Board Bios

Cynthia Allen

Vice Chair

Cynthia Allen grew up near the beach in San Diego, California. She moved to Maui in 1979 and worked for ten years there as co-owner of a business that designed and distributed windsurfing products. She attended massage school in Seattle in 1993 and moved fulltime to Haines in 1994 with her husband Russ Lyman. She worked as a massage therapist until her 2022 retirement. Cynthia was a founding board member of Hospice of Haines, serving on that board for 10 years in various officer positions as well as helping to develop and co-facilitate the annual Haines Grief Group. Cynthia has been on the CVCF board since January 2015. She has been Chair of CVCF’s Communications Committee since 2015, and she and her husband Russ do most of the graphic design and layout for CVCF newsletters and other informational materials. Cynthia enjoys time in nature, alone or with friends, and spends winters in Hawaii snorkeling and gardening. She appreciates the opportunity to serve Chilkat Valley nonprofits as a seasonal board member of CVCF.

Connie Staska

Treasurer

Connie Staska has lived in Haines since 1980 where her husband Ray and she raised two children. She worked various part-time jobs until 1990 when she became employed full time for the Haines Borough as a property/sales tax collector, and other duties as assigned. After consolidation of the governments in 2004, Connie continued in the finance department until retirement in 2013. Connie served as Secretary for the Friends of the Library for many years, and has served on the CVCF Board as Treasurer since May 2014. Connie enjoys hiking, zumba, gardening, and trying new recipes.

Crystal Badgley

Secretary

Crystal Badgley moved to Haines in 1987 from Pennsylvania to lead youth activities at the Haines Presbyterian Church for one year. She extended that to a second year, met her husband Al, and stayed. Crystal and Al raised two children here, now adults living outside. They have one granddaughter. Crystal and Al do a lot of fishing and some hiking, and participate in many church and community activities. They appreciate and support the nonprofits of the Chilkat Valley, and Crystal has sat on the board of the Haines Arts Council, Friends of the Library, and now CVCF. Crystal served on the CVCF board from February 2012 to April 2017, and re-joined the board in May 2019. She is currently Secretary for CVCF, and chairs the Board Development Committee. Many moons ago she was a volunteer DJ at the local radio station. Crystal is currently the associate lay pastor of the HPC. She enjoys making and listening to music, knitting, reading, watching movies and spending time with friends.

Janine Allen

Janine Allen grew up in Colorado and first showed up in Haines in 2010, right after she graduated from college, to help a friend build a cabin at Chilkat Lake. She was only supposed to stay for a summer, but knew instantly she had found her community and never left. She works at SAIL, a nonprofit, as an advocate for people with disabilities and seniors. In her free time, she loves volunteer deejaying on the radio, reading books, and telling stories. She is grateful for the daily privilege of getting to know people in the Chilkat Valley and strives always to make new connections across the community, a goal that meshes well with the work of CVCF.

Matthew Craig

Matthew Craig, originally from Dallas, made a life-changing decision in 2000 when he relocated to Haines along with his husband, Terry. Prior to that, Matthew had already gained global experiences through his studies in Marrakech, Morocco and Rome, Italy. With an illustrious career spanning 37 years, Matthew recently retired as an International purser at American Airlines. Beyond his professional achievements, Matthew’s true passion lies in exploring the great outdoors and embarking on adventures all around the globe, with Terry by his side. However, nestled in the scenic beauty of Haines, he firmly believes that it truly stands out as the most breathtaking destination in the world. Matthew is grateful and overjoyed to call Haines his home, cherishing the sense of belonging and contentment it brings to him. Matthew’s zest for life, coupled with his profound love for Haines and his adventurous spirit, continues to fuel his enthusiasm for new experiences and maintaining an active lifestyle.

Dennis Geasan

Dennis Geasan was born and raised in Ohio, moving to Nevada in 1977, and eventually settling in Alaska in 2008.  His education includes a BS Geology(1977 BGSU Ohio) and MS Geology(1980 UNR Nevada). Initially he worked as a mineral exploration geologist for several companies and then as the Information Technology Manager for a mining company in Reno.  Since 2003 Dennis has been a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) consultant for mining companies, governments, and other private companies.  Dennis discovered Haines in August 1994 after arriving on the Columbia ferry when a planned overnight at Chilkat State park turned into an 8-day stay.  He absolutely fell in love with Alaska, especially Haines, which led to land purchase and house building in 2006 and eventually moving to Haines in 2011 after living in Anchorage for three years.  He now divides his time between Haines and Reno and is mostly retired.  He has volunteered for Haines Friends of Recycling, Eldred Rock Restoration, SE AK State Fair, and serves on the board of Haines Huts and Trails.  Hiking, biking, and skiing are his playing passions and history, natural sciences, and science fiction are his reading and viewing passions.

DeLise Keim

DeLise Keim was born along the Mississippi River in Davenport IA. After graduating from the University of Iowa in Business Administration and Economics, she relocated to Seattle WA where she started her corporate career in Investor Relations. After 20 years of helping public companies communicate to shareholders, media and other constituents, she retired as VP of Corporate Communications for a nationwide utility company. She first came to Haines in 1992 where she worked for the SE Alaska Fair, a local rafting company and a local commuter airline.  

DeLise and her husband, Doug Evenden lived aboard their sailboat in southern California for several years but were both anxious to return to the beauty and life style of the Chilkat Valley. They returned to Haines in 2016 and became commercial fishermen trolling SE Alaska every summer for Chinook and Coho Salmon. She loves the life and community of Haines. She also enjoys volunteering as a DJ at KHNS, is a member of the Lynn Canal Community Players and a seasonal member of the CVCF Advisory Board.

Ann Myren

Ann Myren has been involved with CVCF since its inception in 2008.  She was the Library Director for the Haines Borough Public Library from 1985 to 2006 when she retired and started Resources and Results Consulting, LLC, working with nonprofits, tribes, and municipalities on projects across Alaska.

She and her husband Tim are pleased to be active members of such a vibrant community and enjoy volunteering for and serving on the boards of various nonprofits in the community. A perfect day includes time spent hiking, biking, skating, gardening or just taking a walk with their energetic, furry friend.

Gregory Podsiki

Greg Podsiki grew up in Rochester NY, and after receiving an Associate degree in 1972 in Natural Resource Conservation at Finger Lakes College in Canandaigua NY, he moved to Fairbanks to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management. Just 12 credits shy of his degree, Greg left the program to answer Alaska’s call, taking wonderful, adventurous, seasonal employment throughout the state for a few years. He moved to Haines in 1979, and never left. He continued seasonal work with Fish and Game, Forestry, the Haines Borough, gill net fishing, construction, and built his own cabin. He married and built a three-bedroom home for his family, off the grid, and has always had horses, ponies, and every kind of farm animal you can think of other than a cow. Greg and his wife had 4 kids, and now have 8 grandchildren, all of whom still live in Haines! Greg retired in 2022 after 32 years at the Haines Post Office, and is happy to now have more time to give to the wonderful Haines community, draw cartoons, travel, and relearn to play his guitar. In Greg’s own closing words, “I’m honored to be a member of the Chilkat Valley Community Foundation board. My life is golden!”

Marcia Scott

Marcia Scott is a seasonal member of the CVCF board and serves as co-chair of the Donor Development Committee and chair of the Program Committee. She and her husband, Glen, moved to Haines in 1980.  They built their home at 32 mile and raised two daughters there.  Marcia worked at the Haines Medical Clinic/SEARHC for 20 years, the last 11 years as clinic administrator, retiring in 2014. She has been the secretary of the Haines Assisted Living board of directors since its inception in 2007, and is a member of St. Lucy Senior Living board of directors. Marcia enjoys cross country skiing, snowshoeing, gardening, berry picking, camping, cooking, traveling, and spending time with grandchildren in Juneau and Maui.

Travina Stuart

Molly Sturdevant

Molly Sturdevant grew up in a large family of a fisherman and a teacher in Wrangell, Alaska, where she loved tidepooling and looking for critters under beach rocks. She completed B.S. degrees in Biology and in Fisheries Science and an M.Sc. in Fisheries Ecology at the U of A in Juneau while working at remote field jobs for hatcheries, ADFG, and NOAA. Her research career at NOAA Auke Bay Lab in Juneau focused on salmon, forage fish, and plankton ecology. Career highlights included studies on the Exxon Valdez oil spill in PWS and climate change in Icy Strait. Molly raised two boys and volunteered in their classrooms, school site council, Cub Scouts, and sports. Other favorite volunteer activities included Seaweek, the Science Fair, and teaching plankton identification & microscope skill workshops in Juneau schools. Always wanting to retire back to another small town, Molly moved to Haines in 2014. In addition to being a 3-year board member of CVCF, she is a past Vice Chair and a board member of Haines Friends of Recycling, where she manages the fish net recycling program. She and her husband, Dave Nussbaumer, built their timber frame home from spruce milled off the property and enjoy camping, snowshoeing, boating, gardening, projects, and daily walks with their Australian Shepherd, Aikau.

Chun Williamson

Chun Williamson was born and raised in the Chilkat  Valley and is a tribally enrolled member of the Chilkat Indian Village. She is a Haines High School alumni and has completed two years of college. Chun served as the tribal council secretary and was also a 3 year council member in Klukwan. Chun is a single, disabled mother of two college students, and hopes her unique life challenges will help her bring different views and perspectives to the board.

Amanda Hamell

Program Manager

Amanda Hamell moved to Haines in October 2022 with her husband and 2 young children. She currently homeschools her kids enjoying all Haines has to offer. She is also a member of the Friends of the Library Board and a co-leader of the Haines Girl Scouts Troop. Amanda hopes to introduce CVCF to other young families in the Chilkat Valley and continue to connect with Nonprofits. When she’s not working or taking care of her children, she enjoys crocheting and traveling with her family.