Kerynn Fisher helps President Pitney get the job done

Oct. 30, 2020

Kerynn Fisher returned to the University of Alaska on October 12 as the special assistant to the president. Her duties will vary depending on what Interim President Pat Pitney needs to “get the job done” on any given day but will include making the puzzle pieces fit on the calendar, editing communications and tracking the president’s follow up from meetings with internal and external stakeholders. 

This is not the first time that Kerynn has worked with Pitney. She was Pitney’s executive assistant for four years at UAF when Pitney was the UAF Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services before she took the job with Governor Walker. Prior to that, Kerynn was the communications coordinator for the UA Museum of the North. Combined, those positions have provided a broad range of experiences at the university and an understanding of the breadth of the programs the university offers and the systems/functions/departments that support them. Most recently, Kerynn was a grant writer/coordinator for the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

Kerynn came to Fairbanks in 1994 “for the summer” and, like many others, never left. She’s lived in Fairbanks the entire time, except for one year in Sitka. Born and raised in Washington D.C., she earned a double major in Environmental Sciences and Economics from the University of Virginia.

Kerynn loves anything that gets her out on the trails and rivers, but especially hiking, snowshoeing and paddleboarding - often with her two dogs. She also enjoys cooking and yoga. She cannot wait for things to get back to normal so she can enjoy her other favorite pastime - travel.