Dr. Stephen Haycox is a distinguished professor of history emeritus, a respected author of numerous books and essays, and a columnist for the Anchorage Daily News. In 2003, he was named the Alaska Historical Society's Historian of the Year and received the Alaska Governor's Humanities Award. Before his retirement, Prof. Haycox taught history for over 40 years at the University of Alaska, where he was named a distinguished professor and was awarded the Edith R. Bullock Prize for Excellence. Steve earned his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in 1970. His books include Frigid Embrace: Politics, Economics, and Environment in Alaska, Battleground Alaska: Fighting Federal Power in America's Last Wilderness, and the recently revised Alaska: An American Colony, which has been called “the finest history of Alaska yet produced.” He was born in the Upper Midwest and attended high school in a suburb of New York. He was a musician in the Navy and served in the Pacific.

Norm Eisen, co-founder of State Democracy Defenders Action - from his speech at the Anti-Autocracy Conference in July 2024

1. Democracy rests on the rule of law. Someone who denies the sanctity of the Constitution and serially violates our laws cannot be president.
2. Democracy cannot survive without truth, facts, science, and evidence.
3. Free and fair elections are the essence of democracy, where power resides in the people.
4. Civil discourse must resolve differences. Compromise is essential to governance.
5. A democratic government cannot operate without an independent, nonpartisan civil service; subject matter expertise is essential to good government.
6. An ethical government free from corruption and self-interest is vital to democracy.
7. The United States is indispensable for international stability, economic prosperity, and democracy. Our military takes an oath to the Constitution, not to a single leader.
8. Democracies require and ensure widespread prosperity. Technologies that deliver economic benefits for citizens require domestic calm, commitment to the rule of law, and opposition to cronyism.
9. A vibrant, independent press is essential to democracy.
10. Equality and civil rights are foundational to the American creed. Men and women are created equal.

Jory Knott is the Executive Director of the Alaska Innocence Project. A lifelong Alaskan, he earned an interdisciplinary degree in art and music at UAA, then moved to Oregon, where he composed music, wrote grants for creative projects, and apprenticed in stone masonry. He became the operations manager for a masonry company with stone-cutting operations and rock quarries across the Pacific Northwest. In 2009, he moved back to Alaska. He changed his career trajectory, teaching music and art to adults with special needs while attending UAA and pursuing legal studies with a minor in civil engagement. He interned with the Alaska Innocence Project in the fall of 2015. He helped manage the office for months while founding Executive Director Bill Oberly attended the trial of the Fairbanks Four, who were exonerated that December. Hooked on innocence work, Jory went to law school at the University of Montana, volunteering with the Montana Innocence Project. He returned to extern with AKIP during his last year of law school and has been working there full-time since his graduation.

Jory's slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9e3v5ex99629iu6d2j081/AKIP_AUUFPowerpoint.pdf?rlkey=9vho70g1u6nxih6z8il4snza9&dl=0

Forrest Dunbar - - was elected to the Alaska State Senate in 2022 as a Democrat representing District J, the East Anchorage, Campbell Park, UMED, College Gate, Airport Heights, Mountainview, and Russian Jack neighborhoods. After challenging Don Young for Alaska’s Congressional seat in 2014, Forrest served on the Anchorage Assembly from 2016 to 2023, including two stints as Assembly Chair. Forrest is a lifelong Alaskan, originally from Eagle, on the Yukon River, and a graduate of Cordova High School. Growing up, he worked as a commercial fishing deckhand, cannery worker, and wildland firefighter. He earned his bachelor’s in economics and international service from American University and then a dual master’s in public policy and a law degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and Yale Law School. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kazakhstan and is a major and Judge Advocate in the Alaska Army National Guard. Forrest is a member of Congregation Beth Sholom and was married in July of this year to Tasha Boyer.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/17kgtz0a17dka8k5qsn12/Anchorage-Unitarian-Universalist-Fellowship_11.17.24.pdf?rlkey=iqjj596648c5ia5ohmuqo97xg&dl=0

Daniel Bentle serves the Food Bank of Alaska as its Chief Philanthropy Officer, leading fundraising, donor relations, marketing and communications, and volunteer efforts to support the organization’s mission to eliminate hunger in our state. Daniel came to the Food Bank from the private sector in 2024, having worked in early and growth-stage ventures in agriculture, community and economic development, management consulting, and higher education.

Before moving to Alaska, Daniel taught at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. He served as Director of the Center for Experiential Learning, which provides faculty-guided, student-driven services for public and private sector partners, non-profits, NGOs, and social entrepreneurs worldwide. Born and raised in the Midwest, Daniel and his wife Heidi, a native of Anchorage, have two girls in elementary school at Grace Christian and enjoy ample time on the slopes and trails here on the Last Frontier.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/17kgtz0a17dka8k5qsn12/Anchorage-Unitarian-Universalist-Fellowship_11.17.24.pdf?rlkey=iqjj596648c5ia5ohmuqo97xg&dl=0

FBA website - https://foodbankofalaska.org

Aaron Legget was born in Anchorage and is Dena’ina Athabascan. He currently serves as the President/Chief of the Native village of Eklutna. Aaron is the Senior Curator of Alaska History and Culture at the Anchorage Museum and serves as an advisor to the Smithsonian’s Arctic Studies Center. He is a member of the Alaska State Museum Collections Committee and the Alaska Native Heritage Centers Program & Policy Committee. Also, he serves on the board of directors for the Cook Inlet Historical Society. In 2014, Aaron was recognized by CIRI as its Shareholder of the Year, by the Alaska Federation of Natives as Cultural Bearer of the Year, and by the Governor of Alaska for distinguished service to the humanities. Building on knowledge obtained from his Dena’ina grandmother and after earning a degree in anthropology from UAA, Aaron set out to change the historical narrative. He has played a vital role in indigenous curation and Tribal governance in Alaska and has authored numerous scholarly articles and co-authored publications about the Dena’ina language and people.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/phvc6jqsl66h5c9y7o4o4/unitarian_casino.pdf?rlkey=dq9089gr1jsfp4uubm33jbksp&dl=0

John-Henry Henkendornis is the managing partner of the Anchorage-based political consulting firm Ship Creek Group. He has worked on over 100 Alaska political campaigns and initiatives in the last 12 years, helping launch Ship Creek Group in 2015 and working as Policy Director to Governor Bill Walker (I-AK) and Aide to Airbnb founder and CEO Brian Chesky. John-Henry graduated from Whitman College with degrees in politics and economics and as an All-American in intercollegiate debate. He has served on the Board of the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust and as a commercial fishing deckhand in Bristol Bay.

Burke Croft is the Deputy Data Director for Ship Creek Group. Born and raised in Anchorage, Burke has always been drawn to the curiosity of science and the kindness of community action. Since starting at Ship Creek Group in 2019, he’s been working to combine those passions. He studied Chemistry and Data Science at the University of Chicago and was also a Fellows Ambassador Team Leader at the Institute of Politics. Burke served as Digital Communications Director for U.S. Representative Mary Peltola and managed the elections legislation portfolio for Alaska’s lone Congressional office. He’s also a co-founder of Mental Health Advocacy Through Storytelling (MHATS) in Anchorage. You'll usually find him biking in the summer, ice skating in the winter, and making themed playlists whenever the weather shifts.

Ship Creek Group website - https://www.shipcreekgroup.com

Bridget Jochum is the Development and Operations Support Coordinator at the Alaska Literacy Program. She supports the fundraising and communications arm of ALP’s programming. Bridget previously worked in refugee resettlement services for the State of Alaska, with many of those same resettled refugees now attending classes at ALP. She was a Jesuit Volunteer AmeriCorps with Catholic Social Services in Anchorage after graduating from John Carroll University with a degree in Digital Media Communications.

Bridget's slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/aq2xwi7hg1w9d5t28nva0/AUU-Alaska-Literacy-Program.pdf?rlkey=6919w0dgiuym30vk7184jjikm&dl=0

Bridget's first and second slides contain links to the Alaska Literacy Program's website (http://www.alaskaliteracyprogram.org), where you can find the video Gretchen used at the beginning of her presentation.

Bretwood "Hig" Higman is a geologist who lives in Seldovia. After graduating from high school there, he spent 13 years in college and grad school, studying glass art and walking from Seattle to the Aleutians before moving back to Seldovia. He earned his bachelor’s degree in geology at Carleton College in Minnesota. Then, in 2007, he earned his PhD in geology at the University of Washington, studying the onshore effects of tsunamis while also studying physics and computer science. He has spent his career as a geologist studying tsunamis, earthquakes, and landslides. In addition to natural hazards, Hig has a passion for wilderness adventure, collaboration between stakeholder communities and scientists, trail building, natural resource policy, science communication, and chainsaw milling. Hig has also studied Yoshokai Aikido and invented the jewelry manufacturing method behind Sundrop Jewelry. He is the Executive Director of Ground Truth Alaska. This educational nonprofit seeks to advance public understanding and engagement in climate change, wilderness, energy, hazards, and natural resource issues in Alaska. He co-founded this organization, named initially Ground Truth Trekking, with Erin McKittrick. He and Erin now live in a yurt, near family, where they’ve raised their children.

https://groundtruthalaska.org/

Note that Hig's presentation included a LOT of computer graphics that are not easy to capture in a PDF slide show. We've decided to include a link to the video of Hig's presentation and all of the questions and his answers, along with the regular audio podcast. If you can view the video (it's in .mp4 format), I highly recommend that you do just that. While the audio format is very useable, the video is MUCH more helpful. The video starts after a 2-second tone, following John's introduction.

Link to presentation video -

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xddkkvsb28oate2t8ds47/Presentation.mp4?rlkey=3negusa8fgifq7dowh0034gac&dl=0