Board of Directors

Julia Phelan grew up in Delta Junction, in the log cabin her parents built along the Tanana River. She was blessed with exceptional teachers who inspired her from a young age. No matter how busy our lives are, there is nothing more important than how we raise our children.

Julia’s three children have grown up through the Delta Greely School District and are currently in 5th, 7th, and 10th grades. Though her kids were initially her single most motivating factor for running for a seat on the school board, she found that the gift of board service is that it gives us a broader perspective and opportunity to help magnify the voice of all of our students.

As a former educator (private school teacher, in-home daycare manager, and homeschool mom for four years), Julia thought she would be a teacher her whole career but went to work in contract management when her school closed. This has led her to her current work as Project Manager for Silverline, where she works with TCC, ANTHC, and over 30 Alaskan communities (Interior, Western Coast, and YK Delta) to improve water and sanitation.

The ability to spend time in communities and get to know families across the state has changed her life and interlaces in many ways with her AASB Board service – representing students and districts beyond just her local area.

Julia has served on her local school board since 2019, and currently serves as the Vice President.

Biography pending.

Michael Swain is a lifelong resident of King Salmon, Alaska and has been on the Bristol Bay Borough School Board since 2003, serving as president for over ten years. He was first elected to the AASB Board of Directors in 2011 and has been on the leadership team of the association since 2015. Michael also serves on the National American Indian Alaska Native Council of School Board Members to the National School Boards Association as the Pacific Region Director. His passion for education includes transforming what education looks like in Alaska and exploring alternative delivery methods to ensure every Alaskan student has quality education opportunities. Michael and his wife, Mary, have been married since 1995 and have two sons, Trey and Dawson. Michael freely admits that without the love and his support of his wife and sons he wouldn’t be able to do the work he does on behalf of Alaska’s youth. He is employed by the State of Alaska DOT as a mechanic and regularly travels to outlying villages to maintain or repair equipment.

Dana and his family moved to Fort Greely, Alaska in 2005. He has served on the Delta Greely School Board since 2010 and became an AASB Board of Directors member in 2015, serving all the kids in Alaska. He has worked on his professional development as a school board member and has reached the level of Master in Boardsmanship. Dana previously worked as a School Resource Office in Georgia and truly enjoys working with kids. He knows that our kids are the future and believes we must provide them with the best education possible. Dana is married to Eileen Mock, a teacher at Delta Elementary School, and they have two boys.

Biography pending.

Annie M. Weyiouanna from Shishmaref has been serving on the Bering Strait School District board since 2014. Annie lives in Shishmaref where she loves to live a subsistence lifestyle with her family. Annie loves to advocate for students; she graduated from Shishmaref High School and continued on to college and obtained her AAS in Tribal Management. She is now working on her BA in Alaska Native Studies with a minor in Inupiaq.

Biography pending.

Clarence’s Yup’ik name is Angapak. He moved to Bethel in 1998. He is the son of David and the late Barbara Daniel. Clarence is married to Julia Daniel, and they have six children: Thomas, Ray, Felicia, Emma, Roselyn, and Paul. They enjoy hunting, fishing, and harvesting plants and berries as a family; boating and enjoying family time outdoors. He was born and raised in Tuntutuliak; he grew up fishing (both commercially and for subsistence), hunting, and participating in the daily routine of village life and travel in the Yukon Kuskokwim delta. Clarence has been on the Lower Kuskokwim School District Board of Education since 2014 and was on the Bethel ASB for seven years prior to his service on the district board. He is on the Ayaprun Elitnaurvik Yup’ik Immersion Charter School’s Academic Policy Committee and has served since 2007 and the Alaska Bible Seminary Board of Trustees for four years. He is also a new member of the National Coalition of Native American Language Schools and Programs. He has worked at AVCP since 2009, and before that he spent 11 and a half years working for AVCP Regional Housing Authority. He is also involved with other committees and boards as part of his employment.

Frieda Tiġiġluk Nageak has served on the North Slope Borough School District Board of Education since October 2020. Born and raised in Barrow (Utqiaġvik), Frieda returned to her hometown in 2019 after many years in Anchorage, rediscovering her voice and purpose through reconnecting with her community and culture.

Deeply committed to being a voice for students rather than political interests, Frieda believes in the power of presence and engagement. She is a familiar face at student activities, awards ceremonies, and school events—supporting youth not just in policy, but in person. Her passion for public education is rooted in a desire to uplift her community and ensure that every student feels seen, supported, and valued.

Kasaŋnaaluk, Marie N. Greene is an Iñupiaq from the Native Village of Deering, Alaska. She brings a wealth of cultural insight along with many years of senior-level leadership experience. In 2015, Greene was appointed by President Obama to serve as Commissioner on the United States Arctic Research Commission (USARC).

After serving a 20-year career at NANA Regional Corporation (NANA), 13 as president and CEO, Greene retired in 2015. Under her tenure, Greene achieved multiple accomplishments by cultivating the corporation’s cultural and economic resources while collaborating with other regional organizations to improve the quality of life for the Inupiat. In partnership under the Northwest Arctic Leadership Team on the critical focus areas in Language and Culture, Healthy Communities and Wellness, Education and Workforce Development, Economic Development and Infrastructure and Basic Services.

Greene has also served on a number of international, state, regional and local organizations including the Alaska Redistricting Board, ICC Delegate, President and Mayor Pro-Tem of Northwest Arctic Borough and the Board of Alaska Federation of Natives. As an advocate for the students and the Northwest Arctic Borough School District, she is currently serving a three-year term as a member of the Northwest Arctic Borough School District.

A forty-six-year resident of Anchorage, Margo Bellamy has spent over forty years serving children and families. She has been a teacher, librarian, assistant principal, principal, executive director, mentor, and trainer of all. As a career educator, Margo brings a range of experience, from early to postsecondary education, to the Anchorage School Board, along with a commitment to work every day to make the Anchorage School District a better place for all students, families, and staff.

Margo’s intent for her work in ASD is to enhance the collaboration with all stakeholders, including Board members, Superintendent, and families to create policies and a governance system that results in an education structure where every child has the opportunities that they need to be successful regardless of their individual needs, life experiences, or zip code. Margo’s vision includes giving voice to all parents for our children’s benefit, including those who are underrepresented. She maintains that Alaskans deserve great schools in a community that celebrates the diversity and well-being of all children.

Margo is an Adjunct Professor in the Educational Leadership Program at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she supervises future principals. She also serves as a volunteer on the AdvanceED Engagement Review Team, which looks at continuous improvements through the accreditation process. Margo currently serves on several local youth and family-focused organizations, including Anchorage’s Promise Board of Directors, Kids Day Planning Committee, Clare House Advisory Committee, Ft. Valley State University Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (Pre-college), Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the local chapter of the NAACP.

Margo is married and is the parent of two adult children, both ASD graduates; and grandparent to two grandsons, ages 3 and 8. Her oldest grandson attends school in the Anchorage School District.

Margo’s experiences working with and for Alaska’s students, in schools and nonprofit boardrooms, have given her the knowledge, perspective, and experience to understand and work collaboratively with diverse groups. She believes that our public schools are the backbone of our community, and we must work hard to ensure our schools are the best they can be so our students and community continue to thrive.

Biography pending.

After several years teaching in Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, Penny Vadla moved to Alaska in 1977 to teach school in Emmonak. After a year, she moved to Ninilchik where she taught for 28 years. Penny retired from the Kenai Peninsula School District in 2006. She now teaches writing as an adjunct professor at Kenai River College. Penny earned a Bachelor’s in English and a Master’s in K-12 Administration and Curriculum Development. Elected to the Kenai Peninsula Borough School Board in 2008, Penny currently serves as vice president. Education has been a focal point of her life, and she believes a solid education makes a positive difference in a child’s life. As an advocate for positive change, Penny volunteers at many local events in her community, serves as a Soldotna Parks and Rec Commissioner, and recently served as a commissioner to establish Soldotna as a Home Rule City. In 1984, Penny married Bruce Vadla, a life-long Alaskan. Their children Kaitlin and Brett completed post-secondary training and currently live, work, and adventure in Alaska. The family enjoys skiing, fishing, gardening, traveling, and family time.

Phil Burdick was born in Boulder, Colorado, to Janet Crooks and Roger Burdick. After helping his parents finish college, Phil moved to Idaho, where he spent the next 20 years before relocating to Sitka, Alaska, in 1992—a place he has proudly called home ever since. Phil is married and has two children.

He began serving on the local school board in 2023, following a 25-year career in the Sitka School District as a teacher, principal, and district administrator.

Phil is deeply passionate about public education, believing it is the foundation for strong, compassionate communities where individuals hold one another up and hold each other accountable. Phil decided to run for school board as a write-in candidate because the work of supporting students and families is never done.

Phil has dedicated his career to building welcoming spaces where every student, family, and staff member can come together to co-create community. His work with Pacific High School is his pride and joy and informs how he wants to be a school member – connected, humble, and joyful.

Born and raised in New York City, Tim Doran moved to Alaska in 1975, spending about twelve years in Bush villages before settling in Fairbanks in 1990. He began serving on his local school board in 2017.

Tim’s passion for public education is fueled by his love of seeing students and educators interact and learn together. He values working with families and the community to create an environment where children can grow and develop. Seeing former students in the workforce, running businesses, raising families and caring for the community brings him great joy.

Tim has extensive experience in education, including an early banking career, ten years in non-profit administration, and thirty-six years in education as a principal, teacher, and administrator. He served approximately twenty-three years at Denali Elementary in Fairbanks and has been an instructor at the University of Alaska for over twenty-five years. He also has rural, urban, public, and private school experience, along with local, state, and international leadership perspectives.

After retiring in 2014, Tim took his expertise overseas to the Republic of Palau through Peace Corps Response, where he helped develop a 10-year National Plan for Education. Running for the school board in 2017 was a natural next step, allowing him to advocate for public education and collaborate with educators and families.

Tim believes that public education is at a critical juncture, with the academic and social needs of children and education funding misaligned. His priorities include increased funding for public education, implementing the Alaska Reads Act, recruiting and retaining educators, and redesigning education post-pandemic. His vision is for every student to become a competent, confident, curious, caring, and contributing citizen.

In addition to his work on the Fairbanks School Board, Tim volunteers as a museum docent for school tours at the UA Museum of the North and has served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Peace Corps Response, and on various local non-profit boards. He is married with two daughters (both Fairbanks graduates), two sons-in-law, and five grandchildren, all of whom live in Fairbanks.