Our Team

Executive Director

Serena Alstrom

Serena ‘Cuucitcuar’ Alstrom is Yup’ik and grew up in St. Mary’s. Her parents are William and Hilda (Heckman) Alstrom of St. Mary’s, paternal grandparents are the late Fred and Domitilla (Afcan) Alstrom of St. Mary’s, and maternal grandparents Tommy and Martina (Sipary) Heckman of Pilot Station. Serena and her family currently live in Valdez, Alaska.

Serena and her family have a strong connection to the Yukon River; both with the resources and the people who rely on them. Serena enjoys passing on her traditional knowledge to her 3 daughters. She graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a degree in Business Administration with Leadership Distinction.

Professionally, Serena has worked for Yupiit of Andreafski Tribal Government, Tanana Chiefs Conference, and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium with extensive experience in non-profit, grant, and program management.

Serena enjoys fishing, camping, hunting, and basketball. When you don’t find her enjoying the outdoors she is likely beading and skin sewing.

Project Manager

Rachael Kangas

Rachael Marie Kangas Madros is part Athabascan and resides in Ruby, Alaska with her husband Ryan and their 5 children. Rachael’s parents are Ivan Kangas and Kathryn Kangas. Rachael’s grandfather Albert Kangas settled in Ruby, Alaska with her grandmother Nora Molly Kangas and lived out a legacy of being a successful goldminer. Rachael’s mother Kathryn Kangas was born in Levittown Pennsylvania but her mother Lillian Albert Snyder was from Kokrines, Alaska which is now a ghost town on the Yukon River. Kathryn was curious about being Athabaskan and journeyed to Alaska and she has never left since. Rachael’s parents raised her to utilize the subsistence bounties that surround them living on the Yukon River. She is an avid fisherwomen and enjoys hunting, camping and being on the River. Rachael has been in many positions in which has given her knowledge in many important areas such as, 12 years as a Community Health Practitioner, 5 years as a TCC Social worker, President of Corporation for 3 years and continues to work on the Native Corporations board as the secretary/treasurer. She had also served on their Tribal court as a Children in need of aid judge and served on their local Native Tribal Organization and local City government council as the secretary/treasurer also. She has a determination to assist organizations on writing grants and has been very successful in being awarded several grants to better her community’s needs. She is a small business owner and runs a successful Bed & Breakfast and R&R Catering Company. Rachael’s passion for ensuring the Yukon River one days flows freely with a abundance of Salmon for all of the Native people to enjoy and fill there smokehouses once again gives her the motivation and determination to work cohesively with all of the partners YRDFA has relations with to keep communications transparent to our Native People salmon needs.

Communications Manager

Mike McIntyre

Mike “Aucukuaq” McIntyre is Yup’ik who grew up in Eek, Alaska and moved to Bethel when he was very young. His parents are John and Agnes McIntyre. His grandparents are the late Tom and Elena McIntyre from Eek, Alaska; Julia and the late George Nevak from Toksook Bay, Alaska. Mike has recently moved to the Mat-su Valley to be closer to his family and new baby.

Growing up in and around the Kuskokwim River, commercial and subsistence fishing since he was a toddler. Mike has a close connection to salmon, growing up in the summertime at fishcamp helping his parents and grandparents fish, cut and smoke their most prized salmon strips.

Mike has been working in the Information Technology & Communications field for the past 20 years. Creating media through graphic design, publications, photography and videography, creating electronic form processes, developing websites and developing social media for organizations.Outside of work, Mike has been making art with Yup’ik mask carving, painting canvas, creating music and writing songs in Yup’ik for his band Frozen Whitefish.

WEAP Manager

James Van Lanen

James Van Lanen is an anthropologist with expertise in human ecology, hunter-gatherer studies, socioecological resilience theory, community-based natural resource management, indigenous stewardship, co-management, subsistence policy and management, traditional ecological knowledge, ecological restoration, and ecosystem change in relation to human uses of wild resources. He previously spent thirteen years working as a Subsistence Resource Specialist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, where he worked on projects with several Yukon River communities. James has also worked on conservation issues with indigenous communities in Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa. He currently lives in the Upper Copper River Basin.

Community Based Monitoring Project Coordinator

Grace Kirkey

Grace has lived all over the country but has spent much of her life in Alaska. She now resides on Dena'ina lands, calling Anchorage her home. Grace pursued studies in fisheries and aquaculture in Washington State before returning to Alaska, where she worked on a temperature network project focused on understanding the effects of temperature on salmon populations.

Grace has also spent time in Bristol Bay participating in the commercial fishery and taking part in state enhancement programs. She has enjoyed the opportunity to participate in many fisheries.

Fishing has always been a passion for Grace, rooted in her upbringing and continuing today as a cherished pastime. Beyond the riverbanks, she finds joy in trail running during the summer months and cross-country skiing the rest of the year.

Field Technician

Matthew Lohrstorfer

Matthew Lohrstorfer comes after working various jobs for Fish and Game including as a Post-Season Subsistence Salmon Surveyor on the Kuskokwim river as a Field Technician on both Round Island and McNeil River State Game Sanctuary. Matthew has a degree in Environmental Science and Cultural Anthropology. He has been a set net salmon fisherman for many years. He’s excited to join the team as a field technician and understands the importance of gathering good data to address the issues facing Yukon salmon today. He lives on Dena’ina land.

Fisheries Biologist

Brian McKenna

Brian was born and raised in Missouri, where the burbs met the beans. His childhood was spent navigating the urban sprawl that eventually consumed the wild areas where he played and interacted with nature. While enduring a classroom learning environment from grammar school through graduate school, Brian would tell you that he has learned as much if not more from being outdoors than in the classroom. Brian has always felt most at home in the natural world and is fueled by curiosity and continued learning. He enjoys building relationships, helping others, and is passionate about hunting animals, fishes, fruits, and fungi, as a way to connect with nature and provide food for his family.

Brian’s educational journey started in the Midwest while playing collegiate soccer at the University of Missouri Saint Louis and earning an undergraduate degree in Business Administration. After graduation, it didn’t take long for him to get bored in the business world. Brian decided to follow his passion for the natural world and started on a journey that he’s still enjoying today. Brian has since received degrees from Oregon State University (Fisheries Management) and the University of Florida (Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences), and has gained invaluable experiences working in fisheries in the Midwest, Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska.

Brian moved to Alaska in 2010. He lived in Seward in 2010-2011 while working as a fisheries technician monitoring salmon populations in the Kenai Peninsula. In 2012 he moved to Fairbanks and began his career serving the people and fishes of the Yukon River. Brian spent two years working as a technician for the USFWS (2012-2013) and 11 years working as a biologist for the Tanana Chiefs Conference (2013-2024), prior to joining YRDFA in 2025. Brian currently resides in Missouri where he and his wife Emily are raising their two young kiddos, Theodore and Rozalyn. Brian is thankful for YRDFA’s remote office environment which enables him to raise his family in Missouri while continuing to serve the people and fishes of the Yukon River.

Bio-technician Trainer

Nicole Farnham

Nicole Farnham is the Bio-Technician Trainer with the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association. A former Fisheries Biologist, she brings years of experience working across Alaska with Tribal organizations, state and federal agencies, and academic partners. In her role, she develops and leads training programs that prepare community members to become fisheries technicians, supporting research, monitoring, and stewardship along the Yukon River.

Nicole earned her Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries with a minor in Marine Biology and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in One Health Biomedical Science, which she expects to complete in spring 2026. Her background includes stock assessments, subsistence harvest monitoring, science outreach, and hands-on fieldwork throughout Alaska’s rivers and coasts, including cold-water diving to support research efforts.

Outside of work, Nicole enjoys life on the move with her husband and toddler, her favorite adventure buddies. As a family, they love exploring new places, camping, hiking, and finding fun in the outdoors wherever they go. Whether it’s a big trip or a small day adventure, Nicole treasures time spent making memories together.

Finance Manager

Erik West

Erik West joined YRDFA in July 2025 as the Finance Manager. Erik has been a CPA since 2004 and is a licensed CPA in WI, MT, and AK. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L) for the first time with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accountancy in 1999. Then Erik graduated from UW-L for the second time with an MBA Degree in 2007. He has over 24 years of accounting experience almost equally split between Public and Private accounting, including 9 years of experience in Nonprofit Finance Manager/Director/Controller related work, as well as being self-employed as an Interim Chief Financial Officer for a 3 months in 2017. Erik was born and raised in La Crosse WI, then moved to Missoula, MT in 2007, and finally made his way to Anchorage in April of 2022. Along with him, Erik brought his wife and 2 children to Alaska and they are all die-hard Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers fans. Erik was the Treasurer of the Missoula Lions Club from June 2019 to April 2022.

Erik is really excited to work at YRDFA mostly because of the really quality work YRDFA does for the benefit of the Yukon River and its salmon.