The ACLU of Alaska and the ACLU of Alaska Foundation are non-partisan organizations dedicated to advancing the cause of civil liberties in Alaska. The former fulfills its mission through legislative advocacy, coalition building, and grassroots advocacy. The latter pursues the same mission through public education and legal action.

Adopted by the Board of Directors on November 20, 2000.

Officers and Directors:

SUSAN WINGROVE, Anchorage
PRESIDENT
 
RICH CURTNER, Chugiak
VICE PRESIDENT
 
LLOYD EGGAN, Anchorage
TREASURER
 
TONY STRONG, Juneau
SECRETARY
 
WILLIE ANDERSON, Juneau
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION OFFICER
 
KIRSTEN BEY, Nome
DONNA GOLDSMITH, Anchorage
PAUL GRANT, Juneau
SCOTT HENDERSON, Anchorage
MARJORIE KAISER, Anchorage
MICHAEL KING, Anchorage
KAY MARTIN, Anchorage
JOHN NEVILLE, Anchor Point
CONNIE OZER, Anchorage
GALEN PAINE, Sitka
STEPHANIE PAWLOWSKI, Anchorage
JUNE PINNELL-STEPHENS, Fairbanks
JIM WHITAKER, Fairbanks
NADINE WINTERS, Fairbanks
ZACH FICK, Student Advisor, Anchorage
NOELANI KAMAHELE, Student Advisor, Anchorage

Staff:

Shelby Carpenter is the LGBT Public Policy Director. She brings to Alaska experience with PROMO, Missouri's statewide LGBT advocacy group, where she focused on passing two bills which would prohibit discrimination against LGBT individuals and provide more comprehensive bullying policies for Missouri public schools. At the ACLU of Alaska Shelby will head the LGBT Rights Project, ensuring full equality for Alaskans, and leading public education and voter identification work in support of employment, housing, and public accommodations non-discrimination. Originally from Kent, Ohio, Shelby graduated from Washington University in Saint Louis with a double major in the Humanities and Japanese. While in college she studied abroad in Spain and in Japan, and prior to attending college she spent two summers volunteering with the Amigos de las Americas program in Latin America. She greatly enjoys learning languages in her spare time. Shelby is pleased to live in a city as ethnically and linguistically diverse as Anchorage.

Jeffrey Mittman is Executive Director for the ACLU of Alaska. Formerly the Deputy National Field Director of the ACLU, working out of the Washington Legislative Office, Jeffrey also served as the USA PATRIOT Act and Post-9/11 Campaign Coordinator for the Northern California Affiliate of the ACLU, and as a volunteer Board Member and Chapter Chair. In addition, he worked with the National Office and Affiliates on the debut season of the ACLU Freedom Files TV show. Jeffrey was in private law practice for several years, specializing in litigation, including criminal defense and representing plaintiffs in employment discrimination matters. He did advocacy organizing for Equality California, and has volunteered on electoral campaigns. Jeffrey is a former Airborne Ranger qualified Infantry First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He graduated Yale University, and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where he was Symposium Editor for the Constitutional Law Quarterly.

Drew Phoenix is the Office Manager for the ACLU of Alaska. He comes to the ACLU with twenty years experience in non-profit, organizational management. Most recently, Drew served as Campaign Manager for Alaska Community Share and as Managing Director for Alaska Community Action on Toxics. He earned an M.S. in Development Management from The American University in Washington, D.C.

Theda Pittman who is ACLU of Alaska’s part-time bookkeeper is a 40-year resident of Alaska. She has lived in both Fairbanks and Anchorage and enjoyed the opportunity to travel in rural Alaska in the early 70’s when she worked in public broadcasting.  Her other jobs have included director of the Alaska Women’s Resource Center and the Alaska Public Offices Commission as well as staff trainer for the Governor’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity.

Josh Press is the Legal Fellow for the ACLU of Alaska.  He previously worked as a law clerk for Judges David Stewart and Joel Bolger of the Alaska Court of Appeals.  He graduated cum laude from the Northwestern University School of Law, where he was an editor of the school’s law review.  A native of Georgia and a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, Josh first became interested in civil liberties while he was a summer volunteer for the ACLU of Georgia.  After serving as our Legal Fellow, Josh plans on clerking for Judge Andrew Kleinfeld of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Fairbanks.

Tom Stenson is the Prison Rights Attorney for the ACLU of Alaska. He previously worked as a trial attorney at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, the public defender agency for the city of Philadelphia. He graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he served as an articles editor for the Journal of Labor and Employment Law. He obtained his bachelor’s degree at Swarthmore College, graduating with High Honors.

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