Debra Fine, Communication Expert and Best Selling Author

Join Debra Fine, former engineer, now internationally recognized keynote speaker, communication expert and bestselling author, for her fast-paced, interactive and entertaining presentation. Together we’ll laugh, learn and leave with insightful and informative conversation skills and networking techniques on how to strike up conversations and keep them going, avoid conversation “killers”, and come across as composed and self-assured when interacting with fellow environmental professionals, community leaders, Alaskan youth, conservationists, biologists and community elders. Turn every conversation with State, local, Federal, military, private, and Native leaders and professionals into an opportunity to learn from and discuss the latest projects, processes, and issues that affect Alaska.

Fine a formerly shy, tongue-tied “engineer” developed her programs to teach technically oriented professionals conversation skills and business networking techniques. Her programs are held regularly for clients that include Spectra Energy, General Electric, PCL Construction, the University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business and NASA. Her best selling book The Fine Art of Small Talk (Hyperion) was published to excellent reviews and feature stories in USA Today, Entrepreneur Magazine and The Chicago Tribune and her newest book in the Fine Art series: The Fine Art of the Big Talk (Hyperion) focuses on winning clients, delivering great presentations and solving conflicts in the workplace. Her recent media appearances include the Today Show, the Early Show, CNN and NPR Morning Edition. Additional information about Debra can be viewed at http://www.debrafine.com

Annie Leonard, The Story of Stuff Project

Annie Leonard founder of The Story of Stuff Project will appear as our Monday, February 4th, Noon Keynote Event. Annie had spent nearly two decades investigating and organizing on environmental health and justice issues. She traveled to 40 countries to visit hundreds of factories where our stuff is made and dumps where our stuff is dumped. As Annie witnessed first hand the horrendous impacts of both over- and under- consumption around the world, she became fiercely dedicated to reclaiming and transforming our industrial and economic systems, so they serve, rather than destroy, ecological sustainability and social equity. Today, Annie is the Co-Director of The Story of Stuff Project.

What took Annie all around the world peering into factories and climbing over dumps? During her career Annie has coordinated the Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption, a group that seeks to address the hidden environmental and social impacts of current systems of making, using and throwing away all the stuff of daily life. She has also worked with GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives), Health Care Without Harm, Essential Action and Greenpeace International. Annie Leonard is the author of "The Story of Stuff", which was published by Free Press (an imprint of Simon and Schuster) in March 2010. For more information on Annie or The Story of Stuff Project visit http://www.storyofstuff.org

Elaine Abraham and Judy Ramos, A Traditional Story

Tlingit Elder Elaine Abraham and her daughter, Judy Ramos, will provide our Alaska Forum on the Environment participants with a traditional story "Yakutat Traditional Spiritual Relationship With Their Environment - With A Focus On Trees".

Born and raised in Yakutak, both Elaine and her daughter are the decedents of a hereditary Tlingit chief.

Ms. Abraham has the distinction of being the first Tlingit registered nurse; serving at hospitals in Juneau, Mt. Edgecumbe and in Bethel during a diphtheria epidemic. She assisted in the opening of the Alaska Native Health Service Hospital in Anchorage in 1954, helped to develop the Southeast Health Aide Program with Dr. Justice from Mt. Edgecumbe, and organized the Southeast Native Board of Health. At Sitka's Sheldon Jackson College she served as Associate Dean of Students, Director of Social Services and Vice President for Institutional Development where she developed the Tlingit and Haida Language Teachers Training program and helped in the creation of the Alaska Native Language Center. In 1976, Ms. Abraham became the Vice President for Rural Education Affairs, Coordinator of Native Student Services and Associate Professor at the University of Alaska.

Her educational credentials include a Masters of Arts in Teaching, Alaska Pacific University; a Bachelors degree in Human Resources Development, APU; a Certificate in Native Linguistics, University of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Associate of Arts in Anthropology, Sheldon Jackson College; and she is currently working on her Doctorate degree. Ms. Abraham is a revered Tlingit elder and serves as Chairperson of the Board of Commissioner's of the Alaska Native Science Commission.

A Graduate student in the Indigenous Studies PhD. program at the University of Alaska, Judy Ramos is an IGERT - Resilience and Adaptation Fellow. Ms. Ramos lived and worked in Canada for the Assembly of First Nations and Council for Yukon First Nations. Her research is based around the seal hunting traditions in Yakutat, and is part of an interdisciplinary team documenting historic and prehistoric seal hunting camp sites and hunting tradition. Ms. Ramos holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching, with a focus on Adult and Community Education, and a Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology.

Holly Bamford, Deputy Assistant Administrator For the National Ocean Service

Dennis McLerran, Regional Administrator, EPA Region 10

A popular and involved participant in the Alaska Forum on the Environment, we are proud to announce that Dennis McLerran will return for our 15th year AFE event! Dennis McLerran was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the Regional Administrator (RA) for Region 10, leading a staff of 650 employees with responsibility for an annual budget of $500 million. He was sworn in on February 22, 2010. As RA, Dennis oversees the implementation and enforcement of the federal environmental rules and regulations in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska, including 271 tribal governments in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Before moving to EPA, Dennis served as Executive Director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, a state chartered regional agency that adopts and enforces air quality standards that protect the health of 3.5 million Washington residents. As executive director, he led the development of an innovative strategy to reduce emissions at the ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Metro Vancouver. Prior to that, he served as City Attorney for the City of Port Townsend and Director of the Seattle Department of Construction and Land Use. Dennis has over 20 years experience as an advocate, attorney and administrator. Dennis received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law.

Julia K. Parrish, COASST Program

Chris Rose, Renewable Energy Alaska Project

Chris Rose is the founder and Executive Director of Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP). In 1983, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with Highest Distinction from the University of Iowa, with a B.A. in Political Science and a Certificate in Global Studies.

After working as a fundraiser for various non-profit public interest groups around the United States he received his law degree in 1990 from the University of Oregon, with a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. For over 10 years his private practice in Alaska included representation of Native Alaskans from Northwest Arctic villages and the mediation of a variety of disputes around the state. He has been very active in local community affairs and has served on various statewide boards, including the Renewable Energy Grant Fund Advisory Committee. From 2004 to 2008 he wrote a monthly opinion column for the Anchorage Daily News. He enjoys traveling and spending time outside.

REAP’s mission is to facilitate the increased development of renewable energy in Alaska through collaboration, education, training, and advocacy. REAP was formed in 2004 by Executive Director Chris Rose with the goal of promoting the use of renewable energy in Alaska. It has since grown to include more than 70 organizational and contributing members representing a diverse coalition of small and large Alaska electric utilities, environmental groups, consumer groups, businesses, Alaska Native organizations, and municipal, state and federal entities. REAP was Alaska’s first and remains its only education and advocacy group focused solely on renewable energy. Over the last six years, it has become an important voice on both renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Dr Mitsuo Fukuchi, Polar Marine Ecology Expert, National Institute of Polar Research, Japan

Dr. Mitsuo Fukuchi is universally recognized as an authority on polar marine ecology. After his retirement from National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) in March 2012, he is continuing his research work at NIPR and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology as an adjunct professor. He is an affiliated professor at the Graduate University of Advanced Studies, and has served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Tasmania, Australia since June 2012.

He has been to Antarctica six times as a member of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) including two overwinter programs at the Japanese Antarctic Research Station, Syowa, and once as part of the Argentine Antarctic Research Programme in 1975. In 1992 he overwintered as the expedition leader. Through 1969-89 Dr. Fukuchi joined multiple expeditions to the Bering Sea and Chukchi Seas including being the leader of the University of Alaska Fairbanks' RV Alpha Helix cruise into the Chukchi Sea in 1989. He has published over 140 papers in international journals on polar plankton ecology.

His current research interests are:
- Multidisciplinary International Research Collaboration, in particular in multi-ships operation for time series observation.
- Temporal and spatial variabilities of Antarctic zooplankton communities in relation to the global environmental change.
- Long-term variability of primary production and carbon flux in the polar oceans.

Brad Montgomery, Astronaut-Wanna-Be

Returning to cap off our Keynote Events, the Alaska Forum is proud to present Brad Montgomery, a Certified Speaking Professional Humorist Motivational Speaker, Comedian, Author, Husband, Dad and Astronaut-Wanna-Be.

Brad never planned to be a nationally recognized humorist motivational speaker, business comedian, publisher and author. He planned to be a lawyer. After graduating with a political science degree from Brown University, Brad intended to be a magician for one year and then start the serious part of his life with the study of law. To date, he is still waiting for the serious part of his life to begin.

After getting his start as a corporate entertainer (performing comedy and magic), Brad now speaks to corporations and associations who need a lift, bringing laughter and magic, blended with a simple yet powerful message about connecting a positive work culture and life to an excellent work product. Brad laughs and explains, “Mostly, my clients ask me to remind them to lighten up…because happiness will help them in life – and at work.”

Brad has earned his Certified Speaking Professional designation, which is the highest earned award from the National Speakers Association. (Fewer than 7% of humorists and speakers worldwide have earned the CSP.) Corporate clients include Kraft, Proctor & Gamble, IBM, General Mills, Allstate Insurance, Merrill Lynch and Honeywell. Many associations have also praised Brad’s work, including the Alzheimer Association, Utilities Service Alliance (a nuclear energy association), American Payroll Association, and California Teachers Association.

Brad joined John Gray (of Mars/Venus fame) and Mark Victor Hansen (of Chicken Soup renown) to write Mission Possible. He has also co-authored and published "Humor Me: America’s Funniest Humorists on the Power of Laughter". The book is filled with motivational speaker humor and to date has sold more than 100,000 copies. He also published, edited and co-authored the follow-up book, "Humor Us: America’s Funniest Speakers on the Power of Laughter".

As a Humorist Motivational Speaker, Brad urges audiences across the country to lighten up and to remember that our lives are filled with humor and magic. He helps his clients manage change and improve morale. Folks use him to kick off conventions with a bang, close ‘em with a laugh or to lift them up somewhere in between. After Brad’s keynotes, audiences feel great about themselves, great about the meeting or convention, and hopeful for the future.

Brad lives in Centennial, Colorado, a suburb of Denver, with his attorney wife. (Brad assumed that the next best thing to being a lawyer was tricking one into marrying him.) Although he is proud of his many awards and national credits, he’s convinced that his best tricks so far are his three small kids.