Staff
Beth Nordlund
Executive Director | 907.274.1004
A lifelong advocate for public spaces and community engagement, Beth has served as Executive Director of Anchorage Park Foundation since its inception in 2004. She is passionate about bringing community leaders and volunteers together to turn ideas into meaningful projects that strengthen Anchorage’s parks and neighborhoods. Beth finds great joy in building partnerships and creating opportunities for people to make a lasting difference in their community.
Michelle LeBeau
Deputy Director | 907.249.6650
Michelle is a nonprofit leader with 25 years of experience advancing environmental and community missions. She joined Anchorage Park Foundation in 2019 and became Deputy Director in 2026, helping lead organizational strategy, philanthropy, and community partnerships. Her experience includes leadership roles with the National Audubon Society in Alaska, nearly a decade leading a nonprofit consulting practice in Alaska and California, and launching a sustainable gardening coalition in the San Francisco Bay Area. Michelle serves on the boards of Anchorage Audubon Society and Alaska Botanical Garden.
Diana Rhoades
Director of Programs | 907.249.6652
Biking, hiking, and advocating for parks and trails as pathways to health and happiness have been lifelong passions for Diana Rhoades. Her career has taken her to city halls and state capitals from Juneau to Washington, D.C., and Anchorage to Tucson, where she has worked on issues ranging from downtown revitalization and active transportation to forest bathing and organic farming. Diana is passionate about strengthening Anchorage’s park and trail system and expanding opportunities for community connection, diversity, and inclusion—while still finding time to wrestle a 58-pound King Salmon from the Kenai River.
Andrea Rayt
Business Manager | 907.249.6653
Andrea brings 17 years of nonprofit experience to her role as Business Manager at Anchorage Park Foundation, with a background spanning fundraising, accounting, administration, and organizational operations. Prior to joining APF, she spent seven years with The Nature Conservancy and 10 years with the Alaska Travel Industry Association, gaining experience across many facets of nonprofit management. Andrea is passionate about supporting organizations that strengthen communities and protect the natural world and brings a broad perspective to the Foundation’s work.
Matthew Jenkins
Program Coordinator | 907.249.6651
Matthew joined the Anchorage Park Foundation with a background in landscape architecture, design, and community engagement. Raised in rural Illinois, his appreciation for parks and the outdoors grew through his studies and hands-on experience in landscape architecture. Since moving to Alaska, he has remained committed to responsible stewardship of its remarkable landscapes and to creating vibrant, accessible public spaces.
Amy Craker
Outdoor education coordinator | 907.249.6649
Creating meaningful connections between people and nature has been a driving force throughout Amy’s career. Her background in environmental education, wildlife conservation, and youth engagement has helped thousands of students and visitors develop a deeper appreciation for the outdoors. Amy enjoys creating hands-on experiences that spark curiosity, inspire stewardship, and bring people together. She is passionate about helping youth and families discover Anchorage’s parks, trails, and natural spaces and believes time outdoors can foster a lifelong appreciation for nature and community.
Board of Directors
Bill Bittner
Chair
William (Bill) Bittner is an Anchorage-based attorney and partner with the law firm Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot. Bill’s law practice emphasizes government relations, Alaska Native minority contracting, business transactions and negotiation, and telecommunications. Bill has served on his firm’s board of directors since 1976 and attended Georgetown University Law Center.
Joelle Hall
Vice Chair
Joelle Hall is the Alaska AFL-CIO’s Director. She is a proud member of UFCW, Local 1496. She has a long resume of political experience, from running extensive issue campaigns to heading up the efforts of the AFL-CIO labor program. Joelle served in the U.S. Army and is a graduate of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Shane Baird
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Shane Baird is a CPA and Director of Thomas, Head Greisen. Shane has more than 16 years of public accounting experience in planning and performing financial statement reviews and audits, financial statement preparation and accounting training and consulting.
David Wight
Past Chair
David Wight served as president and CEO of the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company from 2000 to 2006. Prior to that he was the president and chairman of BP Amoco Energy Company Trinidad and Tobago from 1992 to 2000, playing an integral role in the development and construction of an LNG facility. He is a past member of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association Board and the Association of Oil Pipe Lines Board.
Eleanor Andrews
Past Chair
Now retired, Eleanor’s business card reads Civic Entrepreneur. She describes herself as someone who works in her community to enhance the quality of life for Anchorage citizens. Her previous engagements include terms as a member of the Alaska Judicial Council, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Commonwealth North, and Anchorage Neighborhood Housing. Before Andrews started her 20-year career as a services contractor to federal agencies, she served as a union representative, employee relations director for the Municipality of Anchorage and Alaska State Commissioner of Administration.
Steven Compton
Steven Compton grew up in Anchorage and graduated from East High. After medical training, he returned to Anchorage with wife Karen, and sons Hugo and Gus. Steve is a heart rhythm specialist with Alaska Heart Institute. As a teenage Steve rode the early dirt version of the Chester Creek Trail in the 70s. He now rides the trail to work, throughout the year, with gravel and fat tire bikes. He feels that the trail system is Anchorage’s crown jewel and is committed to helping Alaskans stay healthy through exercise.
Helena Hall
Helena Hall has been a labor and employment lawyer in Alaska for almost 30 years. Currently, she is managing labor relations for large automaker. Helena is an avid user of the parks and trails in Anchorage. She is deeply committed to ensuring that these valuable resources are accessible to everyone in the community, and to advocating for the preservation and enhancement of local green spaces for all to enjoy.
Marilyn Heiman
Marilyn Heiman has over 40 years of experience advancing natural resource policy through work with governments, Tribes, NGOs, and foundations. She has led major ocean and Arctic conservation initiatives for Bloomberg Philanthropies, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the National Ocean Protection Coalition. Her background includes senior roles with the U.S. Interior Department, Alaska Governor Knowles, and the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Commission. Marilyn holds a B.S. in Natural Resources from UC Berkeley and received the Alaska Conservation Foundation’s Olaus Murie Award in 2015. She enjoys skiing, hiking, birding, yoga, and paddling Alaska’s wild places.
Ann Rembert Safranek
Ann Rembert Safranek discovered the inextricable link between public health, social justice, and outdoor recreation early in her career as an emergency medicine physician. Working for years in the emergency departments at the Alaska Native Medical Center and Providence Alaska Medical Center, Ann became familiar with health challenges many Alaskans face. She views parks as prescriptions and playgrounds & trails as health and wellness centers. She believes that green & blue spaces are the entry point to lasting health and strong communities. She received her B.S. in Molecular Biology from Vanderbilt, an M.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern, and M.P.H from UC Berkeley.
Jim Torgerson
Jim Torgerson joined the Anchorage Park Foundation’s Board in 2021 because it helps nurture a healthy community by connecting the people of Anchorage to each other and this beautiful place. Jim was formerly the firmwide Managing Partner of Stoel Rives, LLP, the law firm where he practices, Jim also has served on the boards of numerous other non-profit and for-profit organizations.