Staff

Executive Director
907.274.1004 | beth at anchorageparkfoundation dot org

A lifelong advocate for public spaces and community engagement, Beth has served as Executive Director since Anchorage Park Foundation’s inception in 2004. Many of her greatest joys come from convening with community leaders and working with volunteers, working together to make something magical out of an idea.

Beth lives with her husband Jim and daughter Ella next to a great sledding hill at Balto Seppala Park.

Director of Philanthropy and Marketing
907.249.6650 | michelle at anchorageparkfoundation dot org

Michelle is a nonprofit leader with more than 20 years of experience advancing environmental and community causes. Since 2019, she has served as Director of Philanthropy and Marketing for the Anchorage Park Foundation, raising support for capital projects and programs. Her background includes leadership roles with Audubon Alaska, where she served as Deputy Director and Interim Executive Director, and nearly a decade running a consulting firm helping nonprofit leaders across Alaska and California with fundraising, board development, and strategic planning. She also launched a regional coalition for sustainable landscaping in the San Francisco Bay Area. Michelle serves on the Board of Directors of the Anchorage Audubon Society and as Co-President of the Board for the Alaska Botanical Garden. She holds degrees from Indiana University and the University of Denver and enjoys exploring Alaska’s outdoors with her family.

Director of Programs
907.249.6652 | diana at anchorageparkfoundation dot org

Biking, hiking and advocating for parks and trails as a path to health and happiness has been a lifelong passion for Diana Rhoades. Diana’s career has taken her to Capital Cities and City Halls from Juneau to Washington DC and Anchorage to Tucson, Arizona. She has worked on issues as diverse as downtown revitalization, active transportation, forest bathing, organic farming and wrestling a 58-pound King Salmon from the world-famous Kenai River. She is excited to focus on improving and growing Anchorage’s park and trail system and providing more opportunities for diversity and inclusion.

Youth Engagement Manager
907.351.0055 | meredith at anchorageparkfoundation dot org

Meredith grew up in southern Washington State and slowly and continually moved farther North over her adult life. After receiving a BA from University of Washington Seattle in Technical Theater, Meredith started snowboard and working as a white-water rafting guide. After graduation she started looking outside for a new career and found Environmental Education. Meredith received a MA in Environmental Education from Lesley University’s Audubon Expedition Institute. Learning about community, the outdoors, and new ways of teaching in an experiential format, inspired her to want to share the outdoors with others. Meredith came to Alaska in 2011 for a summer job and never looked back. She has spent the past five years as the Youth Engagement Manager for the Anchorage Park Foundation, where she works to support teachers in getting kids outside. Meredith believes the outdoors is for everyone and if we don’t intentionally create time and space for youth to have positive experiences outside, they may not care about that space in the future.

Business Manager
907.249.6653 | andrea at anchorageparkfoundation dot org

Andrea is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and has a deep love of the natural world so stepping into the role of Business Manager was a great fit.  She served in various capacities in the non-profit sector for 17 years prior to joining the team.  Working in areas from fundraising to accounting and administration, she has enjoyed experiencing many facets of non-profit organizations.  Her home borders one of Anchorage's parks, and she enjoys the beauty of the park system daily.  During the summer, Andrea enjoys putting her Master Gardener skills to use at her home garden and has a bit of an addiction for rock garden plants.

Program Manager
907.215.8354 | ally at anchorageparkfoundation dot org

Ally comes to the Anchorage Park Foundation with a diverse background working as an environmental scientist, an outdoor educator, and a community action advocate. In her role as Program Manager, she is excited to improve urban forest health and get youth outdoors. Growing up in New England, Ally developed a deep appreciation for our natural spaces while hiking, skiing, and kayaking with her family. She moved to Alaska in 2022 and fell in love with Anchorage’s parks and trail systems. You can often find her taking walks on the beach at Kincaid Park, using her binoculars to search for belugas off the coast.