Alaska Chapter Officers and Board

Gretchen C. Gordon, CFRE, President
KUAC FM 89.9/Alaska One TV 9
907-474-1891

Gretchen began her career in development and fundraising at the Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross in 1999 after spending 10 years as a licensed Social Worker in Texas. She held positions at the Red Cross in database management and employee giving campaigns; at Junior Achievement managing a small development program; and back at the Red Cross directing the major and planned giving program prior to moving to Alaska.  In 2003, Gretchen moved to Fairbanks to lead the development efforts at KUAC Public Broadcasting and AlaskaOne Public Television Network.  Gretchen is a CFRE, was honored as the 2008 Outstanding Professional in Philanthropy by AFP Alaska, and was recently appointed to serve on the Education and Training Committee of the AFP International's Professional Advancement Division.

Her areas of expertise include: major giving, fundraising plans, strategic planning and volunteer fundraising development.   However, she has experience in most areas of fundraising.

Beth Johnson, CFRE - Secretary / Philanthropy Day Co-Chair
United Way of Anchorage
907-263-4696

Originally from Washington state, Beth visited Alaska in 2004, fell in love with the great state, and moved here in 2005. She is the Director of Individual Giving at United Way of Anchorage, the AFP Board Secretary, and this year will co-chair National Philanthropy Day. She is a member of the Coalition of Alaska Leadership Development and is also a Big Sister. Beth has over 15 years experience in non-profits including membership, marketing and development. She has worked for the Anchorage Concert Association, Emergency Food Network, Tacoma Actors Guild, Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, Point Defiance Zoological Society, and provided contractual services for the Tacoma City Ballet. She received her CFRE certification in 2008. Her areas of specialty are: program development, donor segmentation, fundraising/strategic planning, communications and mission-driven events. She is passionate about philanthropy and volunteerism, and is interested in cultivating those traits in future generations. 

Chrissy Bell, CFRE, VP Membership
Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association
907-263-2046

Roberta B. Rinehart, CFRE, Public Relations Chair
Sitka Summer Music Festival
907-223-0757

In 2005, Bobi returned to Anchorage after working in Seattle as the Executive Director of North Pacific Marine Science Foundation. She also owned a fundraising consulting firm for five years and has more than thirteen years' expertise in fundraising, public relations, and non-profit management. Currently, she is the Executive Director for the Sitka Summer Music Festival with offices in both Sitka and Anchorage.   Her areas of expertise include, donor relations/tracking, fundraising plans, grant writing/tracking, and development audits.  However, she has experience in most areas of fundraising.

Jennifer Simeonoff, CFRE, VP Programs
University of Alaska Foundation
(907) 786-1146

Jennifer Simeonoff, CFRE, has been the Corporate and Foundation Relations Manager for the University of Alaska since 2008. Jennifer is a 1998 UAA alumna and was given the 2005 CASE Rising Star Award for her work as the Annual Giving Manager at UAA from 2000-2005. Jennifer was instrumental in Providence Alaska Medical Center Foundation’s recent Cancer Center campaign which raised over $22 million. Her fundraising experience is in volunteer management, strategic planning, corporations, major gifts and campaigns. Jennifer is a lifelong Alaskan and lives in Anchorage with her husband and daughter. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, a really good beer, and the outdoors.

Brenda Hewitt, SE Region
United Way of Southeast Alaska
907-463-5530

Brenda Hewitt is President and CEO of United Way of Southeast Alaska.  She is a 1974 graduate of the University of Alaska and has her masters degree from George Washington University in Political Management.  She is currently a member of the Foraker Operations Board, the Juneau Community Foundation and serves on the fundraising committee to rebuild Holy Trinity Church in Juneau.

Formerly of Fairbanks, Brenda served as the Alumni Director for UAF after completing two terms on the board of directors and later owned her own public relations firm.

She believes strongly in giving back to our communities and promotes philanthropy believing Alaskans should invest here where they earned their living.

Wanda Peros, Interior Region Rep
KUAC FM 89.9/Alaska One TV 9
907-474-7692

Wanda is corporate support manager at KUAC/AlaskaOne in Fairbanks.  She received a BS degree in office technology at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan and while attending school worked in the development office.  Wanda later worked for annual giving at the University of Michigan, serving as a team leader in customer service for development staff involved in gift administration, alumni records and annual giving.  She continued as team leader while moving on to serve as manager of donor recognition programs for the University of Michigan.  Wanda has over 12 years of development experience including work on a successful $1 billion campaign, leading teams and meetings and offering training and presentations.

Adele M Alderman is the Development Director for the Alaska Humanities Forum.  Prior to that, she was Director of Workplace Campaigns at United Way of Anchorage for eight years. Adele holds a BS in Education and an MBA from Alaska Pacific University .

Adele is looking forward to increasing the financial support and community awareness of the work that the Humanities Forum does throughout Alaska .  She sees great opportunities to strengthen existing and foster new partnerships.  Adele and her husband, Jerry, have two children; Garrett, 9 years old, and Elle, 5 years old.  She enjoys reading, music, performing arts, skiing, biking, hiking and swimming.

Erica Struyk, Scholarship Committee Chair
United Way of Anchorage
907-263-3838

Raised in North Carolina, Erica Struyk moved to Anchorage in January 2008, and became a Donor Relationship Manager for United Way of Anchorage in April. As a Donor Relationship Manager, she is responsible for stewarding donors in a diverse portfolio of workplace campaigns and affinity groups. Erica is looking forward to increasing community awareness of United Way’s work in education, income, and health.

In addition to being the chair for AFP’s scholarship committee, Erica was awarded the AFP First Course Scholarship in the fall of 2008. She holds a BA in English Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill and is currently working on a MS in Human Services with a concentration in Non-profit Management from Capella University. Erica and her husband Brian enjoy spending time with their friends, being a part of the United States Air Force, hiking, cross country skiing, reading, and traveling.

Julie Varee, Diversity Committee Chair
Archdiocese of Anchorage
907-297-7718

Julie Varee, CFRE has 25 years of experience leading the work of nonprofit organizations to build mutually-beneficial relationships with individuals, corporations and foundations.  She has worked with social service, science, religious and arts organizations in Washington, D.C., Monterey, Calif., and Anchorage.  Julie is skilled in creating and implementing annual giving programs, writing case statements and copy for other development tools, and working with individual and corporate donors.  Her volunteer work has included service on the boards of YWCA of Anchorage and Alaska Junior Theater, and as a mentor for Leadership Anchorage.  In 1998, AFP, Alaska Chapter recognized Varee as Outstanding Professional in Philanthropy.

Ann M. Hale, MA, CFRE, AFP IHQ District L, ex officio
Alaska Pacific University
907-564-8346
 
Ann Hale has lived in Anchorage since the age of four.  She is a graduate of  Bartlett High School, holds a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Utah and a Masters of Arts in Philanthropy & Development from St. Mary University of Minnesota.    After three years of working in the advertising field, Ann began her career in fund raising and development at Providence Alaska Foundation where she worked for five years. In 1997, she became Director of Development at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. Currently, she is Director of University Advancement at Alaska Pacific University, a position she has held since July 2002. 

Ann is a Past President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals - Alaska Chapter.  She is a member of the AFP International Board of Directors, and currently serves as chair of the Member/Chapter Services committee. Ann received her CFRE designation in September of 2001 and was also honored with receiving AFP Alaska Chapter’s Outstanding Development Professional Award for 2001.