Twenty-five years ago this year, the Council released its first study on the threat of marine invasive species to Prince William Sound. The researchers determined that the biggest source of risk was the ballast water discharged from the oil tankers arriving in Prince William Sound.
Volunteer Spotlight: Skye Steritz
Skye Steritz’ passion for a clean environment started at an early age, during a childhood spent outdoors in Texas.
“I was raised with environmentalist values and became an advocate, especially for water, as I got older.”
You can hear the smile in her voice when she’s asked why she first moved to Alaska.
“My love of water,” she replies. “It’s critical to thriving of life on earth.”
Her father was a geophysicist for Exxon for 30 years; conversations with him gave her a well-rounded perspective and a deep respect for oil workers.
“He recognizes the threats of transporting oil, from drilling to pipelines to tankers,” she explains. “My conversations with him prepped me to be able to communicate with people from all backgrounds.”
She pursued these ideas after high school, racking up three Masters degrees: water resources policy and management; water management and governance; and water cooperation and diplomacy. Her studies took her to Ghana, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, California, and Oregon.
“I was in water management classes with students from all over the world,” Steritz mentions. “In the Netherlands, I was one of two from the U.S. out of about 200 students.”
Natalie Novik, administrative assistant for the Anchorage office, passed away in October 2021, after a two-year battle with cancer. Natalie joined Council staff in June 2014. Born and educated in Paris, Natalie was proud of her Breton and Russian roots. She dedicated much of her life to oil spill prevention and response in Alaska and … Read more
KJ Crawford joined staff as the new director of administration in December 2021, and has been able to focus on training with Walt Wrede ahead of his retirement. Crawford holds a Master’s degree in organizational management and Bachelor’s in journalism and public communications. She previously served as the programs director for the Alaska Safety Alliance, … Read more