Anchorage Ambassadors Directory
The Choose Anchorage Ambassador program is designed to connect passionate individuals and organizations who are dedicated to promoting Anchorage as a vibrant and thriving community. Ambassadors play a crucial role in showcasing the many benefits of living, working, and doing business in Anchorage, from attracting new residents to supporting local businesses and events. By sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm, they help strengthen the city’s image both locally and beyond.
We encourage you to find Choose Anchorage Ambassadors in your industry to connect with. Whether you’re looking to grow your business, expand your network, or gain insights into how Anchorage can support your goals, our ambassadors are here to help. Their firsthand experiences and deep community involvement make them invaluable resources for anyone looking to learn more about Anchorage’s opportunities and unique lifestyle.
If you’re interested in becoming an Ambassador, please reach out to us or apply online using the link below. If you’d like to connect with an Ambassador in your field, scroll down to view our current list of Ambassadors and their areas of focus. Together, we can make Anchorage a better place for everyone to live, work and play!

Aaron Kusano
Occupation: Radiation Oncology and Medical Director at Anchorage and Valley Radiation Therapy Centers
Industry: Healthcare
Age: 46
Born and Raised: Airport Heights
Ethnicity: Japanese
Current Profession: Radiation Oncology Physician
Currently Reside: West Anchorage / Girdwood

Beki Toussaint
Occupation: Education Program Director for a non-profit
Industry: Education
Age: 38
Born and Raised: Colorado
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Current Profession: Education Program Director for Non Profit
Currently Reside: Abbott Loop

Calvin Chang
Occupation: Associate 49th State Angel Fund
Industry: Business Development and Investment
Age: 28
Born and Raised: Hong Kong
Ethnicity: Chinese
Current Profession: Associate, 49th State Angel Fund
Currently Reside: Jewel Lake Area

Carrie Jokiel
Occupation: President & Owner of ChemTrack Alaska
Industry: Environmental and Construction Services
Age: 46
Born and Raised: Upper Hillside
Ethnicity: German
Current Profession: President ChemTrack Alaska
Currently Reside: Upper hillside

Chucky Williams
Occupation: Compliance Specialist at Alyeska Pipeline
Industry: Oil & Gas
Age: 44
Born and Raised: East Anchorage
Ethnicity: African American
Current Profession: Compliance Specialist / Alyeska Pipeline Service Company
Currently Reside: Eastside

Cynthia Romo
Occupation: Spanish Immersion Teacher at Government Hill Elementary, ASD
Industry: Public Education
Age: 29
Born and Raised: Anchorage, Alaska and Jalostotitlan, Mexico
Ethnicity: Mexican, Hispanic
Currently Reside: Southside

Danika Baldwin
Occupation: Content creator, social influencer
Industry: Information, Professional & Business Services
Age: 36
Born and Raised: California and Anchorage
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Currently Reside: Southside

Dave Valdez
Occupation: Chief Operating Officer
Industry: Financial
Age: 43
Born and Raised: Manila, Philippines and East Anchorage
Ethnicity: Filipino
Currently Reside: Campbell Lake

David Nichols
Occupation: Business Agent for Teamsters Local 959
Industry: Teamsters Local 959
Age: 44
Born and Raised: East Anchorage and Mountain View
Ethnicity: African American
Current Profession: Business Agent or Teamster Local 959
Currently Reside: East Anchorage

Dayana Gallo
Occupation: K1 General Education Teacher, ASD
Industry: Public Education
Age: 29
Born and Raised: Anchorage, Alaska and Jalostotitlan, Mexico
Ethnicity: Mexican, Hispanic
Current Profession: K1 General Education Teacher, ASD
Currently Reside: Dimond

Drew Cason
Occupation: COO, Kaladi Brothers Coffee
Industry: Manufacturing, Professional & Business Services, Tourism & Hospitality
Age: 36
Born and Raised: West Anchorage
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Current Profession: COO Kaladi Brothers Coffee
Currently Reside: Airport Heights

Emily Edenshaw
Occupation: President/CEO Alaska Native Heritage Center
Industry: Government and Indigenous Studies
Age: 40
Born and Raised: Fairbanks, AK
Ethnicity: Yup'ik and Inupiaq
Current Profession: CEO/President of Alaska Native Heritage Center
Currently Reside: East Anchorage

Emily Quepons
Occupation: Automotive Service Writer
Industry: Manufacturing
Age: 22
Born and Raised: Anchorage, AK
Ethnicity: Mexican & German
Current Profession: Service Advisor Manger at Culmination Sports
Currently Reside: Southside

Emily Thompson
Occupation: Anchorage Firefighter, Anchorage Fire Department
Industry: Government
Age: 39
Born and Raised: West Anchorage
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Current Profession: Anchorage Fire Department, Firefighter
Currently Reside: Midtown

Garrett Potter
Occupation: Business Development Manager at Calista Corporation
Industry: Oil & Gas
Age: 35
Born and Raised: West Anchorage
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Current Profession: Business Development & Risk Manager at Nordic-Calista
Currently Reside: Southside

Helen Adams
Occupation: Emergency Medicine Physician
Industry: Healthcare
Age: 36
Born and Raised: Southwest Anchorage
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Current Profession: Emergency Medicine Physician
Currently Reside: Kincaid

Helena Sarcone
Occupation: Business Development Associate ACLT
Industry: Professional & Business Services
Age: 28
Born and Raised: Spenard
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Current Profession: Business Development Associate at ACLT, Lead Organizer of Spenard 2nd Saturday, Owner + Founder of Sarcone Consulting
Currently Reside: Westside

Jake Gray
Occupation: Infectious Disease Doctor at ANTHC
Industry: Healthcare
Age: 46
Born and Raised: Brighton, England and East Anchorage
Ethnicity: British, Armenian
Current Profession: Infectious Disease Physican at ANMC, Service Chief of Internal Medicine Specialty Clinic
Currently Reside: Downtown / Girdwood

Janessa Joseph
Occupation: Engineer
Industry: Construction
Age: 24
Born and Raised: West Anchorage
Ethnicity: Alaska Native and African American
Current Profession: Engineer
Currently Reside: West Anchorage

Jaron Williams
Occupation: Anchorage YMCA Staff Leader
Industry: Health and Youth Services
Age: 24
Born and Raised: Mountain View
Ethnicity: African American
Current Profession: Anchorage YMCA Staff Leader
Currently Reside: East Anchorage

Jizel Mendoza
Occupation: Family Support Specialist
Industry: Professional & Business Services
Age: 36
Born and Raised: Airport Heights
Ethnicity: Dominican
Current Profession: Family Support Specialist, Help Me Grow Alaska (non-profit)
Currently Reside: Southside

Joe Lumpkin
Occupation: Commercial Real Estate and Business Broker
Industry: Professional & Business Services, Financial
Age: 38
Born and Raised: East Anchorage
Ethnicity: Thai and African American
Current Profession: Commercial Real Estate & Business Brokering, KW Regal North Commercial
Currently Reside: Geneva Woods

Justin Milette
Occupation: Realtor, Developer, and Entrepreneur
Industry: Real Estate
Age: 40
Born and Raised: East Anchorage
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Currently Reside: Downtown, Westchester Lagoon

Katrina Quinn
Occupation: Curriculum Principal at West Anchorage High School
Industry: Public Education
Age: 32
Born and Raised: Arizona
Ethnicity: Mexican
Current Profession: Curriculum Principal at WHS ASD
Currently Reside: Eagle River

Kaylah Thomas
Occupation: Chef/Baker
Industry: Hospitality and Catering
Age: 29
Born and Raised: Anchorage, AK
Ethnicity: African American
Currently Reside: Eastside

Kiana Trupp
Occupation: Real Estate Agent, Social Media and Marketing Partner
Industry: Professional & Business Services
Age: 22
Born and Raised: South Anchorage
Ethnicity: Alaska Native and Canadian
Current Profession: Realtor at Real Broker of Alaska, barista & social media manager for BB’s Coffee
Currently Reside: South Anchorage

Kristina Gibson
Occupation: ASRC Director of Enterprise Facilities and Realtor at Jack White Real Estate
Industry: Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and Real Estate Agent
Age: 29
Born and Raised: Sitka, AK
Ethnicity: Alaska Native and North Slope Native
Currently Reside: Westside

Lorena Blair
Occupation: Student Success Coach, Migrant Education
Industry: Indigenous and Public Education
Age: 39
Born and Raised: Anchorage, AK
Ethnicity: Caucasian, Aleut, Tsimshian, and Mojave
Current Profession: Student Success Coach
Currently Reside: Abbott Loop

Makayla Wilson
Occupation: School Based Clinician for Providence Alaska and the Anchorage School District
Industry: Mental Health Clinician and School Social Work
Age: 24
Born and Raised: Fairview in Anchorage
Ethnicity: Mexican & African American
Current Profession: Assembly Aide for Municipality of Anchorage, (Starting in August 2024: School-Based Clinician, Providence)
Currently Reside: East Anchorage

Mary Graham
Occupation: Sales & Community Marketing Specialist for Alaska Airlines
Industry: Professional & Business Services, Transportation
Age: 33
Born and Raised: Westside, Westchester Lagoon
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Current Profession: Sales & Community Marketing Specialist for Alaska Airlines
Currently Reside: Downtown, Westchester Lagoon

Miljan Durdev
Occupation: Contractor and Owner of Dreamhome Construction, Food Vendor
Industry: Construction
Age: 39
Born and Raised: Serbia
Ethnicity: Serbian
Current Profession: Owner of Dream Home Construction, Boardwalk, Apolon LLC
Currently Reside: Arctic and Dimond

MJ Thim
Occupation: Chief of Communications, Publications, and External Affairs for the Anchorage School Disrict
Industry: Education
Age: 47
Born and Raised: Baltimore and D.C. Area
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Current Profession: Chief of External Affairs for the Anchorage School District
Currently Reside: Rogers Park

Natalia Cole
Occupation: Hair Stylist and Salon Owner of Blended by Co.
Industry: Professional & Business Services
Age: 24
Born and Raised: Anchorage, AK
Ethnicity: Mexican and Colombian
Current Profession: Hairstylist
Currently Reside: Midtown

Natalie Gomez
Occupation: Small Business Owner and Lead Coordinator for the Scotty Gomez Foundation
Industry: Philanthropic Non-profit foundation and Public Education
Age: 36
Born and Raised: Anchorage, AK
Ethnicity: Mexican and Colombian
Currently Reside: Airport Heights

Nate Seymour
Occupation: Principal of Pacwest Consulting Group
Industry: Construction and Real Estate
Age: 38
Born and Raised: Southside
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Current Profession: Owner, Pacwest Consulting Group Construction and Real Estate Risk Management
Currently Reside: Southport / Girdwood

Ralphie Quepons
Occupation: Owner/Operator, European Car Service and Owner, Rafelito's Taqueria
Industry: Manufacturing
Age: 47
Born and Raised: Tijuana Baja California & Anchorage
Ethnicity: Mexican
Current Profession: Owner/operator "European Car Service"
Currently Reside: Klatt

Tanya Pont
Occupation: Executive Director of Advancement at University of Alaska, Anchorage
Industry: Philanthropic, Education
Born and Raised: Seoul, South Korea
Ethnicity: Korean-American
Current Profession: Executive Director for Advancement at the University of Alaska Anchorage
Currently Reside: Baxter

Tim Davis
Occupation: Teacher & Coach at West Anchorage High School
Industry: Public Education
Age: 40
Born and Raised: South Anchorage
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Current Profession: Teacher & Coach at West Anchorage High School
Currently Reside: Sand Lake, Kincaid but heart and soul of West Anchorage

Ward Blair
Occupation: Student Support Specialist for Indigenous Education, ASD
Industry: Public and Indigenous Education
Age: 39
Born and Raised: Dimond
Ethnicity: Aleut, Tsimshian, and Mojave
Current Profession: Indigenous Education, ASD
Currently Reside: Campbell

Whitney Wigren
Occupation: FBI Intelligence
Industry: Government
Age: 37
Born and Raised: South Anchorage
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Current Profession: FBI Intelligence
Currently Reside: Bayshore