Duties

Members of Extension's State Advisory Council are advocates for funding and programming with the university, state government and agencies on behalf of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service.

The 11 members of the council are elected through a nomination process, with eight of the seats on the board filled by individuals representing a specific geographic region of the state. The other three seats are open and nominations to fill those posts can come from anywhere in the state. There are also non-voting Extension faculty and staff representation on the council.

Voting and non-voting members of the council serve for three-year terms for a maximum of six consecutive years. Terms on the board are staggered so that not all the seats become vacant at the same time.

As advocates for Extension's programming throughout Alaska, the council also provides an invaluable service by providing stakeholder input for Extension on a statewide level.

[Term 2009-2012, Interior]
Patrick Smith, Jr.

[Term 2007-2010, Southeast]
Philip Smith
philips@alaska.com

Beyond his military service, Philip worked for RurALCAP, the Alaska Native Foundation and the National Marine Fisheries Service. He also served on the State Commercial Fishery Entry Commission. In retirement, he enjoys time with his wife, Deborah and consulting.

[Term 2007-2010, Southcentral]
Annie Mabry
annie_mabry@hotmail.com

Annie's involvement with Extension began in 1974 when she became a 4-H volunteer leader. Over the next 30 years she would lead the Alaska 4-H Horse Club, start Alaska's first handicapped riding program, help create the "UAF for Youth" campaign, and co-chair the 2004 Western Leaders Forum, to name a few. After "retiring" as a full-time 4-H leader in 2004, she became the Development and Program Director for The Rainbow Connection. She becomes a member of Extension's advisory council, following in the footsteps of her husband and youngest daughter.

[Term 2007-2010, Southeast]
Secretary
Judy Klein
panorama@gci.net

Judy became involved with Extension when her two children joined 4-H in the early 1990's. She has cooked for 100 4-H campers, set up displays for projects and served as a judge at the Southeast Alaska State Fair. She also served on a selection committee for the Southeast Land Resource/4-H Agent and was a member of the Green Clover Review team in 2006. She works with her husband in photography, picture framing, wall mounting of photo murals and other kinds of exhibit installations in Alaska, the Yukon and even the Russian Far East.

[Term 2008-2011, Northwest]
Chair
Nancy Mendenhall
nfnmm@yahoo.com

Nancy came to Alaska in 1961 from the Seattle area. She was a commercial fisher and teacher in Southeast Alaska for eight years then moved to the Seward Peninsula. She taught school at Shishmaref and worked for non-profits in Nome in community and educational services. Her most recent full-time job before retirement in 1996 was nine years as director at UAF's Northwest Campus. She is currently chair of the board at Nome Community Center, coordinator of Alaskan Friends of Chukotka, and active with Bering Sea Lions and Nome Arts Council. She and her husband have a subsistence salmon setnet camp near Nome. Her four grown sons and six of her grandchildren live in Alaska and a daughter in Seattle.

[Term 2008-2011, Southcentral]
Jonnie V. Lazarus
jonnie@acs.net

Jonnie has lived in Girdwood for over 30 years. Her interests include pulling invasive plants and propagating native plants in the summer, and complaining about the rain and shoveling snow in the winter. She is heavily involved in the Girdwood Beautification Project, where she leads a volunteer based group that for 20 years has developed about a dozen planting sites within the community. Jonnie also works part time for the Parks and Recreation program.

[Term 2007-2010, Southwest]
Bing Santamour
bings2@gmail.com

Bing lives in Bethel and represents the Southwest region. She has a long history with the University of Alaska, having earned her A.A. and B.A. degree in Rural Development from UAF's Kuskokwim Campus. Bing is very involved in local government, and is currently employed by Orutsaramiut Native Council, Bethel's Traditional Council and Government. She has also served on numerous committees, including Kuskokwim College Council, Bethel Native Corporation, and Orutsaramiut Native Councils, and has volunteered with organizations like the Junior Achievement Program and Tundra Women's Coalition. In addition to her busy work and civic schedules, Bing is married, has two children and also holds a private pilot's license.

[Term 2009-2011, Southcentral]
Kyra Wagner

[Term 2006-2009 Interior]
Samantha Castle Kirstein
sam@fairbanksfoodbank.org

Samantha hails from Fairbanks. She is a self-admitted “Extension Service Groupie” having been affiliated with Extension in various capacities for over 40 years. A long-time Alaskan, Samantha currently serves as Executive Director for the Fairbanks Community Food Bank. She attended UAF in the 1960’s and recently earned her B.Th. and M.Th. degrees from Beacon University.

Julie Cascio
ffjmc2@uaf.edu

Julie Cascio has been the Matanuska-Susitna/Copper River District Home Economist since June, 2004. She has a M.Ed. from Oregon State University and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Home Economics Education. Julie has worked at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, as a Home Economist with University of Wisconsin Extension, with Head Start in Nevada and the Women, Infant and Children program in Oregon, and as an Extension Program Assistant in the Kenai.

Bill Hall
fnawh@uaf.edu

Ex-officio member, Bill Hall, has served as an Extension Specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service since July 2005. He owns a business planning, facilitation and training business, Clarity Consulting. Bill earned his M.Ed. from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2003. He is a life-long Alaskan, and served as a Cordova city councilman from 1977-79 and city mayor from 1979-1980.

Fred Schlutt, Director
fred.schlutt@alaska.edu

Graehl Brooks, Assistant to the Director
graehl@alaska.edu