THE AFFECT BOARD
CINDEE KARNS
BOARD MEMBER
Cindee is a life-long Alaskan and retired 8th grade teacher, who recently returned to Fairbanks to retire. She is a certified permaculture instructor and feels strongly about living sustainably in Alaska like our indigenous ancestors before us. Cindee co-founded AnchorGardens in Anchorage and is eager to continue working on Food Security in the interior. Cindee feels that making Alaska more food secure should be a top priority for everyone who lives here.
MEL SIKES
BOARD MEMBER
Mel Sikes is the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District’s (FSWCD) Natural Resource Education Specialist and has worked there since 2010. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Unity College which she received in 1990. She is the Program Director (PD) for the AFFECT Community Foods Project, managing and overseeing all aspects of the grant. She is the program leader for the Alaska Agriculture in the Classroom program. She is a governing board member and treasurer of the Alaska Food Policy Council (AFPC), a state organization dedicated to strengthening the food system in Alaska. She and another local governing board member of AFPC facilitated the creation of the Interior Alaska Food Network (IAFN), a local food policy organization. Her duties at FSWCD also include developing and overseeing the after-school natural resource education program, instructing educator workshops, managing education and agriculture grants, planning and managing outreach community events.
907-479-1213 x 5
907-347-1802 cell
ABBY LUTMUR
BOARD MEMBER
Abby Lutmer is a farmer, aspiring herbalist, outdoors enthusiast, and Ayurveda student. She's very passionate about sustainable, small-scale agriculture, local food systems, and community care. She co-owns Heartspace Community Farm and is building a community on top of Haystack Mountain, north of Fox in Interior Alaska. She has a bachelor of science degree in sustainable development with an emphasis on agroecology and has worked on a myriad of different farms, permaculture projects, and homesteads throughout the world