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2018 Trails Conference KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Steven Moore
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2018 Trails Conference BREAKOUT SESSION PRESENTERS
STAY TUNED – MORE BIOS TO COME
Osama Abaza
Osama Abaza is a Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). He is a graduate of Brigham Young University for his doctoral degree and University of Toledo/Ohio for his master’s and undergraduate degrees. He worked in the academic circles and industry for the last 33 years in the field of civil/transportation engineering as it relates to traffic and traffic safety, pavement structures, pavement management, and highway engineering and materials. He published more than 62 refereed publications in civil/transportation engineering. His current research are focused on cold region transportation and traffic safety issues like the use of steel fiber-reinforced rubberized concrete for roadway/intersection rutting mitigation, calibration of National Highway Safety Manual for cold regions applications, frequency and potential severity of red light running, accident reduction factors relating to moose-vehicle collision, etc. He is a member of Institute of Traffic Engineers, ASCE, IEEE, ACI and other national and international professional organization.
Steven Moore Born and raised on Washington's beautiful Olympic
Peninsula, Steven is no stranger to the importance of trails and wild places.
His time spent in nature inspired him to pursue a career of environmental
stewardship and artistic expression in the city of Seattle where he worked
for the renowned Washington Trails Association, while also doing music
part time. Steven worked as WTA's Volunteer Program Manager and
oversaw years of growth in their robust volunteer trail maintenance
program, which reached a milestone of over 5000 volunteers and 160,000
hours of work in 2017. Throughout this time Steven oversaw many
technological and social advancements within the organization that helped
WTA attract and retain new volunteers through their basic principles of
safety, fun and work. With a mind for logistics and developing personal
relationships Steven was a valuable asset to WTA during his employment
there and is ready to continue sharing his passion for trails and art in Alaska
and beyond.
Check out Steven’s music at: www.mossyraven.com
Tom Bickauskas
Erik Boraas
Darcy Bromley Harris
Darcy has managed the Alaska State Trails Program for the past 6 ½ years and, as the Recreational Trails Program and the Snowmobile Trails Program manager, assists the public with grants for trail projects that not only improve quality of life, but mental and physical well-being. A native of Southcentral Alaska, Darcy was inspired by her parents’ love of wild places. After attending college outside, she returned and choose Alaska for herself. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and an M.S. in Project Management. She and her husband Chet embrace the outdoors in Alaska, spending time biking, gardening, hiking, camping, flying, fishing, skiing, and berry picking at their cabin.
Tom Bickauskas works for Bureau of Land Management at the Alaska State Office. He
leads the recreation program, and additionally, the Wild and Scenic Rivers, National
Historic Trails and National Landscape Conservation System programs. Tom’s interest
in trails and recreation began in 2001 as a trail inventory specialist working for
Recreation Solutions Forest Service Enterprise Team. After riding 30,000 miles on a
government motorcycle, he shifted gears to work on travel management and
recreation planning. Tom has worked for the BLM since 2010 in Arizona, Nevada and
Alaska.
Erik is a life long Alaskan, born and raised in Soldotna. He has worked as a wilderness
ranger, fisherman, and archeologist. He has traveled extensively around the world and
adventured all over Alaska. He settled in Juneau and spent a season as the field
coordinator for Trail Mix, Inc., a trail building non-profit. He acceded to executive director
in 2011.
Erik is a board member of Alaska Trails.
Christine Byl
Bruce Dale
Robert DeVassie
Christine Byl, co-owner of Interior Trails, is a writer and a trail builder of 22 years. After 12 seasons working on federal trail crews in Glacier NP, Chugach NF and Denali NP, in 2008 Christine and her husband Gabe Travis founded Interior Trails, specializing in sustainable trail design, layout, construction, consulting and training in Alaska. Christine's first book, Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods is about trail crews, tools, wilderness, and labor, and was selected by Backpacker Magazine as one of 20 Great Books for the Trail. She lives on a few acres of tundra north of Denali National Park and spends as much time as possible in wild places by foot, bike, ski, boat and dog. For more information on Interior Trails, visit www.interior-trails.com.
Robert DeVassie, P.E. STP, is a transportation engineer and sustainable transportation professional with the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities. He graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a civil engineering bachelor’s degree and later received a graduate certificate in design and construction management at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Robert has served on the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Alaska Section board and was nominated the 2016 ITE Alaska Engineer of the Year. Robert’s passion has been building active communities while making traveling safer for all users. He is involved with Greenroads and their advisory council, and recently started the ITE Alaska Active Transportation Committee. Robert participates in many non-motorized groups including Anchorage Trails Initiative, Trail Watch, Live. Work. Play., Metropolitan Transportation Plan MTP2040, AMATS Non-motorized Plan, AMATS Complete Streets Policy, AMATS Street Typologies Plan, AMATS Air Quality Advisory Committee, Vision Zero, Action Institute to Increase Walking and Walkability, and the Alaska Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
Bruce Dale grew up in Northern Indiana, hunting, fishing, and enjoying outdoor
pursuits with his family. He moved to Alaska in 1984, became a pilot, and has been
flying and working with wildlife ever since.
Prior to joining the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in 1995, Bruce worked for
the National Park Service for over a decade. He then joined ADF&G’s Division of
Wildlife Conservation as the Fairbanks Area Management Biologist. Over the years,
Bruce has accepted increasingly complex responsibilities, serving as Research
Biologist, Region IV Supervisor, Deputy Director, and Acting Division Director, and
now as Director. Bruce was appointed Director of the Division of Wildlife
Conservation in July 2015.
He earned a Master of Science degree in wildlife biology from the University of
Alaska Fairbanks and a Bachelor of Art degree in scientific and technical
communication from Michigan Technological University.
Annie DuBois
Kristina Fillman
Randy Goodwin
Randy Goodwin moved to Fairbanks, Alaska in 1982 to attend the University of
Alaska – Fairbanks, and graduated with a degree in Natural Resource
Management in 1985. Randy began working for the Bureau of Land Management
as a Recreation Planner in the White Mountains National Recreation Area, where
he helped to build a 17-mile road, three campgrounds, and a network of 250 miles
of trails connecting a system of public-use cabins. In 2005, he shifted to working
on statewide access issues as the BLM-Alaska travel management and
transportation planning program lead. Prior to working for BLM, Randy worked
for the National Park Service in Yosemite and the US Forest Service in the Inyo and
Chugach National Forests. Randy enjoys riding ATVs and snowmobiles, hiking,
backpacking, and traveling.
Annie DuBois works for the Anchorage Park Foundation as the Youth Employment in Parks Program Coordinator and enjoys sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for the natural world with Anchorage teens. When Annie was 14 years old, she decided she wanted to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Completing this amazing journey and discovering a passion for the outdoors lead her to pursue a career in Environmental Science. She came to Alaska in 2009 for seasonal fieldwork delineating wetlands and fell in love with the 49th state. As an avid hiker, biker, skier, and runner, Annie loves living in a place where her backyard includes over 250 miles of trails and green belts to explore.
Kristina moved to Anchorage in 2017 to pursue a graduate degree from Alaska
Pacific University in Environmental Science. She graduated that same year from
University of Maryland University College with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Business Administration and Environmental Management. She also has a
background in meteorology, IT, and occasionally moonlights as a bartender.
When not in school, Kristina and her husband enjoy hiking with their dogs, traveling
and mountain biking.
Mark Gronewald
Joe Hall
Lee Hart
Lee Hart is the Executive Director of Levitation 49, a non-profit sports commission in
Valdez dedicated to economic diversification through outdoor adventure. Lee brings
more than a decade of experience and connections from the outdoor, snow sports,
bike and adventure travel industries to her work with L49. She is particularly fond of
singletrack trails for mountain biking and is the founder of the Chugach Fat Bike Bash.
Joe has been working on trails for the better part of the past ten years. After
growing up in the malaise of suburban Detroit and working nothing but dead end
jobs, he energized himself by joining a backcountry crew in Escalante, Utah.
Drawn in by the sense of community and the feeling of actually improving public
lands, he chose to dedicate his time to trails. He spent his formative years leading
trail crews in the conservation corps world. This took him all over the western
states and Alaska and in 2015 took the leap to an agency role. He is now the trails
manager for Chugach State Park. Joe’s main focus is providing sustainable
solutions for trails in Chugach State Park while getting young folks and volunteers
out working on trails.
Mark Gronewald got his start in the trail world as a US Forest Service trail crew
member in 1977, then spent 20 years as a wildland firefighter and backcountry ski
guide. As the owner of Wildfire Designs Bicycles, he was an early pioneer and
manufacturer of fat-tired snow bikes. He is the founder of Valley Mountain Bike
Alliance (now Valley Mountain Bikers and Hikers) and has volunteered on numerous
trail projects in the Mat Su Valley. From 2005 to 2013, Mark worked as a trail crew
leader and trails specialist for Alaska State Parks and the Mat-Su Borough. He has
operated Trailwerx, a private trails construction firm since 2013.
Nat Haslett
Eileen Kazura
Karen Kromrey
Eileen Kazura is the Risk Management Coordinator for Alaska Geographic, and manages
youth and young adult teams serving across the state of Alaska. She has been involved
with youth and young adult engagement through conservation work 6 years. She desires
to help young people develop critical thinking skills and strong work ethic through trail
and restoration projects, and enjoys celebrating each person’s unique connection to the
non-human world, with the ultimate goal of youth co-leadership in programmatic
decision making. She lives in Anchorage with her partner.
Nat Haslett collaborates with Nate Sievert on the Trans-Alaska Trail project. Originally
from New England, he first recognized the transformative impact of long trails while
working in backcountry huts along the Appalachian Trail. He loves working to help
Alaska better capture global demand for destination trails.
Karen is the Recreation Program Manager for the Chugach National Forest in the Alaska
Region of the Forest Service where she supports recreation program management across
the 5.4 million acre Chugach National Forest. She has served in multiple positions on the
Chugach National Forest over her 29 years in Alaska, including Timber Sale Administrator,
Outfitter Guide Administrator, and District Staff Officer on Seward Ranger District. Karen
enjoys hiking, biking, and backpacking on trails across a variety of public lands in Alaska
with her husband, two daughters, and yellow lab. Karen is an advocate for access to
recreation activities on public lands and how to best provide sustainable recreation on the
Chugach National Forest into the future.
Brian Looney
Christi Meyn
Tina Miller
Brian Looney is a civil engineer and principal with CRW Engineering Group, a 70-
person multi-discipline professional services firm. He has 35 years of engineering
experience working throughout the state of Alaska and he manages projects that
focus on improving our multi-modal transportation infrastructure. Brian has been
an active supporter of local user groups for skiing, cycling, and running. He has
helped support the local bicycle community with education, maps, and repair
stations (shown above). Brian typically travels more miles per year on his bike than
he does in his car.
Christi Meyn, EIT is a civil engineer at CRW Engineering Group. She graduated from the
University of Alaska Anchorage in 2015, where her senior project was the design of bike
lanes on Raspberry Road. Christi has provided design and data collection on various
AMATS Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Areawide Trails Plan projects, including sign
assessments and pavement crack surveys. Outside of work, Christi is often enjoying
trails by foot, skis, or bike.
Christina (Tina) Miller, P.E., Geographic Information Officer, Geographic Data and
Information Center for the Municipality of Anchorage. As the GIO, Miller guides the
vision and progress of the GIS program within the Municipality. Her passion and
understanding of asset management provide a focused goal for the program of creating
accurate authoritative data to be used by the municipality and the public.
Kristen Morozowski
Maeve Nevins Lavtar
Marcheta Moulton
Marcheta Moulton has been with DOT&PF since 1994 and is the Manager of Small
Federal Programs with the Division of Program Development at the Alaska Department
of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF). As the Manager of Small Federal
Programs, she is responsible for facilitating and overseeing grant programs such as
Transportation Alternatives, Federal Lands Access and the Bicycle/Pedestrian Program.
Growing up in Southeast Alaska, she spends most of her free time outside with her dog
Musket. She is most frequently found hiking the extensive network of Juneau trails, on
her boat wrestling a fish, paddling thru Alaska’s pristine waters or on the front porch
of her cabin admiring the wilderness of Southeast Alaska.
Maeve Nevins Lavtar is the Senior Park Planner for the Municipality of Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department. For the past five years, she has been the project manager on several complex, large-scale trail rehabilitation projects including the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, the Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail, and the replacement of 7 greenbelt trail bridges. Currently, she is managing the first phase of improvements on the Campbell Creek Trail. Her experience also extends to managing the design and development of single-track mountain bike trails, playgrounds and other recreation facilities. With roots in Colorado, Maeve received her B.S. in Landscape Architecture from Colorado State University. She is active in the outdoor community as a volunteer Mighty Bike coach, steep skiing coach and singlespeed mountain bike racer. When the snow flies, you’ll find her heading to the backcountry with her “fur-baby” springer spaniel and husband.
Kristen Mrozowski has worked seasonally in trails and conservation since 2011. She
has led and worked with both volunteer and professional crews across the Lower 48
and Alaska, most recently at Kachemak Bay State Park in Homer. She has
coordinated projects with multiple land management agencies and brings with her a
strong background in sustainable trail building, risk management, and teaching both
youth and adults. Born in the Year of the Cat in Lansing, MI, she enjoys biking,
hiking, games, and moving boulders while listening to heavy metal. When not in the
backcountry, Kristen can be found volunteering as an EMT, laboring, and traveling.
Kristen was hired as the Trails Technician for the Alaska Trail Stewards program and
is excited to help the program grow in the 2018 season.
Brad Muir
Beth Nordlund
Andrew Ooms
Beth is a third generation Alaskan park user. Born in Anchorage, she lost her first tooth at
Russian Jack Springs Park. Beth was raised in Juneau and earned a double-major in
Environmental Studies and Political Science from Baylor University, and a Master’s in
Public Administration from The George Washington University.
Beth was the first staff hired for the Anchorage Park Foundation in 2004. Starting from
scratch, she has helped shape the work plan and she enjoys working with volunteers to
help them obtain grants, promote projects, build projects, and celebrate community
achievements. One of Beth’s proudest accomplishments is helping to create and fund the
Youth Employment in Parks program, which won the prestigious Partners in Conservation
Award from the US Department of the Interior. Her community awards include
Anchorage ATHENA Society and Top 40 Under 40. Beth lives with her husband Jim and
child Ella next to a great sledding hill at Balto Seppala Park.
Brad Muir joined Anchorage Parks and Recreation in October 2015. He is originally
from Washington D.C., but after a ski trip to Utah in high school, he fell in love with
real mountains and the West. Since then, he has lived in Utah, Montana, Arizona,
Washington State, and Ecuador before moving to the great state of Alaska. With
degrees in Environmental Studies and Communications, Brad worked for the Bureau of
Land Management in Anchorage as an Outdoor Recreation Planner and an
Environmental Educator from 2002 to 2015 with a five year break as a Ranger in the
Washington State Parks system. He is excited to be part of an energetic team that is
focused on improving Anchorage Parks and Trails, and Anchorage as a whole.
Andrew Ooms is a Senior Engineer with Kittelson & Associates, Inc. in
Anchorage, where he works on a wide variety of transportation engineering
and planning projects throughout the state. Safety and active transportation
are his primary interests and he is committed to bringing the best national
practices to Alaska to improve safety and efficiency for all road users. He has
extensive non-motorized project experience including implementing bike
lanes in Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks; developing bicycle signal phases in
Portland; and assessing community-wide pedestrian conditions throughout
Alaska. Beyond the day job, Andrew tries to pass on his passion for biking and
the outdoors with his young children.
Pete Panarese
Jeff Samuels
Patrick Shannon
Jeff Samuels’ first trail work experience was in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, serving as a
volunteer crew member under Pat Hart, where he spent the summer logging out and
maintaining most of the trails in Boundary County. Jeff first came to Alaska in the early
90’s to participate in a NOLS course that introduced him to the wild lands of the state.
Since then, Jeff has worked in tourism for many years in Alaska before transitioning to
non-profit work. Jeff currently works as the Partnership Director for the Student
Conservation Association in Alaska. In this role, he works with new and existing
partners to find opportunities for youth and young adults to serve in land stewardship
positions. He also serves on the state “Serve Alaska” AmeriCorps Commission and as a
board member on the Kenai Mountains Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area. He has
a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management from Western State University in
Gunnison, Colorado. He and his wife live in Girdwood where they volunteer as
groomers for the Girdwood Nordic Ski Club and spend their free time skiing, hiking,
camping and exploring Alaska.
Pete Panarese and his wife Sue arrived in Anchorage in October 1972. After
leaving the Army in 1976, he began work as a park ranger and a 28-year career
with Alaska State Parks. He worked in several different capacities, all in
support of outdoor recreation, public safety, and natural resource
management. After a few years as a park ranger, he worked as Park
Superintendent (CSP) and later as Chief, Field Operations until retiring in 2004.
Since retiring, he has been active with community volunteering and
advocating for the development of sustainable hiking trail in Alaska.
Patrick is the Pacific Northwest Director for the National Forest Foundation. He leads
the NFF’s work with the U.S. Forest Service and community partnerships. Patrick has
20 years of experience working in conservation and natural resource management for
nonprofit organizations across the country. Prior to joining the NFF, Patrick was the
Forest Program Director for Sustainable Northwest where he guided the organization
in creating and developing collaborative forest restoration on national forests in the
Pacific Northwest.
Patrick earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of
Minnesota – Duluth and a Master of Science degree in Forest Resources from the
College of Forestry at Oregon State University.
Cary Shiflea
Andy Schroeder
Mike Shields
Mike Shields started working on trails in 1960 at Olympic National Park, in the
days of axes, misery-whips, and 90-lb loads in a Trapper Nelson pack. A graduate
of the University of Idaho, in his NPS career he’s been a Crew Leader, Ranger,
Roads Foreman, Maintenance Mechanic, Trails Foreman, and Facility Manager,
but primarily and always a trailman, and has worked trails in Olympic, Big Bend,
Canyonlands, Natural Bridges, North Cascades, Kings Canyon, Rocky Mountain,
and Denali. Two of those parks (Canyonlands, North Cascades) were brand new
and he helped “invent” the trail systems in both. He became adept at timber
felling, log and rock construction, mule packing, rigging, using explosives as a
precision tool, disposing of unstable explosives, suspension bridge and tram
design, and contract administration. Since his retirement as Denali’s Chief of
Andy has dedicated his career to conservation of Alaska's natural resources. Originally
from the Little Miami watershed of Ohio, he earned a bachelor of science from the
U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a 200-ton Captain's license and served two tours in the
Coast Guard. Andy left the service in 2005 to start a small business and make Kodiak
his permanent home. He founded the nonprofit Island Trails Network in 2006 and in
2010 became its full-time executive director. Andy and his wife Betsy have a son
Haakon and a daughter, Dory.
Andy is an Alaska Trails board member.
Cary Shiflea - born and raised in Palmer, now living in Anchorage, Cary Shiflea has been
recreating, building, maintaining the trails of Alaska for nearly 30 years. The founder
of The Alaska eBike Store and a lifelong trails enthusiast, who started his journey into
the electric bike world in 2012. An avid mountain biker working to share that
incredible feeling of flowing along a great trail- whether it's along the coastal trail or
full throttle downhill at Alyeska the bicycle brings people together. A firm believer
that riding bicycles brings people together and helps them achieve fun, fitness,
freedom and friendship. When he isn't working at the store in Anchorage, he is out
enjoying the amazing trails right here in town or on the search for endless powder in
Hatcher Pass with his wife Callie and golden retriever Taku.
Visit www.akebike.com to learn more about The Alaska eBike Store
Maintenance in late 1996 he has been a small contractor providing training, trail layout, and technical
consulting services from Alaska to West Texas and California to Ohio. In 2010 he received American Trails
“State Trail Worker Award” (Alaska) for his efforts at training and mentoring younger folks, and in 2015 the
Professional Trail Builders Assn “R.H. Bell Lifetime Achievement Award” for excellence in trail design and
construction.
Nate Sievert
Colin Singleton
Colin Singleton is a Professional Civil Engineer with CRW Engineering Group,
working on a variety of projects across the state. A lifelong Alaskan, he grew up
riding, running, and skiing the trails in and around Anchorage, and has spent the
past four years working on the AMATS Anchorage Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails
Plan Implementations. As a regular bike commuter and transportation engineer,
Colin has been part of the growing discussion on how to improve active
transportation in Anchorage. He has participated in trainings on the NACTO
Urban Bikeway Design Guide and Global Street Design Guide, and is an active
member of the ITE Active Transportation Committee. Colin also assists the Bike
Anchorage Advocacy Committee, providing information about national best
practices for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure design.
Nate Sievert splits time supporting the Trans-Alaska Trail project and the Alaska
Huts Association. He cares deeply about making public lands accessible to all.
Originally from Seattle, he has worked for several years as a climbing guide on
Mt. Rainier. He is an avid climber and distance runner.
Lia Slemons
Blaine Smith started doing trail work with Chugach State Park in 1976 as a Boy Scout.
Working with the Rangers and several other scouts Blaine opened the Turnagain Arm
trail between McHugh Creek and Rainbow Valley just to the southeast of Anchorage.
From that point on, Blaine has maintained an active interest in trails, particularly those
in Chugach State Park where he has worked for eight years as the coordinator for the
trails program before retiring in the fall of 2016.
James Sowerwine
James Sowerwine moved to Anchorage in 2007 in order to pursue a graduate degree in
biology. He subsequently left the state to work as a botanist for the Bureau of Land
Management and National Park Service, but returned in 2011 to join the Department of
Natural Resources, Division of Mining, Land & Water, Southcentral Regional Land Office.
He currently serves as the Assistant Manager of SCRO’s easement unit. He also
volunteers as a chainsaw operator and crew leader on local trail maintenance projects,
and is a distance runner.
Lia Slemons is the Trails Coordinator for the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm
National Heritage Area, a nonprofit that leverages volunteer contributions with
public funding. The restoration and preservation of historic trails and byways are
a primary goal of KMTA, while telling some of their stories along the way! Lia has
enjoyed learning the history of communities from Bird to Seward while having a
greater reason to run more trails along the Kenai over her 3 years with KMTA.
She and her husband and two daughters also enjoy camping, biking, fishing,
skiing and berry picking throughout Southcentral Alaska. Her youngest turns 1 on
the last day of this year’s trails conference. Lia holds a Ph.D. in oceanography,
coaches Girls on the Run, and bakes sourdough. For more information on KMTA,
visit www.kmtacorridor.org.
Gabe Travis
Paul Twardock
Jon Underwood
Jon Underwood has had a life-long fascination with trails as a biker, skier, runner, walker, and ATV rider. In 2006 Jon started Happy Trails, Inc. to provide trail design and construction in Alaska. Since then he has designed and built trails all over the state, having so much fun he is astonished when it is sometimes profitable. Jon is Vice President of the Professional Trail Builders Association. Find Happy Trails on Facebook or www.happytrailsak.com to see more.
Gabe Travis, co-owner of Interior Trails, has been a professional trail builder since 1996.
Gabe has led trail crews in Glacier National Park, Chugach National Forest, and Denali
NP; in 2008 Gabe and his wife, Christine Byl, began Interior Trails to address the need
for specialized trail expertise in Alaska. In addition to design and layout, assessment and
prescription, and hand and mechanized construction for clients statewide, Gabe has
taught introductory and technical trails courses for the past 12 years. An avid skier,
biker, and runner, Gabe is also a visual artist who brings his eye for design and detail to
the trail layout and construction process. He lives in a yurt north of Denali National Park.
For more information on Interior Trails, visit www.interior-trails.com.
Paul Twardock is the Director of the Institute of Culture and Environment and
Professor of Outdoor Studies at Alaska Pacific University, where he has worked
since 1988. He is the author of Kayaking and Camping in Prince William Sound. At
APU he teaches a variety of graduate and undergraduate classes included
Wildland Ecosystems and Human Impacts. Paul's research includes continuous
monitoring of campsites in Prince William Sound, the Alaska Recreational Use
Database, and the Alaska Recreational Boating Safety Incident Database.
Renee Whitesell
Roy Wahl
Wende Wilber
Wende Wilber, AICP PTP, is Principal Planner with Kittelson & Associates and has been
working on multimodal roadway projects for the Municipality of Anchorage and
DOT&PF for over two decades. She is well-versed in the cultural, land use, engineering,
and financial opportunities and challenges related to transportation safety along our
roadways. Wende is a pedestrian at heart and loves to walk in her neighborhood, on the
trails, or as a means to explore a new city.
Roy Wahl is retired and was in the computer and communications security fields for 30
plus years. He has enjoyed cross country skiing and hiking in the Hatchers Pass area for
the last 35 years. Roy served on the Mat-Su/Copper Valley State Park Citizen Advisory
Board for 7 years, some of which as chair.
He is working on funding for an ADA Trail in the Government Peak Recreation Area in
the Mat-Su Borough.
Renee Whitesell, PTP first visited Alaska in 2014 from her home country, New Zealand,
to run the Lost Lake Run. Within 12 hours of landing in Anchorage, she started exploring
Chugach State Park and fell instantly in love with Alaska’s trails. Fast-forward four years,
and Renee and her husband (who is from Alaska) have now settled in Anchorage with
their children and are embracing everything Alaska offers.
Renee has 18 years’ experience as a Planner, and holds degrees in environmental
planning and strategic management. Since joining DOWL in 2015, Renee has managed
the Alaska Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering team, and has led
transportation planning efforts on a wide range of projects including the Alaska
Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, and the Midtown Congestion Relief
Planning and Environmental Linkages Study. Her enthusiasm for trail running, hiking,
biking and cross-country skiing keeps her evenings and weekends busy, and helps her
understand the needs of bikers and walkers every day as they interact with Alaska’s
transportation system.
Joni Wilm
Kelly Yanoshek
Jared Zimmerman
Jared has worked on the trail crew at Denali National Park since 2005. During that
time he has learned a lot from some amazing crew leaders and challenging working
conditions. Since 2009, he’s planned and designed many of the park’s trail
improvements, both in designated wilderness and in accessible areas around the
frontcountry. When he’s not working on trails, he enjoys hiking, biking, skiing and
mushing on them with his young family.
Joni Wilm is a Senior Transportation Planner – Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator
for the Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions (AMATS).
Joni has 12+ years of experience leading complex projects in the fields of urban
design, landuse planning and transportation planning. Known for her decisive
project management style, team building and diplomacy skills and the ability to
foster key relationships, Joni has successfully led many high profile and contentious
projects to completion. Joni’s current projects include: lead project manager for
AMATS Non-motorized Plan, AMATS Complete Streets Policy, AMATS Street
Typologies Map, Spenard Corridor Plan (Anchorage's first Transit Oriented
Development Plan), AMATS Transportation Alternatives Program, BikeLife
Anchorage Publication, AMATS Public Participation Plan, AMATS Bicycle and
Pedestrian Safety Awareness Campaign and the Bicycle and Pedestrian PSA
program.
Kelly Yanoshek is a civil designer at CRW Engineering Group, LLC and a recent
graduate from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a bachelor’s degree in civil
engineering. She presented her senior design project on a parking lot for the Rabbit
Lake trail head at last year’s Alaska Trails Conference. As an avid cyclist, runner, skier,
and hiker, Kelly takes part in the design of her hometown of Anchorage by joining the
Active Transportation Committee, and is a member of the Institute of Transportation
Engineers (ITE). She recently helped update the current 2018 Anchorage Bike Map
and create the 2017 Mat-Su Bike Map.