Our Staff

It was a dark and stormy winter night when Mitch and his family flew into Kenai from Maine 25 years ago, but his experience working with natural resources didn’t start there. Mitch has gained experience with a wide array of local associations, and recent natural resource issues and solutions. A forester by education, Mitch has always stayed on the fringe of the woods, working with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Maine on water quality and riparian management, and in Alaska on reforestation, wildlife, and water management with Native Corporations. He has even spent time on the edge of the Sahara, slowing desertification with the Peace Corps. His transition from the USDA-NRCS to the US Forest Service allowed him to stay closer to home as the Vegetation Manager/Forester for the Chugach National Forest, the headwaters of the Kenai River. Mitch is currently working with a number of not-for-profits on planting trees, assisting international students, supporting public radio, soil and water conservation projects, and health care. He also works as a commercial fisher in the Cook Inlet. KWF was on his list for greater involvement and he was excited and honored to be asked to help KWF move into a new era.

Candace brings to the Kenai Watershed Forum over thirty years of experience in the operations of non-profits, working internationally and in the US. She began her love affair with the Kenai Peninsula in 1999, when she and her sister decided to visit Alaska for their first annual sisters’ fishing trip. From the first few weeks here, Candace knew she would eventually call the Kenai Peninsula her home.

Now more than a few decades strong, the tradition remains that she and her sister find time to get out on the Kenai and the surrounding waters for their annual trip. And, she officially calls the Peninsula her home.

Ben grew up in Wasilla, Alaska and holds an M.S. in Fisheries from University of Alaska Fairbanks. Benjamin has worked throughout Alaska in diverse natural resource management professions including wildland firefighting, science consulting, and tourism. Outside of Kenai Watershed Forum you can find him working on converting an old bus into an RV, coaching Junior Nordic at Tsalteshi Trails, or watching his dog chase squirrels. He loves reading and hearing about Alaska history.

You can check out some of Ben’s recent projects on our Water Research News section, or his research portfolio at www.benjamin-meyer.net.

Alie is an Inupiaq Alaskan Native and proud Salamatof Tribal member, raised and residing in Nikiski, Alaska. She completed her M.S. in Environmental Science with a Certificate in Indigenous Research and Education from the University of Idaho. She brings experience in archaeology and environmental research science, as well as community adaptation research surrounding waterways on the Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta.

Outside of work, she enjoys time with friends and family, travels whenever possible, and works on lapidary projects in her home studio. For Alie, the Kenai Peninsula has always been home, and she is thrilled to work on the land that has provided for her family since time immemorial.

With over a decade of experience and a Master’s degree in Education, this third generation Alaskan has worked with youth all over the world. Having served as an Environmental Educator in the Peace Corps, Brandon knows first hand that the best way to protect an environment is to help people fall in love with it. Much like a salmon, Brandon has found his way back to the Kenai, and is proud to be educating the next generation of environmentally literate Alaskans.