Our Team

Executive Director

Serena Fitka

Serena ‘Cuucitcuar’ Fitka 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 is married to Chris Fitka of Marshall and together they have three children and they 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 and her husband Chris from Marshall, Alaska, enjoy passing on their traditional knowledge to their 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.

serena@yukonsalmon.org

Anthropologist

Catherine Moncrieff

Catherine grew up in Dena’ina country, since moving to Anchorage at 5 years old. She comes from a family of immigrants who have been moving west each generation for a 100 years - Europe to Eastern Canada, to Quebec, to Alberta, to British Columbia where she was born, and finally Anchorage, where her family moved in 1974, and Girdwood.

She has been grateful for the enriching opportunity to work with YRDFA and Yukon River fishers since April 2002. Her first project was wrapping up YRDFA’s original Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Salmon project.

Since then Catherine has become the staff Anthropologist and her main goal is to help Yukon River fishers have a stronger voice in management of their fishery. Her previous work with the Anchorage Waterways Council introduced her to urban people who love rivers. The UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research took her to Kotzebue and Selawik, Alaska for a Living Conditions study during her work for her Master’s degree in Applied Cultural Anthropology from the University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA). She also has a Bachelor of Science in Cultural Geography and Ecosystems from the University of Oregon.

Catherine lives in Girdwood with her fiancé and two teenagers. When not at work, you can find her on the slopes of Alyeska or hiking, biking, boating, or enjoying the great outdoors.

catherine@yukonsalmon.org

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.

rachael@yukonsalmon.org

Communications Coordinator

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.

mike@yukonsalmon.org

Environmental Specialist

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.

james@yukonsalmon.org

Finance Manager

Jo Ryan

Jo Ryan enjoys working with numbers and solving problems. While in the US Navy, she held a top secret security clearance and studied cryptology (numbers and codes) under the Commander In Chief of the Pacific and was awarded several commendations and was honorably discharged. Jo earned a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Finance from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master's Degree in Business from Texas A&M University.
Integrity within an organization is of utmost importance. Jo's experience includes: private, not for profit, and large corporations. "It is a passion to work remotely out of my current small village of Trapper Creek, and that is how I was led to YRDFA. I am originally from a small village and feel most comfortable outdoors, Alaska makes that easy. In addition to hunting and fishing, she enjoys traveling, meeting people and learning about other cultures and traditions. My goal is to leave a sprinkle of joy wherever I go. I am a lifelong learner on an amazing journey and am grateful for my current opportunity to contribute to the success of the goals of the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association as their Finance Manager."

jo@yukonsalmon.org

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.

grace@yukonsalmon.org