Paula, principal of Scott Insurance Services, has been in the insurance industry since 1976 and involved in Sitka since 1978. As a 22 year Sitka resident she was actively involved in the community. Paula served on many boards and commissions, including the Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce, Sitka Convention & Visitors Bureau, local sports, community and City and Borough of Sitka committees.
In July 2000 Paula and spouse Tim relocated to Silverdale, WA. She continues to serve her Alaska clients with frequent visits to Southeast Alaska. Paula remains active in Sitka as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Holland America Community Advisory Board and the current Chair of the Alaska Raptor Center.
Good health has always been one of Paula's priorities and she works closely with her clients and the Sitka Wellness Coalition to improve the health of Southeast Alaskans.
Tim and Paula make their home in Silverdale. Tim is a retired building contractor and enjoys working in outside contractor sales at a local lumber yard. They enjoy participating in fun runs and races in their area and spoiling their grandchildren. Their oldest son Kris and spouse Erica live in Sitka with their cute kids Baylee and Clayton. Son Mark lives in Seattle.
DIANA FOWLER Vice Chairperson
Diana Fowler is a native New Yorker who has lived in Washington State since 1992.She lives there with husband, John, and three cats.An animal lover all her life, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the Alaska Raptor Center when she visited Sitka on a cruise to Alaska in 1993.She was immediately engaged by the people at the Center and the wonderful work she learned that they do.So, she became a volunteer, and has since become a bird handler.She feels privileged to work with the resident birds “on the glove”.She also has the joy of cleaning up bird poop and cutting up fish for diets!
Diana and her husband also enjoy travelling in their motorhome and playing golf.She has been a Board member since 1999 and is currently Vice Chair.
ROGER HAMES Secretary-Treasurer
Roger is President of Hames Corporation in Sitka, Alaska.The company is a third generation family owned business, begun by his grandparents back in 1949 and consists of two grocery stores and two convenience centers in Sitka.They also own a retail liquor store in Ketchikan.Hames grew up in the family business and knew that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps since the 5th grade.
Hames was born and raised in Sitka and after attending their public schools, graduated Sitka High School. He attended Oregon State University, then returned to Sitka and began his carrier in the family business.During this time he unexpectedly met Mary Whiteley while in southern California when he was bowling with his grandparents.Shortly thereafter, they married and raised three sons; Andrew, Roger and Brian.They now enjoy spoiling two grandchildren, Justin and Morgan.
He is extensively involved in the Sitka community and has served as President of the Sitka Chamber of Commerce in addition to the Sheldon Jackson College board where he invested many years with each.He currently holds a Sitka seat on the Southeast Alaska Advisory Board for Alaska Airlines, is the Sitka Cemetery Association President, along with serving on the Raptor Center board.His passion is the overall health of the Sitka business community where he serves on the Sitka Economic Development Association board that he helped founded in 1997, and was its President the first twelve years.
Hames was asked to serve on the Raptor Center board after an ambitious and relentless pursuit by its Chair, Paula Scott! Love for the outdoors that includes the beauty and wildlife that surrounds him in the community he lives and his strong belief in giving back to the community both with his time and resources, are strong and compelling reasons why he serves on the Alaska Raptor Center board.
WILLIAM L. MACKAY
Bill Mackay is Alaska Airlines senior vice president for Alaska, where he is responsible for all aspects of the airline's passenger and cargo service throughout the state of Alaska.A 30-plus year veteran of the airline, MacKay previously served as vice president of public and government affairs responsible for the carrier's public relations, community affairs and employee communications efforts.
Over the years, MacKay has served in a variety of key marketing and public affairs roles for the airline and has had his hand in all aspects of the carrier's operations both in Alaska and the lower 48.
MacKay graduated from the University of New Mexico with a double major in economics and philosophy.He also served for six years in the U.S. Air Force and worked for Continental Airlines in Albuquerque, San Francisco and Los Angeles before joining Alaska Airlines in 1976.
Active in both industry and civic affairs, MacKay is on the boards of Junior Achievement of Washington, Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center, University of Alaska Foundation, Alaska Airlines Foundation, Commonwealth North, Kenai River Sports Fishing Association, and the Anchorage Sports Commission.
RAL T. WEST
Born and raised in Seattle, Ral West has enjoyed a career in travel and tourism, as well as advertising and marketing, that has spanned over thirty years. Ral moved to Anchorage in 1981 and founded her own advertising and marketing business there.About ten years later she decided to devote her attention to the business her husband, John Hardwick, started in 1982: Hawaiian Vacations, Inc., an Anchorage-based tour operator providing year-round charter air service between Alaska and Hawaii.In 2007, after owning and operating Hawaiian Vacations for 25 years, Ral and John sold the business to Alaska Airlines.
Ral earned her Bachelor's degree in Organizational Management from Alaska Pacific University in 1997.In another facet of her career, as a corporate educator, she has developed and presented numerous seminars on subjects such as marketing, customer service, time management, goal setting and planning.Now Ral devotes her time to managing income property and investments for her family.
Ral's non-profit experience includes serving as an officer on the Board of the Alaska Visitors Association, Chairman of the Alaska Visitors Association Marketing Council, Vice Chairman of WISE (Winning with Stronger Education) in Anchorage, and a member of the Rural Educator Preparation Partnership, a task force created by the University of Alaska.
Ral spent six years on the Pacific Northern Academy (PNA) Board of Trustees in Anchorage, including serving two years as Chair of the Board.She is currently an Honorary Trustee for the PNA Board of Trustees.Ral also served as a Trustee for Alaska Pacific University, in Anchorage, for 5 years.
Ral and John enjoy their two daughters, ages 12 and 22, and divide their time between their homes in Sitka and Maui.They are also avid boaters, and keep a couple of personal boats in Sitka.
REBECCA BRANSON Rebecca (Becky) Branson was raised in a family of nine on a farm in WashingtonState. Her background in business and management spans over three decades.She traveled to Alaska for a fishing trip with her husband, Kevin in 1998, caught her first Kenai King and has never left. She is currently a student at UAA, a housewife, and is working on their holding in investment real estate while continuing to pursue a path in civic participation.Becky and her husband are business owners/members of several commercial properties. Through these various businesses she provides management and consulting expertise.
Becky believes that by being on the ARC Board of Directors she has assisted a link within nature to nurture birds and educate the public on the overall importance of ARC’s mission.She has served on numerous boards and committees over the years where she has assumed leadership and organizing roles. Becky currently serves as a volunteer on AlaskaRaptorCenter, Kenai River Classic Committee, and numerous other volunteer organizations/fundraisers.
Becky and Kevin live in AnchorageAlaska where family is her first priority.Hobbies include skiing, reading, bicycling, scuba diving, hunting/fishing, exploring, and traveling.Kevin is a director at Thomas Head and Greisen a CPA firm in Anchorage. Their oldest daughter, Kasey resides in Sitka, Alaska with her husband aboard a 98’ tugboat where you can watch eagles all day.Daughter Brooke and husband live in San Diego with their wonderful grandson, Connor. Melissa, a daughter is in college in California and son, Jerry, is a junior attending EastHigh School in Anchorage.
WILLIAM G. "LIAM" ROYCE
Liam's family moved to Ketchikan in 1956 (Territorial Days).He graduated from Sitka High School and then attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon receiving a B.A. in political science and economics in 1969 and a J.D. from Willamette University College of Law in 1972.Liam has been in the private practice of law for the past 37 years in Ketchikan, Sitka and then Anchorage Alaska, with a civil trial practice focusing on political, environmental and business litigation.
Liam has a life long love of wilderness and has enjoyed many decades of fly-in trips, backpacking hikes, and river trips in many of Alaska's incredible places. In the past ten years Liam built and operated an internationally top rated eco-tourism lodge on his get-away property in South Central Alaska. He volunteered time and legal counsel to the Alaska Raptor center for many years before coming on the board 9 years ago.He has also served on an Alaska State Parks citizen's advisory board for 8 years, retiring in 2009.
Liam has two children; an avid mountain climber son and a canine search and rescue volunteer daughter; and two grandchildren, all in Alaska.Besides Alaska's unsurpassed nature Liam enjoys cooking, playing classical guitar, Latin music, and international travel exploring less visited cultures and regions.He is now making plans to climb a remote "tepui"(tabletop mountain) on the Venezuela/Brazil/Guyana border - which has the oldest rock exposed to sun and stars on planet earth.
Sam Kito, Jr.
Born and raised in Petersburg, Alaska, Mr. Kito graduated from Petersburg High School in 1955.He attended Western Washington State College and served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years.He received technical and management training at the RCA Institute in New York and worked with them in several capacities from 1962-1971.
Mr. Kito then turned his attention to Native issues, becoming Executive Director of the Fairbanks Native Association, Executive Director of the Tanana Chiefs Conference, and Executive Vice-President of Doyon, Ltd.He left Doyon in 1975 to become the President of the Alaska Federation of Natives.In 1982 he was elected as Chairman of the Board of AFN and served in that capacity for two elected terms.
Mr. Kito has also been extensively involved in educational issues in Alaska.He was elected to the Fairbanks School Board, and served one year as the Board President.Later, Mr. Kito was appointed to serve on the Alaska State Board of Education, the Commission on Post-Secondary Education, the Vocational Education Advisory Board, and the University of Alaska Board of Regents.He also served as Founding Director of Alaska Pacific University’s Alaska Native Institute and on the Development Committee for the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.He currently serves on the Board of the First Alaskans Institute.
Since 1977 Mr. Kito has been President of Kito, Inc., a lobbying firm representing clients in Juneau and in Washington, D.C.He is the proud father of five children and four grandchildren.
JEFFREY W. DAVIS
As President of Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska, Jeff is responsible for all aspects of the company's Alaska business including sales, marketing, customer service, community and governmental relationships and financial performance.
Prior to being President of PBCBS-AK, Jeff was Vice President, Network Development, for Premera Blue Cross.
Jeff came to Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield from William M. Mercer Inc., where he acted as Benefits Consultant to some of the region's largest employers. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Ethix Northwest. Jeff has also held management positions in HMO, hospital and ambulatory physician practice settings.
Jeff holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Whitman College and a Master's Degree in Health Care Administration from the University of Washington.
He serves on a number of community organizations, including as Chair of the Alaska Comprehensive Health Insurance Association, Board member Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka, Board Member Anchorage Economic Development Corporation and Board Member Alaska eHealth Network. Jeff had the privilege of representing business and health insurers on the Governor's Health Strategies Planning Council and now serves as on the Alaska Health Care Commission.
LINDA HUSTON
JOHN LITTEN
John came to Alaska in the early 1970’s to manage a small transportation services company in Sitka. He served in that management position for 25 years and in 1996 purchased the sightseeing portion of the business from the company founder. John was active locally over those years serving several terms on the Sitka Visitors and Convention bureau, Sawmill Cove Industrial Board, and the Alaska Raptor Center.
John was also active statewide with the Alaska Visitors Association (AVA) trade organization serving as it’s President and several terms as V.P. of Government Relations. Through the statewide exposure from AVA he received several Governor appointments to the Alaska Tourism Marketing council chairing Public Relations and worked in that capacity to bring the Good Morning America production to Alaska.
John has served on a variety of industry boards and currently sits on the Royal Celebrity Tours Board of Directors for Royal Caribbean Cruiselines.John began his involvement with the Alaska Raptor Center when his company leased the current land site from the University of Alaska and helped to move the Raptor Center to a permanent location. He currently sits on the Alaska Raptor Center board of directors where he has served several terms over the past 25 years.
Our Board Of Directors
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