Leadership Anchorage

05/26/2026

Congratulations to JJ Jackson (LA 26) on earning his GED through the Alaska Literacy Program!

Last week my heart is full celebrating our GED graduates. 🎓

Many students worked very hard while taking care of family, jobs, and many responsibilities. This achievement is not easy, and we are so proud of every one of you.

Thank you for believing in yourself and continuing your education. Your courage and determination inspire all of us every day.

Congratulations graduates! Your future is bright and this is only the beginning. ❤️

05/26/2026

A business owner, executive coach, and auctioneer, Jen Motyka is a true force of nature - and force for good - in Anchorage and beyond, and we love working with her on our Celebrating Leadership event every year.

Jen is the owner of Blitz Solutions and a partner at AK Promo Co, where she gets to deepen her relationships with local nonprofits and her own community involvement. She's a part of too many boards and initiatives to name here - just know that if we were all as involved, informed and connected as Jen, the world would be a better place!

Jen has been a mentor for the Alaska Literacy Program and our own Leadership Anchorage program, and is the first Korean-American Benefit Auction Specialist in the U.S. Each year, Jen runs the Fund the Forum part of Celebrating Leadership with deep love for the community in the room, an inspiring commitment of our mission, and a zing of energy that gets the whole room participating.

Jen, we appreciate you! ✨Thank you for another great year of partnership.

05/18/2026

04/30/2026

Congratulations to this year's Leadership Anchorage Alumni Award winner, Nyabony G*t! ✨

Nyabony (LA25) is the Peer Leader Navigators Program Director at the Alaska Literacy Program, where she focuses on health outreach, advocacy, and helping individuals connect to and navigate healthcare and social services. She supports and trains individuals in building language skills at ALP and collaboratively works on developing integrated career pathways for limited-English-proficient (LEP) and multilingual populations. She also co-leads an ESL-focused pre-apprenticeship training program in healthcare and contributes to coalition efforts addressing health literacy gaps and Community Health Worker (CHW) workforce development.

Nyabony is South Sudanese, born in Ethiopia, and immigrated to Alaska with her family as a youth. Her work is shaped by memories of the challenges her parents and family members faced accessing critical services across language barriers. Drawing from her lived experience, she also serves her community as a lay CHW and is an Advisor for the Alaska CHW Network.

“Nyabony shows time and again that empathy, respect, and understanding come from love for our community and a belief in our collective future,” wrote her nominator. “May we all be lucky enough to have a Nyabony in our lives!”

Nyabony’s recognitions include Alaska’s Top 40 Under 40 and a fellowship with Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from the University of Alaska Anchorage and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®).

We are thrilled to recognize Nyabony next week at Celebrating Leadership!

04/23/2026

Leadership Anchorage 29 got into a fierce, full bodied rock-paper-scissors battle on Saturday! Mac Lyons was crowned champion.

04/23/2026

The winner of this year's Leadership Anchorage Mentor Award is Lee Post! ✨

Lee is an illustrator, art educator, graphic recorder, and youth advocate. A lifelong Alaskan raised in the Mat‑Su Valley, he has created art across Alaska, often supporting nonprofits, local government, and public health initiatives. His comics classes —offered in libraries and schools—provide a free, welcoming space for youth and adults to explore art and share their stories. Alongside his art practice, Lee spent decades working with at‑risk youth for the State of Alaska as a social worker and juvenile probation officer, ultimately becoming the chief juvenile probation officer for the Anchorage region.

Lee was in the Leadership Anchorage 14 cohort, and he has been a mentor to LA alumni Brennon Land (LA25) and Tory Shanklin (LA28). His mentor in LA was Julie Decker, Executive Director of the Anchorage Museum. Lee also chairs the board of VOA Alaska, which provides youth substance use and mental health treatment, including school‑based interventions, kinship care, and Alaska’s only residential juvenile substance abuse program.

"I admire how he builds purpose into his life… through connections to causes and people in our community," wrote his nominator. “Leadership isn’t always about holding the highest office, being the most public-facing, or supervising the largest team. Sometimes, it’s about living life with genuine enthusiasm, building meaningful relationships, and committing to help others grow. Lee embodies this.”

We are thrilled for Lee, and look forward to celebrating him on May 8!

04/21/2026

Forum staff are hosting three sessions at Nudlaghi Leadership Institute this summer! Registration is now open for these impactful workshops at the stunning Silver Salmon Camp:

🦈Courageous Leading, Following, and Building Trust - July 20-22
Facilitators: Polly Carr & Shoshi Bieler
Link: https://www.akhf.org/events/courageous-leading-following-and-building-trust-nudlaghi-leadership-institute

🦈Executive Leadership in Complex Times - July 22-24
Facilitators: Kameron Perez-Verdia & Tonio Nguyen
Link: https://www.akhf.org/events/executive-leadership-in-complex-times

🦈Leadership in a Polarized World - July 29-31
Facilitators: Taylor Strelevitz & Chuck Seaca
Link: https://www.akhf.org/events/leadership-in-a-polarized-world

04/21/2026

We are SOLD OUT of tickets for Celebrating Leadership on May 8!