RACHEL KALLANDER

Founder & CEO, Arctic Encounter

CEO, Kallander & Associates

Owner & Publisher, The Cordova Times

founder & host, intra retreats

Honorary Consul of Iceland to Alaska

As a second-year law student at the University of Washington’s School of Law, Rachel Kallander participated in an Arctic science mission aboard the USCG HEALY icebreaker, researching and observing oil spill response and recovery efforts. Soon after that pivotal experience, Rachel organized the first Arctic Encounter – the largest annual Arctic policy and business conference in the United States today.

But that experience in 2013 was not her first encounter with an oil spill. Rachel was born and raised in a commercial fishing family in Cordova, Alaska, during the three-decade wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. She was raised with a unique understanding of how issues affecting the North affect the world, which spurred a deep desire to be of service to her home state and its rural communities.

Upon completing law school and receiving her Juris Doctorate, Rachel founded Kallander & Associates. K&A is mission-driven to effectively engage the issues and opportunities impacting Alaska and the Arctic through public relations, public policy development, honest and bipartisan research, and creative collaboration.

Every client, project, or campaign K&A takes on fosters the coexistence of responsible development, sustainable environments, and healthy communities in Alaska and coastal regions worldwide.

Rachel has served as professional staff in Congress and the Alaska State Legislature, serves on several volunteer boards, and in leadership positions on numerous statewide political campaigns and business-led initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Seattle University, a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law, and is continuing her education via Harvard Business School’s HBX program.

Rachel was named Honorary Consul to Alaska by the Government of Iceland in 2022. Through this role, Rachel collaborates with Icelandic officials and its U.S. Embassy to foster new relations and opportunities between Iceland and Alaska. Rachel was recently named to Alaska’s Top 40 Under 40, sponsored by the Alaska Journal of Commerce.

In 2022, Rachel acquired The Cordova Times, Prince William Sound’s oldest newspaper, established in 1914. The Cordova Times is a printed weekly newspaper that has been in print and circulation for 108 years.

Rachel lives in Anchorage, Alaska, with her husband, Casey, and two young children.

JACKSON BLACKWELL

ADVISOR, arctic encounter

GRADUATE STUDENT, Princeton University

Jackson is a candidate for a Master in Public Affairs degree at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. He is also a Harry S. Truman Scholar and graduated Magna Cum Laude with Distinguished Honors and degrees in Economics and Political Science from Boise State University. As a lifelong Alaskan, he’s particularly interested in international climate, energy, and development policy and business opportunities that impact Northern regions.

Prior to enrolling in graduate school, Jackson helped lead the organization as its Managing Director. He also was part of the firm, Kallander & Associates, and worked with clients across the political, economic, and business sectors. Jackson also worked with several public and private organizations over the past several years, including: the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute, the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Senator Murkowski’s Washington, D.C. Office. Jackson served as Political Director on the successful 2020 statewide Ballot Measure 2 race, implementing statewide open primaries and ranked-choice voting.

DAVID JIANG

PROGram & Policy Fellow

David Jiang recently graduated from Tufts University with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Environmental Science. He comes to Arctic Encounter with a keen passion for civic dialogue as well as experience in symposium planning, both of which he cultivated while participating in Tufts’ EPIIC (Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship) Symposium, a university-wide expert-led global affairs conference. While serving on EPIIC’s Program Committee, David deeply enjoyed the process of researching, organizing, and inviting speakers on panels for the program’s 2021 symposium. He looks forward to continuing this work at Arctic Encounter and further his understanding of how this unique region will navigate its geopolitical, economic, and environmental futures in the 21st century.

Prior to Arctic Encounter, David has served as a graduate-level Research Assistant at Applied Economics Clinic, a mission-based energy and environment consulting organization. In this role, he supported senior researchers in drafting research briefs and performing quantitative analysis for a variety of public sector clients, most notably having been involved in the construction of the Puerto Rican government’s first greenhouse gas inventory. He has also served as a Policy Intern for NECEC (Northeast Clean Energy Council), representing a coalition of clean energy companies in state legislatures across the six New England states (including his home state of Massachusetts) and New York.

KRISTI NGUYEN

ARCTIC EXCURSION COORDINATOR

Kristi Nguyen is a first year medical student at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. Prior to starting medical school, Kristi was living and working in Anchorage as the Arctic Encounter’s first Fellow through the year-long Alaska Fellows Program. As a fellow, Kristi supported all components of the 2023 Arctic Encounter, including sponsor and speaker engagement and agenda development. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in the Biological Sciences from the University of Chicago.

Kristi’s academic and professional interests include the complex relationship between human health and physical environments. She is excited to continue learning more about health in Northern regions, and looks forward to coordinating the 2024 Arctic Encounter Excursion.

Outside of her studies, Kristi is always looking to try new things. At the moment, she is learning how to pull good espresso shots with her new espresso machine (a necessity in medical school!). She also likes to knit while listening to podcasts (and welcomes any and all podcast recommendations, too).

HARMONY WAYNER

NORTHERN VISIONS FELLOWSHIP COORDINATOR

Harmony Jade Sugaq Wayner is a tribal member of Naknek Native Village, a commercial fisher in the Bristol Bay salmon fleet, and a marine scientist focused on social-ecological systems to promote Indigenous values and well-being in fisheries. Harmony has a Master of Resource Management from the University Centre of the Westfjords in Iceland and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Alaska Southeast. She works at the International Arctic Research Center as an Indigenous Liaison for the Research Networking Activities for Sustained Coordinated Observations of Arctic Change Project (RNA CoObs).

Harmony was on the board of directors for the Arctic Youth Network from 2021-2023 and has given an Arctic Indigenous perspective to high-level dialogues on climate and nature, such as the World Economic Forum, Arctic Circle Assembly, Arctic Encounter, and the Polar Symposium of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. She has been a youth ambassador for Arctic Base Camp, an Alaska Sea Grant Fellow, and an Arctic Frontiers Emerging Leader. Harmony also worked as a counselor with Bristol Bay Native Corporation in their annual youth culture camp. Some of her most cherished memories in the last years are learning how to heal with culture from elders and teaching youth how to process salmon on the shores of Lake Iliamna. 

She is thrilled to continue working in mentorship and youth development across the circumpolar north with her role as the Northern Vision Fellowship Director with Arctic Encounter Symposium. 

Currently residing in Anchorage, you will often find her Nordic skiing on the trails with her dog, Uli. In the summer, she travels home to Naknek to fish for sayak (sockeye salmon) and gather berries with her family.

TRINA LANDLORD

FAR NORTH FASHION SHOW COORDINATOR, ARCTIC ENCOUNTER

Trina Landlord is the Director of Business Development for Northwest Strategies, an Alaska Native woman-owned full-service marketing and advertising agency. Her expertise in development, planning and management advances the business growth and opportunities to increase a strong client base. Before joining NWS, Landlord worked in development for Alaska Native advocacy and tribal health non-profits for seven years, marking her as one of Alaska’s top leaders in fundraising. She co-managed and coordinated the largest representative annual gathering of Indigenous peoples in the United States and Alaska’s largest convention. She served as the Executive Director of an arts organization that built an innovative platform for emerging and established Alaska Native artists by curating exhibitions, trainings and workshops and high-profile fashion shows garnering statewide and national attention including a feature story in Native Peoples Magazine.

Trina has worked in non-governmental organizations and private sector roles both within the U.S. and abroad. Her work on Alaska Native issues earned her a fellowship at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland where she co-authored an Indigenous Human Rights Manual on mechanisms that Indigenous peoples can advocate for their interests at the international level. Trina worked at a cultural embassy that promoted Alaska through film screenings, book readings, lectures, forums, art exhibits and gatherings in New York. Trina is of Yup'ik heritage, originally from Mountain Village and resides in Anchorage.

REED DAVIDSON

PROGRAM Coordinator, ARCTIC ENCOUNTER

Reed Davidson is a senior at South Anchorage High School, where she is involved in several different academic and extracurricular activities. She competes in speech and debate and is president of South’s Student Government. Reed plans to study international relations and economics in college.

Outside of school and extracurriculars, Reed enjoys spending time outdoors in her hometown of Girdwood, Alaska. With access to great outdoor areas, her favorite activities are alpine and nordic skiing, hiking, and fishing.

ANNA KARDASHYAN

PROGRAM & Media INTERN, ARCTIC ENCOUNTER

Anna Kardashyan is a junior at South Anchorage High School and was the 2023 US Fall Senate Page under Senator Murkowski’s sponsorship. Anna competes in Informational Speaking and is a state champion in Policy Debate for South's Speech and Debate team. She is also the Vice President, Board of Director, and presiding judge for Anchorage Youth Court. Anna is passionate about Arctic policy and plans to major in political or data science in college.

Outside of school and extracurricular activities, Anna enjoys hiking, biking, and running through Alaska's beautiful trails.

INGRID KNUTSON

PROGRAM INTERN, ARCTIC ENCOUNTER

Ingrid is excited to be interning for the Arctic Encounter this year.   Currently a senior at the National Cathedral School in Washington, DC, she is looking forward to furthering her interest in Arctic policy and her love for Alaska. Her family is originally from Alaska, and she has spent the last five summers in Sitka. She intends to study advocacy communications in college and would like to focus on Arctic policy.  Ingrid loves to ski and is a competitive figure skater.  

GRACE SCHULTZ

EXECUTIVE OPERATIONS COORDINATOR, arctic encounter + Kallander & Associates

Grace Schultz is originally from Minnesota, and made Anchorage home in the fall of 2018 when she began her collegiate career at Alaska Pacific University. While at Alaska Pacific University, Grace was deeply involved in student government and held the Student Body President position for her junior and senior years. She graduated in the spring of 2022 with a Bachelor's of Science in Marine and Environmental Science with concentration in marine biology and a minor in environmental policy. This combination of studies and activities allowed her to expand her interests and dive more deeply into her passions for the environment, ocean systems, and the Arctic. Additionally, her interests in these areas helped bring her to her position here at Arctic Encounter and Kallander & Associates as Executive Operations Coordinator. When Grace is not in the office, she enjoys venturing into the great outdoors. Being a Minnesotan at heart, she prefers to be on the water whenever possible but also enjoys going out on foot or her Nordic skis. Not a day goes by where she doesn't find a new part of Alaska to love.