The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary EducationClick here for Information on Senior Staff Commission Members
Milton B. Byrd, Ph.D. Milton B. Byrd of Anchorage was first appointed to the Commission in 1994 and was most recently reappointed in April 2003 by Governor Frank Murkowski. Dr. Byrd is President and founder of Charter College, a private, for-profit institution founded in 1985 offering certificate programs, as well as two and four-year degree programs. A career postsecondary educator, Dr. Byrd has held faculty positions at Indiana University and Southern Illinois University; and held administrative positions at Southern Illinois University (associate dean of instruction), Northern Michigan University (vice-president for academic affairs) and Florida International University (provost). Dr. Byrd was also the president of Adams State College in Colorado and Chicago State University. An Alaska resident since 1981, he has been active on many regional and national boards and councils, including governmental and private, relating to education and public policy. Senator Hollis French Hollis French was appointed to the Commission by the Senate President in February 2009. He was elected to the State Senate in 2002 to represent the Turnagain and Spenard areas of Anchorage. He currently serves as Chair of the Judiciary Committee, is a member of the Finance Subcommittees of Corrections, Public Safety, Law, and Labor & Workforce Development; and is a member of the Community & Regional Affairs, Resources, State Affairs, and the World Trade, Tech, Innovations Committees. Prior to his political career, he worked for 13 years in the oil industry in the Cook Inlet and North Slope areas. He earned his law degree at Cornell Law School, and was state prosecutor in the Anchorage District Attorney's office for a number of years. He also has served on the board of Victims for Justice and the Boys and Girls Club of Aalska. Carl Gatto was appointed to the Commission by the House Speaker in 2003. Representative Gatto was elected to the House in 2002, and currently serves as Chair of the Special Committee on Education; Vice Chair of Health, Education and Social Services; member of the Labor & Commerce and Natural Resources committees; and member of the Finance Subcommittees of Public Safety, Education & Early Development, and Military & Veterans’ Affairs. He is a retired firefighter and was a high school science teacher, Vice President of the School Board, Mat-Su Road Supervisor, and member of Valley Hospital Board, Mat-Su Parks & Recreation Board and Gateway Community Council.
Sharon Charnell Gherman Sharon Charnell Gherman of Fairbanks was appointed to the Commission in December 2005 as a representative of Community Colleges. Ms. Gherman is the owner & president of the Alaska Funding Exchange in Fairbanks. Her past professional roles include executive director of Challenger Learning Center of Alaska, outreach administrator for K-12 educational grants at the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation in the State's Department of Community and Economic Development, consultant and owner of Fisher Consulting and Gherman Group Consuulting, and grants management for the Alaska Cooperative Extension, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She received her bachelor's degreee in Rural Development in 1997, and is a graduate fellow of the WestEd National Academy for Science & Mathematics Education Leadership.
Rebecca Huggins, Vice Chair Becky L. Huggins of Wasilla was appointed to the Commission in 2003 and reappointed in December 2005 by Governor Frank Murkowski. She taught school for several years before her current position of assistant principal of MidValley High School in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. Ms. Huggins previously served in the United States Army, attaining the rank of Major. She earned her BA in Art Education (K-12) in 1978 from Kearney State College in Kearney, Nebraska, and a MA in Education Leadership from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2000. Spike C. Jorgensen
Jan Sieberts Senior Staff
Diane Barrans As the chief executive staff of the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education and the Alaska Student Loan Corporation, Diane Barrans leads an agency dedicated to reaching every Alaska resident to provide access to higher education through quality financial aid products supported by quality service. Barrans’ management team is focused on maintaining the Corporation's financial health to enable the Commission to offer competitive financial aid products and expanded public services. Barrans assumed Executive Director duties in July of 1995. She previously served for twelve years in a variety of Commission operations and management positions, most recently as program coordinator from 1989 to 1993 and director of student financial aid programs in 1994/1995. Her depth of experience in agency operations provides a unique foundation for the dynamic, team leadership strategy that has achieved consecutive years of positive financial and operational successes. Ms. Barrans earned her bachelor of arts degree from Barnard College of Columbia University in 1982. Currently in her third term, Ms. Barrans is one of three Alaska members of the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE). She was reappointed by Governor Palin in June 2007. She served as Chair of the WICHE Commission for the 2004-2005 term, and currently serves as a member of the executive committee. Alaska has participated in the 15-state regional education compact since 1955, providing residents with reduced-cost access to higher education programs throughout the west, many of which are not available in the state. Ms. Barrans also represents Alaska as a member of the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) Association. She currently serves as Chair on the P-16, Access and Diversity, Teacher Quality Committee. SHEEO was created in 1954 to assist states in developing and sustaining excellent systems of higher education and serves as a liaison between the states and the federal government. Stephanie Butler Ms. Stephanie Butler first joined the Commission in 1997 as the institutional authorization program coordinator. In 1998, she was promoted to director of institutional relations, and, in 2001, was appointed by the Executive Director to her current post. Prior to joining the Commission, she worked for the University of Alaska Anchorage as information/support services manager from 1990 to 1992, and was administrative manager from 1992 to 1997. Ms. Butler is a Certified Internal Auditor and a Certified Government Auditing Professional. Her education credentials also include a Master of Science in business administration/management from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Barry University. Ms. Butler leads the loan servicing operations, the largest single operational unit of ACPE, and assists with the development and implementation of statewide outreach services. Ms. Butler's staff delivers high-level centralized service to the agency's borrowers from the the servicing center in Juneau, from loan originations to loan repayment. She assists with program development, and coordinates program operations internally, with borrowers, and with the various institutions. Kenneth Dodson Kenneth Dodson has been with the Commission as Director of Information Support Services since 1994. Prior to coming to the Commission, he was employed from 1988 until 1994 by UNIPAC Service Corporation in Denver, Colorado, first as a programmer and then advancing to the information services supervisor by 1990. Mr. Dodson’s unit is responsible for development and support of all electronic services, including the Higher Education Loan Management System (HELMS) mainframe application on which the agency’s loan portfolio is serviced. Mr. Dodson is past president and current member of the HELMS User Group, a consortium of lenders and servicers. Mr. Dodson received a certificate in Computer Information Systems from Tucumcari Area Vocational School in Tucumcari, New Mexico in 1988. Lora Jorgensen Ms. Lora Jorgensen was appointed to Director of Outreach and Early Awareness in 2008, after her many accomplishments as Officer of the outreach division the previous two years. She leads the agency's charge to promote and support higher education in Alaska. The outreach unit implements statewide initiatives and services designed to encourage Alaskans to access the life-long benefits of postsecondary education and training. Under the direction of Ms. Jorgensen, outreach staff conducts community visits and classroom presenations, as well as training with elementary, middle, and high school students, staff and faculty from college campuses, and community organizations across the state. Ms. Jorgensen has worked in the non-profit sector most of her professsional career, and most recently served as the Executive Director for the Anchorage Community School program. Ms. Jorgensen's passion for life-long learning has been evident throughout her work history. She earned a master of Arts in Adult Education and Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from the University of Anchorage. Frank Love Prior to joining the Commission in July 1997, Frank Love was a career member of the United States Coast Guard. After 32 years of service Mr. Love retired as a master chief petty officer, the highest rank achievable by a noncommissioned officer. His latter years in the service were devoted to human resources management, and, subsequent to his retirement from the Coast Guard, he served in various capacities of personnel management. As Human Resources Administrative Officer, Mr. Love is responsible for agency human resources and personnel matters in accordance with the Commission's Personnel Bylaws, state statutes, and regulations. He makes recommendations for revisions to Personnel Bylaws as necessary for Commission approval. Mr. Love provides guidance in career development and training initiatives, and assists management with employee relations, including the hiring, reassignment and separation of staff. As head of Administrative Services, Mr. Love oversees the agency's mail services, records retention, and small purchase acitvities, as well as building management and security protocols for the Juneau operations center. Charlene Morrison Ms. Morrison originally served the Commission and the Corporation in this capacity from 1994 to 1998. She again assumed the position in March 2007. During the intervening years she worked as Chief Finance Officer for the True North Federal Credit Union (formerly, Alaska State Employees Federal Credit Union); as the Accountant for the State of Alaska's Enterprise Technology Services Division (formerly, Information Technology Group); as Assistant Comptroller for the Treasury Division within the Department of Revenue; and, most recently, as the Chief Finance Officer for the Division of Retirement and Benefits in the Department of Administration where she was responsible for the financial aspects of seven pension plans and two health plans for the State and other participating public employers. Prior to 1994, Ms. Morrison was an audit manager with the firm of KPMG LLP. Ms. Morrison received a bachelor of science degree in business administration with an accounitng emphasis from the University of Montana, and is a Certified Public Accountant. Under the direction of the Executive Officer and Board of the Alaska Student Loan Corporation, Ms. Morrison oversees the Corporation asset management and financing activities. This encompasses the portfolio and cash flow analyses to support the annual bond issues which fund the various education loan programs. Additionally, Ms. Morrison's duties include ensuring that the Corporation maintains compliance with federal and state law, as well as bond-related covenants. Other research, reporting, and accounting duties of her division include; preparation of quarterly unaudited and annually audited financial statements, investments, procurement, and responding to requests of legislators and their staffs, and the general public. Finance staff is also responsible for preparing the agency's annual budget and the monthly tracking and reporting of expenses to assure budget compliance. Kerry Thomas Ms. Kerry Thomas joined the Commission in June 2007. Previously she was an Accountant IV with the Department of Health and Social Services. She also worked in the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities as an Accountant IV and Accounting Supervisor, and was a Staff Accountant and Auditor with Walsh, Kelliher & Sharp APC of Fairbanks, Alaska. Ms. Thomas graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a bachelor of business administration with a concentration in accounting.
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