Jonathon Anderson
Juneau, Alaska
Email: jfjfa@uas.alaska.edu

Jonathan Anderson is Associate Professor of Public Administration at the University of Alaska Southeast. Previously he was a Foreign Service Officer with postings in Bangladesh and Australia, and later received his Ph.D. from Indiana University in Public Policy, with a focus on conflict resolution and democratic governance. He came to Alaska in 1998 to direct the Masters of Public Administration program at UAS which is distance delivered through satellite television and internet technologies across Alaska and the Yukon. In addition to his university teaching he provides training in communications and management to government and non-profit organizations.

Mila Cosgrove
Juneau, Alaska
Email: mila_cosgrove@ci.juneau.ak.us Mila Cosgrove is Personnel Director for the City of Juneau. Prior to this position she was the Director of Personnel for the State of Alaska Executive Branch. Mila has worked in the field of human resources for more than twenty years and has a BA in Psychology from The Naropa Institute. Her assignments within the Division of Personnel have included Deputy Director of Personnel, Workforce Planning & Development Manager, and Labor Relations Specialist. Mila has also worked for the Alaska Public Employees Association/AFT as the Southeast Regional Manager and for Human Resources, Inc. as the manager in charge of Executive Recruitment projects.

Laraine Derr, Chair
Juneau, Alaska
Email: larainederr@gci.net

Laraine L. Derr of Juneau was the original administrator of the Alaska Certified Public Manager Program. Started at UAS in the summer of 1993, Laraine put the program in to action in the spring of 1994. She retired from her position as the Director of Boards and Commissions for Governor Murkowski, but having flunked retirement, is currently the part-time Business Administrator for the Alaska Youth Choir. Ms. Derr earned her Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Alaska Juneau. She was former Commissioner of Revenue and the head of the School of Public and Business Administration at UAS. She is chair of the UAS College of Fellows, a director of the Southeast Alaska Food Bank, and on the Advisory Commission for the Education Commission of the States in Denver. She is also a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging in December.

Dennis Geary
Anchorage, Alaska
Email: dgeary@apea-aft.org

Dennis Geary is currently the Assistant Business Manager for the Alaska Public Employees Association/AFT (AFL-CIO) and has more than twenty-five years of experience in the labor law field. Prior to assuming this position, Mr. Geary was the Chief of the Alaska Department of Labor, Wage & Hour Administration. In that position, he was responsible for the statewide enforcement of nine labor law programs in Alaska, including those pertaining to employment practices and working conditions. Prior to that Mr. Geary was a Regional Supervising Investigator and Investigator for the Wage & Hour Administration. Before coming to Alaska, Mr. Geary owned his own retail business in Tacoma, Washington. He obtained a B.S. from the University of Nevada at Reno in Personnel and Industrial Management. Mr. Geary is a past member of the American Arbitration Association's Panel of Labor Arbitrators, the Municipality of Anchorage labor Arbitration and Mediation Panels, and the Department of Labor, Labor Relations Agency.

Jim Johnson
Fairbanks, Alaska
Email: james.johnsen@alaska.edu

Jim Johnsen is the Vice President for Faculty and Staff Relations at the University of Alaska. Prior positions at UA include Chief of Staff and Director of Labor Relations. Past lives include labor relations positions at the University of Minnesota, the State of Alaska, the Oregon Public Employees Union, and the Alaska Public Employees Association. Formal training includes a bachelor's degree from UC Santa Cruz, a master's from the University of Chicago, and a doctorate (to be awarded in May 2006) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Bruce Jones
Petersburg, Alaska
Email: bjones@interislandferry.com

Bruce Jones is City Manager for Petersburg, Alaska. Bruce is a lifelong resident of Alaska with over thirty years of public service experience. He currently serves on the Governor's Water and Wastewater Advisory Board and as a board member of Southeast Conference. Bruce is a past president of the Alaska Water & Wastewater Management Association and Petersburg Rotary Club.

Cathy LeCompte
Ketchikan, Alaska
Email: cathy.lecompte@uas.alaska.edu

Cathy began her career at UAS – Ketchikan in August of 2000 as Assistant Professor of Business providing oversight for all business courses both local and distance. During her time as Assistant Professor of Business she resurrected the Certified Public Manager program, became the first Certified Online Instructor on campus, and was instrumental in developing the AAS in Business Management and Small Business Management Certificate programs for delivery via the web. Cathy served as the advisor for the Phi Theta Kappa organization and on various regional committees. In July of 2003 she assumed the role of Assistant Director of the Ketchikan campus. The responsibilities of that position included all student service and curriculum related issues, as well as development and implementation of the six-year course plan for all distance and local programs for the Ketchikan campus. In July 2005 she was appointed Interim Director of the Ketchikan Campus and is serving in that capacity today. Cathy is pursuing her PhD. in Education with specialization in community college leadership at Walden University and in her spare time she likes to hike and cook for her friends and family.

Jackson Steele
Anchorage, Alaska
Email: jackson_steele@admin.state.ak.us

Jackson Steele is currently the manager of the Training & Development Program for the State of Alaska Division of Personnel. He has held supervisory and management positions at the State of Texas, Southwestern Bell, Pacific Northwest Bell, U S West, Pacific Gateway Exchange and the State of Alaska. Jackson has over twenty years experience in training development and delivery, facilitation, and performance consulting. He has developed and delivered employee and management skill development courses in leadership, conflict resolution and problem solving, teamworking, customer service, coaching, performance management, workforce planning, knowledge management, change management, diversity, and EEO compliance.