Alaska Chapter Staff
Andrea became the director of Sierra Club Alaska in August 2020. Before coming on board at Sierra Club, she worked on campaigns around the country to elect environmentally-minded candidates to public office. She holds a BA from The University of Alabama and an MPA from the University of California, Berkeley. She is originally from South Florida, but has always dreamed of mountains and wide-open spaces. After visiting for a backpacking trip in Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Andrea was determined to make it back to Alaska permanently. Her love for exploring wild spaces has strengthened her resolve to protect them for future generations.
Executive Committee
Adrienne started as treasurer in 2020 and became chair in 2024. She currently works at a technology company, coming from a position as a Data Librarian at a university library. Before libraries, she worked in environmental conservation, specifically a youth conservation corps that engaged in environmental educating, street tree coordinating, and green infrastructure promoting. Adrienne recently moved to Anchorage from the Finger Lakes area of New York, with her husband and an adorable coonhound.
Dick Anderson, Treasurer
Dick is a retired career National Park Service employee with over 40 years experience. He worked primarily on Freedom of Information Act requests, environmental compliance (NEPA) documents, agency Wilderness policy, ANILCA of 1980 policy, and other general conservation work. He worked at the NPS Alaska Regional Office for 13 years, Death Valley National Park (CA/NV) for 10 years, Chiricahua National Monument (AZ) for 5 years, and several other NPS units. He has a BS degree in Biology from San Diego State University and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay as a National Parks Specialist.
Heather Jesse is a lifelong resident of Anchorage, Alaska. She is a graduate of the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she earned her bachelors of business administration in economics in May, 2019. As a student, she served on UAA’s Green Fee Board, where she helped champion many sustainable improvements to the campus, including introduction of hydroponic growing cabinets and erection of 27 solar panels. She also enjoys being an active member of the nonprofit Alaska Trails-- that builds and maintains sustainable trails across Alaska.
Susan, a Sierra Club life member, is a biologist who worked as a ranger-naturalist in Katmai National Park, Alaska in the 1970s. Later she did a marine mammal subsistence survey in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta for University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She was a National Park Service research anthropologist, interviewing Yup'ik Eskimo elders talking about their subsistence and oral cultural traditions. For almost five years she has been Alaska Chapter Conservation Chair and delegate to the Council of Club Leaders. She has organized Chapter workshops to attract more Alaskans to support conservation of Alaska's iconic wildlife--especially of predators.
Santa Claus, At-Large Member
Santa believes that our environment must be pro-actively protected to ensure that children, especially, continue to be able to view and explore the wonders of nature, have clean water to drink, clear air to breathe, unadulterated food to consume, environmentally sound structures to inhabit, and renewable energy sources to utilize. For the past decade, Santa has been enjoying spectacular Alaska. He is a former Senior Park Ranger for the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Mayor Pro Tem of the City of North Pole. His doctoral studies at New York University were in educational communication and technology.
