(SitNews) - Governor Sean Parnell on Wednesday announced appointments to the Alaska Council on Emergency Medical Services, State Vocational Rehabilitation Committee, State Historical Records Advisory Board, Alaska Veterans Advisory Council, Denali Access System Advisory Committee, and the Alaska Mental Health Board.

Alaska Council on Emergency Medical Services:

Governor Parnell appointed Marvin “Dean” Cox and reappointed David Hull and John Dickens to the Alaska Council on Emergency Medical Services. The council advises the commissioner of Health and Social Services and the governor on planning and implementation of the emergency medical services system.

Hull, of Ketchikan, serves as the fire chief of the North Tongass Volunteer Fire Department, where he has worked for more than 9 years, and served in a variety of roles with the City of Ketchikan Fire Department for more than 30 years. Active in community efforts to ensure emergency services are provided, Hull has been the chair of the Ketchikan Local Emergency Planning Committee and a member of the board of directors for the region emergency medical services council. He holds an associate’s degree in business management from the University of Alaska Southeast. Hull is reappointed to a seat reserved for a pre-hospital emergency care provider.

Cox, of Eagle River, retired in 2010 after a long career involved in military operations. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Cox served as a navigator, weapons systems officer, plans and exercise officer, flight commander and instructor, and finished his career as the deputy chief of the Air Force Foreign Liaison Division at the Pentagon. In 2008, Cox led planning for emergency services at the Pentagon in the event of any potential chemical, biological, radiological, high explosive, or nuclear attack. After his retirement from the Air Force, Cox worked with several defense contractors in a variety of roles. He is appointed to a seat reserved for a consumer of emergency medical services.

Dickens, of Bethel, first joined the council in 2004. He works as the safety and security manager for Grant Aviation, where he has been employed for more than 10 years. Dickens has also worked as a senior EMS instructor and communication technician with the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation. He served as a member of the Emmonak City Council for three years, and served two terms with the Bethel Public Safety and Transportation Commission. Dickens is reappointed to a seat reserved for a pre-hospital emergency care provider who resides in a community not connected to the road system.

State Vocational Rehabilitation Committee:  

Governor Parnell appointed David Berube and Nancy Russell to the State Vocational Rehabilitation Committee. The committee promotes employment of people with disabilities by creating statewide interest in the rehabilitation and employment of people with disabilities. The committee also regularly consults with state staff regarding the development, implementation, and revision of policies and procedures related to vocational rehabilitation services in Alaska.

Berube, of Anchorage, serves as the Disability Law Center of Alaska’s Legal Rights Advocate. Prior to his work with the law center, he worked for a variety of organizations dedicated to improving the lives of Alaskans with disabilities, including ACCESS Alaska and Fairbanks Resource Agency. He volunteers as a member of the Alaska Brain Injury Network and has served on the board of directors of the Resource Center for Parents and Children. Berube holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a bachelor’s degree in industrial and vocational arts from Fitchburg State College. He is appointed to a seat reserved for a representative of a client assistance program.

Russell, of Fairbanks, is the chief operating officer and a senior vice president with Denali State Bank, where she first started her career as a loan officer more than two decades ago. Her active role in the Fairbanks community includes more than 20 years of service as a member of the Fairbanks Resource Agency Board of Directors, service as a member of the Fairbanks Lions Club Board of Directors, and involvement with the Tanana Historical Society. Russell, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and an MBA from the University of Phoenix, is appointed to a seat reserved for a member of the business community.

State Historical Records Advisory Board:

Governor Parnell appointed Bruce Parham and Peggy Asbury to the State Historical Records Advisory Council. The board reviews project requests and grant applications, and reviews and plans for statewide needs relating to records management and historical documents.

Parham, of Anchorage, retired as the director of regional archives for the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration in September 2011. During his more than 30 year career as an archivist, he has worked with the National Archives at Anchorage, the Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Boulder Historical Society, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and many others. Parham has received the President’s Award from the Alaska Historical Society, and an award from the Alaska Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. He is a member of the National History Day in Alaska State Committee, and has been a member of the Alaska Historical Society, the Cook Inlet Historical Society Board of Directors, and the board of directors of Northwest Archivists, Inc. Parham earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Western State College, a master’s degree in library science from the University of Wisconsin- Madison, and a master’s degree in history from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is appointed to a seat reserved for a member of the public with professional experience in administration of historical records.

Asbury, of Fairbanks, is the archivist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she first started her career in 1990. She has also worked as a research aide for the North Slope Borough. Her volunteer work includes records keeping at the Catholic Archives of Texas and the John Henry Faulk Central Library. Asbury holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Old Dominion University, a master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and a master’s degree in library science from the University of Texas at Austin. She is appointed to a seat reserved for a University of Alaska Fairbanks archivist.

Alaska Veterans Advisory Council:

Governor Parnell appointed James Hastings and Hank Bartos to the Alaska Veterans Advisory Council, and reappointed Terrance Pardee and Suellyn Wright Novak to that same council. The council advises the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and through the governor, other departments and agencies of the state on matters concerning state veterans, their dependents, and their survivors.  

Bartos, of North Pole, is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, and the owner of Gold Standard Real Estate Services. Active in his community, he previously served for 16 years on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly, and is involved with Ice Alaska, the North Pole Chamber of Commerce, and the local Rotary Club. Bartos holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in education from Boston University. He is appointed to a seat reserved for a member of the public.

Hastings, of Wasilla, is a retired soldier in the U.S. Army with 22 years of service, and now works as the director of recreation and cultural services for the City of Wasilla. He supports the needs of veterans as the Alaska coordinator of the Wounded Warriors Project and the president of the Mat-Su Area-wide Veterans Council, as well as the director of operations for Alaska’s Healing Hearts, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of Alaska’s wounded servicemen and women. He has been the president of the Mat-Su Area-wide Veterans Council for the past five years, and is active with the Palmer Elks Lodge and the Alaska State Elks Association. Hastings is appointed to a seat reserved for a member of the public.

Novak, of Eagle River, retired from the U.S. Air Force as colonel after 32 years of service, which included command of a medical support squadron and a medical diagnostics and therapeutic squadron. She is active in service to Alaska veterans, serving as president of the Alaska Veterans Museum, executive officer of the Alaska Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, a director of the Alaska chapter of the Association of the U.S Army, and director of the U.S. Air Force Association. Novak earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Grove City College in Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Dakota, and a master’s degree in military studies from the American Military University in Virginia. She is reappointed to a public seat on the council.

Pardee, of Haines, is a combat veteran of the U.S. Army who served in Special Forces reconnaissance during the Vietnam War and retired from the Alaska Army National Guard as master sergeant with 24 years of service. He received the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Alaska Distinguished Service Medal. Pardee has worked in Southeast Alaska as a restaurant owner and operator, and a longtime marine surveyor and commercial fisherman. He also served on the Haines Borough school board and assembly. Pardee is a life member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Special Forces Association. He is reappointed to a public seat on the council.

Denali Access System Advisory Committee:  

Governor Parnell reappointed Carvel Zimin, Jr., and Randolph Romenesko to the Denali Access System Advisory Committee. The committee advises the Denali Commission on surface transportation needs in Alaska Native villages and rural communities, including projects to build essential access routes from the road system to villages and communities, and advises the commission on transportation planning among Alaska Native villages.

Zimin, of South Naknek, works as a village agent for Peninsula Airways and as a winter watchman for Trident Seafoods. In addition to his service as a Bristol Bay Borough Assembly member, Zimin has served on the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute's Salmon Marketing Committee, the municipal board of the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference, and on the board of the Alaska Peninsula Corporation. He is appointed to a seat reserved for a representative of a rural Alaska region or village.

Romenesko, of Nome, is a longtime Arctic engineer, and currently works as a project engineer with Norton Sound Health Corporation. He previously worked as an engineering consultant with tribal and local government clients. He has also worked for the City of Nome as city engineer and as city manager. He was the Northwest Alaska district engineer for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and a civil engineer in construction and government projects across Alaska. Romenesko earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Marquette University, and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Northwestern University. He is a state-licensed civil engineer and an Alaska-registered professional engineer. He is appointed as a representative of an Alaska Native regional corporation, non-profit, or tribal government.

Alaska Mental Health Board:

Governor Parnell appointed Sharon Clark and reappointed Debi Keith, Brenda Moore, Ramona Duby, and Daisy May Barrera to the Alaska Mental Health Board. The board is the state planning and coordinating body for federal and state laws relating to health services for persons with mental disorders.

Sharon Clark, of Nenana, worked with the Alaska Legislature for 16 years, where she handled a variety of issues. Prior to her work with the Legislature, she served as the assistant to the principal at Anderson High School. Clark is appointed to a seat reserved for a member of the public.

Keith, of Kenai, is a longtime member of Alaska’s health care industry and is currently working for Central Peninsula Hospital. She has also worked at the Providence Imaging Center as a scheduler, as office manager for an Anchorage psychiatrist, peer navigator for the Alaska Youth and Family Network, and as a health unit coordinator for the Providence Health System. Keith studied nursing and music at Walla Walla University in Washington, and has been a state-certified nurse’s assistant. She is the mother of two adult children with special needs. Keith has served on the board since 2006, and is reappointed to a seat reserved for a person with a family member who is a consumer of mental health services.

Moore, of Anchorage, co-founded and currently serves as the faith based and community initiative consultant of Christian Health Associates, the umbrella organization for Cornerstone Clinic Medical and Counseling Center, Project Access, School Based Health at Clark Middle School, and Alaska Medical Missions. She previously worked in commercial banking and marketing. Moore has served on the board since 2004, was reelected as board secretary in 2008, and is reappointed to a public seat.

Duby, of Anchorage, has worked as executive coordinator and resident manager for the Alaska International Education Foundation since 2002. She spent 10 years as an assistant property manager and seven years as a professional temporary for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. She has received training in community behavioral health care, grant writing and clinical record-keeping. Duby belongs to the Athena Society, is a board member of Anchorage Community Mental Health Services, and is a member and past president of the Alaska Federation of Business and Professional Women. She has served on the board since 2006, and is reappointed to a seat reserved for a consumer of mental health services.

Barrera, of Bethel, has more than 30 years of experience in mental health care and counseling. She has served in numerous roles for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, Cook Inlet Tribal Association, Association of Village Council Presidents and the Tundra Women’s Coalition. Barrera is reappointed to a public seat.

Source of News: 

Office of the Governor
www.gov.state.ak.us

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