Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Isaac Watkins, Board President
Isaac came to Alaska in 2000 after working for a volunteer monitoring organization in Illinois for 2 years. He also came to attend Alaska Pacific University (APU) to work on his Master's degree, and has been here since. After graduating from APU, he went to work for HDR Alaska, Inc., where he worked numerous years on projects throughout the state. He is an Aquatic Ecologist specializing in benthic macroinvertebrates. He lives near the Campbell Creek Science Center with his family and enjoys hiking, camping, running, and playing soccer.
Bob Shipley, Board Vice President
Bob has lived in Anchorage for 46 years. He has a degree in biology from Colorado State University. Bob worked for agencies in both Colorado and Alaska in applied environmental sciences until he retired in 1993. His lifetime interest in ecosystem biology led to his joining the AWC Board in 1998 where he became the issues committee chair.
Donovan Camp, Board Secretary
Donovan was born and raised in Fairbanks where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from UAF. After moving to Anchorage, he started working as a transportation engineer and has taken personal and professional interest in hydrology and active transportation design. He values working toward ecological conservation and sharing his passion for pollution, waste, and litter mitigation. Donovan enjoys camping, hiking, and canoeing, but you're most likely to find him somewhere out on his bike: commuting, racing, and exploring Alaska. He is also a volunteer water monitor for AWC.
Alex Jefferies, Board Treasurer
Alex grew up in Soldotna, Alaska, moved to Anchorage for college and never left. Growing up near the Kenai River and learning about the importance of the local watershed at a young age helped kindle her passion for water resources. She is a registered civil engineer that specializes in stream hydrology and hydraulics, stormwater, and fish passage design. She joined Anchorage Waterways Council to become more involved in the Anchorage community and to assist with enhancing the health of our local creeks. Alex enjoys being outdoors, running, hiking, fishing, and various activities with her two corgis.
Birgit Hagedorn, Board Member
Birgit is a geochemist who came to Alaska in August 2006 to manage an environmental research and teaching laboratory at the University of Alaska Anchorage and to do research in the Arctic. She has 20 years of research experience in the Arctic where she investigates water and soil geochemistry and how they are affected by climate change. Recently she became more involved with man-made contaminants in the Arctic environment and joined the AWC board to help protected the unique nature of Anchorage's creeks. She now runs her own consulting firm and trains people in environmental sampling.
Alyse Maxwell, Board Member
Alyse is a lifelong Alaskan who grew up along the Campbell Creek Greenbelt. She holds a BA in Environment and Society and a certificate of Civic Engagement from UAA. As an environmental scientist she has a passion for an interconnected approach to resource development and conservation; and specializes in wetlands, water quality, invasive species control, and public involvement. Recently she began fostering baby birds for Bird TLC. Packrafting is her favorite summer activity, and she is always up for an impromptu clean-up run of Campbell Creek.
Adam McCullough, Board Member
Adam has been an Anchorage resident since 2005. His education and experience is in geospatial sciences and he has worked all over Alaska on various aerial, terrestrial, and waterborne mapping assignments. He developed a strong appreciation for the responsible stewardship of water resources after a college internship that focused on improving watersheds on the Kenai Peninsula. In his spare time he enjoys reading, hiking, skiing, and taking his family on dog walks throughout Anchorage's many scenic greenspaces.
Valerie Tompkins, Board Member
Valerie has lived in Anchorage since 1980, having moved here from Fairbanks, and home is on 3 acres in Chugiak with 6 dogs, 2 sheep, and 12 chickens. She first connected with AWC as a representative for Alyeska Canine Trainers to the Scoop the Poop Committee, and has served at University Lake for about 10 years helping with Scoop the Poop Day. Valerie began water monitoring of Chester Creek at Davenport Fields in 2019. Currently, she is a classroom music teacher at Government Hill Elementary, and also supervises the school garden. She enjoys ushering at the Performing Arts Center, and spends as much time as she can with her 4 granddaughters, her son and his wife, and her daughter and her husband, all of whom live in Anchorage.
Annie Collie, Board Member
Annie has been an Alaskan resident since 2017. In her professional life, she is an environmental scientist with Midnight Sun Environmental in Anchorage. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Natural
Resource Management from Colorado State University. Annie is a "leave no trace" advocate, stormwater expert, and outdoors enthusiast. When she is not working or volunteering, she can be found back
country skiing, hiking, camping, foraging, or fishing.