and Community Development  
      Terra Patterson, City & Borough of Juneau Aquatics Manager Terra – CBJ Aquatics Manager
      Jim Fowler, Energy Audits of Alaska Founder and Principal Fowler – Energy Audits of AK
      Joel Todd, City of Soldotna, ARPA Parks and Recreation Director  
           
  Tubughnenq 5 Public Investment Trends – Maximizing Revenues Nils Andreassen, AML Executive Director Public Investment Trends – AML
      Marty Margolis, Public Funds Investment Institute Founder Margolis – Public Funds Insitute
      Bill Lierman, APCM CEO  
      Garrett Macdonald, three+one CEO Macdonald – Cashvest CEO
           
2:30 PM Tikahtnu A APRA Annual Business Meeting      
           
3:15 PM Kahtnu 1 Digging Data and the Use of Drone Imagery Justin Schuster, AML Senior Energy Program Manger  
      Matt Gutacker, Alaska Remote Imaging Managing Principal  
      Tim Leach, Launch Alaska Deputy Director, Transportation  
      Alexander Hutcheson, MBI GIS Solutions Engineer  
           
  Kahtnu 2 Ask Me Anything – Municipal Law Rachel Morse, AML Director of Grant Management and Compliance Ask Me Anything – Municipal Law
      Matt Mead, Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP Partner  
      Jill Dolan, Fairbanks North Star Borough Borough Attorney  
      Cory Jorbin, HUB International Limited Chief Compliance Officer, HUB West Region  
           
  Tikahtnu Ballroom Shifting Sands – A Changing Federal Landscape Nils Andreassen, AML Executive Director Shifting Sands – A Changing Federal Landscape
      Mary Peltola, Holland and Hart Senior Director of Alaska Affairs  
      Kaleb Froehlich, Holland and Hart Senior Policy Advisor  
      Anton McParland, Holland and Hart Senior Director of Federal Affairs  
           
  Tubughnenq 3 Improving Community Health Danielle Meeker, AML Resilience Planning Coordinator Improving Community Health
      Lourdes Aceves, National League of Cities Director for Health and Wellbeing  
      Cheley Grisby, Department of Health, Division of Public Health Deputy Director  
      Dana Diehl, ANTHC Wellness and Prevention Director  
           
  Tubughnenq 4 Public and Local Media and Notices Melody Nibeck & Jordan Marshall, AML Melody – Senior Community Resilience Manager, Jordan – Lobbyist  
      Larry Persily, Alaska News Coalition Board Chair  
      Linda Wei, Alaska Public Media COO and Senior VP of Conent Wei – AK Public Media
      Alexandra McKay, ACF President and CEO McKay – AK Community Foundation
      Krtisin Hall, KYUK General Manager  
  Tubughnenq 5 AI in the Public Sector Kara Johnson and Britta Hamre, AML Kara – Statewide Municipal Sales Tax Administrator; Britta – Senior Planner, Transportation and Land Use AI in the Public Sector
      Kyle Easterly, Delve Group Co-founder  
      Brendan Babb, Municipality of Anchorage Chief Innovation Officer  
      Bill Smith, State of Alaska Chief Information Officer  
      Tim Rahschulte, Professional Development Academy Co-founder  
Thursday, December 11, 2025
8:00 AM Tikahtnu Ballroom Breakfast and Business      
8:30 AM   Thriving in the Tension of Municipal Life and Leadership Nils Andreassen, AML Executive Director  
      Seth Winterhalter, Halting Winter Municipal Solutions Founder  
           
10:00 AM K’enakatnu Education Task Force Listening Session Legislative Task Force Listening Session   Public Education
           
  Kahtnu 1 Effective Procurement Strategies Alicia Hughes-Skandijs, AML Director of Programs  
      Brooke Cashion, OPPM Deputy Chief Procurement Officer  
      Ron Brevogel, ANTHC/DEHE Construction Buyer Supervisor Brevogel – ANTHC
      Rosie Anderson, ANTH/DEHE Construction Buyer II & CPP  
      Ross Nelson, Sourcewell Associate Director, Government Accounts Nelson – Sourcewell
      Shelly Wade, Agnew::Beck Principal and Owner Wade – Agnew Beck
           
  Kahtnu 2 Dual Use Infrastructure Justin Schuster, AML Senior Energy Programs Manager Dual-Use Infrastructure
      Vanessa Raymond, UAF ACEP Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives  
      Jocelyn Fenton, Denali Commission Director of Programs  
      Katie Koester, CBJ City Manager  
           
  Tubughnenq 3 The Price of Popularity – tourism Impacts on Quality of Life Carole Triem, AML Intergovernmental Affairs Manager  
      Emily Deach, Port Communities of Alaska Borough Manager Deach – PCOA
      Rita Jefferson, ITEP Local Analyst  
      Terry Eubank, City of Kenai City Manager  
           
  Tubughnenq 4 Managing Assets Effectively – AML Shared Services Erin Reinders, AML Senior Director, Planning and Community Development Managing Assets Effectively
      Lachlan MacLean, icInfrastructure Asset Management Specialist  
      Javas Sekhon, Muniworth Waterworth Head of Growth  
      Jennifer Gross, MBI Technical Manager, Consulting and Technology Solutions  
      Tonya James, 60 Hertz Co-founder and COO  
          Jefferson – ITEP
  Tubughnenq 5 Revitalization Strategies and Community Building Kaitlyn Conway, AML Program Coordinator Revitalization Strategies
      Mindy O’Neall, City of Fairbanks Mayor  
      Nolan Klouda, Municipality of Anchorage Policy Director  
      Rob Dumouchel, CBJ Special Project Planning Manager  
      Marian Call, MusicAlaska Director  
      Michelangelo Bustamente, Native American Bank Commercial Lender  
           
  Tikahtnu A Fisheries-Dependent Communities Shannon Carroll, Trident Seafoods Director, Alaska Public Policy and Fisheries Development  
      Matt Alward, United Fisherman of Alaska President  
      Julie Decker, Pacific Seafood Processors Association President  
      Terry Haines, City of Kodiak Mayor  
           
12:00 PM Tikahtnu Ballroom Energy and Data Centers Randy Ruaro, AIDEA Executive Director  
12:15 PM   Regional Cooporation and Solutions Nils Andreassen, AML Executive Director  
      Joe McKinney, National Association of Development Organizations Executive Director  
      Erich Zimmermann, National Association of Regional Councils Executive Director  
      Teryn Zmuda, National Association of Counties Chief Research Officer and Chief Economist  
           
1:30 PM Kahtnu 1 The Power of Permitting Erin Reinders, AML Senior Director, Planning and Community Development The Power of Permitting
      Jocelyn Fenton, Denali Commission Director of Programs  
      Ashlee Adoko, State of Alaska DNR Executive Director, Office of Project Management and Permitting  
      Ren Scott, AML Program Coordinator  
      Pat Cotter, RESPEC Principal Planner and Infrastructure Business Development Director  
           
  Kahtnu 2 Building Age-Friendly Communities in Alaska Marge Stoneking, AARP Associate State Director of Advocacy Building Age Friendly Communities
      Mary Dean Broussard, Age Friendly Anchorage Volunteer Co-Chair  
      Anna Brawley, Municipality of Anchorage Assembly Member  
      Linda Kruger, Age Friendly Juneau Volunteer Co-Chair  
      Maureen Hall, CBJ Juneau Commission on Aging Assembly Member  
      Carol Anthony, Age Friendly Fairbanks Volunteer Co-Chair  
      Mike Sanders, City of Fairbanks Chief of Staff  
           
  Tubughnenq 3 Public Lands – Ownership, Revenues, and Trends Carole Tirem, AML Intergovernmental Affairs Manager  
      Gregory Nelson, National Center for Public Lands Director Nelson – NCPLC
      Reina Chano Murray, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy Associate Director, Center for Geospatial Solutions Murray – AlaskaPublicLands
      Delenora Gray, Bureau of Land Management Cadastral Surveyor/ANCSA 14(c) Specialist Grey – BLM-Alaska
  Tubughnenq 4 Implementing Effective Employee Benefits Alicia Hughes-Skandijs, AML Director of Programs Implementing Employee Benefits
      Cara Fox, ZenFox Solutions Principal Consultant  
      Jeff Yates, S3 Management Vice President of Marketing and Business Development  
           
  Tubughnenq 5 Addressing GIS Solutions – Why and How Danielle Meeker, AML Resilience Programs Coordinator Addressing GIS Solutions
      Sam Chanar, City of Toksook Bay Mayor  
      Nathaniel Betz, Coastal Villages Region fund Director of Community Programs  
      Roderick Atti, Coastal Villages Region Fund Community Benefits Coordinator  
      Chris Noel, Denali Borough Mayor  
      Hillary Palmer, Dewberry Associate, Program Manager, Geospatial and Technology Solutions  
           
  Tikahtnu A Rural Health Transformation Program Nils Andreassen, AML Executive Director Rural Health Transformation Program
      Emily Ricci, Alaska Department of Health Deputy Commissioner  
      Betsy Wood, Alaska Department of Health Health Care Policy Advisor  
      Bob Lawrence, Alaska Department of Health Chief Medical Officer, Division of Public Health  
           
3:15 PM Kahtnu 1 Back to Buckets – Transportation Britta Hamre, AML Senior Planner, Transportation and Land Use AML Transportation Programs
      Sara Lucey, DOT&PF Statewide Planning Chief  
      Judy Chapman, DOT&PF Deputy Director, Statewide Planning Lucey-Chapman – DOTPF
      Nikki Navio, Denali Commission Transportation Program Manager Navio – Denali Commission
           
  Kahtnu 2 Back to Buckets – Energy Justin Schuster, AML Senior Energy Projects Manager  
      Conner Erickson, Alaska Energy Authority Director of Planning  
      Erin Whitney, Arctic Energy Authority Director  
      Katie Conway, Denali Commission Energy Program Manager  
      Melanie Lucas-Conwell, ASEC Director Lucas-Conwell – ASEC
      Isaac Vanderburg, Launch Alaska CEO  
           
  Tubughnenq 3 Back to Buckets – Water and Wastewater Melody Nibeck, AML Senior Community Resilience Manager  
      Ari Neumann, RCAC Chief Impact and Policy Officer Neumann – CIPO – RCAP
      Cody Uhlig and Kalen Stamp, ANTHC Engineering Project Managers Uhlig – ANTHC
      Gene McCabe, Alaska DEC Director, Division of Water McCabe – Director AK DEC
           
  Tubughnenq 4 Back to Buckets – Broadband Erin Reinders, AML Senior Director, Planning and Community Development Broadband
      Jeremiah Beckett, Cordova Telecom; ATA CEO  
      Jens Laipenieks, ASTAC General Manager and CEO  
      Heather Cavanaugh, Alaska Communications VP, External Affairs and Corporate Communications  
      Jennifer Nelson, GCI Senior Director of Rural Affairs  
      Christine O’Connor Executive Director  
      Thomas Lochner, Alaska Broadband Office Director  
           
  Tubughnenq 5 Back to Buckets – Resilience Danielle Meeker, AML Resilience Programs Coordinator Resilience
      Amy Hendricks, AVCP    
      Rick Thoman, ACCAP Climate Specialist  
      Nadine Kochuten, Alaska Conservation Foundation Network Coordinator, Aleutian Bering Sea Initiative  
Friday, December 12, 2025

8am-12pm         AGFOA                                                                                                      Kahtnu 1-2

8:00am               Breakfast

8:30am               AMLIP Annual Meeting                                                                         Tubughnenq 3-5

  • Safeguarding Investments
  • Managing Return
  • Increasing Capacity

9:30am               AML Annual Business Meeting                                                           Tubughnenq 3-5

  • President’s Report
  • Director’s Report
  • Resolutions Committee
  • Legislative Committee
  • Nominating Committee – Elections

Noon                   Adjourn