Aaron Poe
Northern Latitudes Partnerships Network Program Officer
Aaron has worked in Alaska for over 25 years specializing in natural resource management, partnership development and community engagement. He is focused on helping managers and communities understand and adapt to rapid environmental change. He is the Network Program Officer for the Northern Latitudes Partnerships, helping agency managers, tribes, researchers, industry, and community leaders who work together on large-scale conservation and stewardship efforts. He has B.S. degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife Management and Geography from Utah State University and a Master’s in Natural Resource Management from the University of Arizona. He is grateful to be able to live and work on the lands of the Dena’ina people in Anchorage with his wife and two children.
Leanna Heffner
Northwest Boreal Partnership Coordinator
Leanna holds a PhD from University of Rhode Island in Oceanography where she worked with other scientists, coastal managers, and community members to develop solutions to watershed pollution and climate change adaptation. For her post-doctoral work, Leanna was part of an interdisciplinary team of designers, engineers, and scientists at Louisiana State University’s Coastal Sustainability Studio tackling the land loss crisis on the Mississippi River Delta. Upon her arrival in Alaska in 2016, Leanna worked as the Science Communications Coordinator for the Western Alaska Partnership.
Leanna stepped into her leadership role with the Northwest Boreal Partnership in 2018, and has immensely enjoyed her work. She enjoys hiking, rock climbing, teaching and practicing yoga, and spending time with her husband Larry, two dogs and cats.
Nyssa Russell
Western Alaska Partnership Coordinator
Nyssa Russell was born and raised at the “end of the road” in Homer and currently lives on Alutiiq Sugpiaq lands in Kodiak. She is excited to join us as the Western Alaska Partnership Network Coordinator, where she will act as a liaison between a diverse network of partners to coordinate and facilitate work that promotes stewardship of lands, waters, and resources that sustain the life ways of Alaskans. Nyssa has previously worked with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as a fishery biologist in many locations across Western Alaska, and most recently spent three years with a small climate adaptation consulting firm, Adaptation International, where she worked with municipalities and Tribes across the country to identify climate concerns and actions that could be taken to address them. Nyssa graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in Environmental Science and Policy and received her Master’s degree in Marine Policy and Science Communication from the University of Washington. Most of her professional work has focused on marine and coastal science and policy, broader climate resilience planning efforts, and science communication. Away from her computer, Nyssa loves exploring the outdoors with her husband, 3 dogs, and young son. You may also find her Googling the next dessert or bread recipe to make or on the softball diamond coaching high school girls or playing adult league herself.
Nadine Kochuten
Aleutian & Bering Sea Initiative Coordinator
Nadine Kochuten is Aleut from the community of False Pass in the eastern Aleutian Islands. She is the daughter of Raymond Kochuten of False Pass and Doll Kochuten of King Cove. Nadine grew up commercial salmon fishing with her parents and three sisters in False Pass where they all lived a very subsistence lifestyle. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration Management from the University of Alaska Anchorage and she is a new learner of Unangam Tunuu, the Aleut language. Nadine previously worked as the Environmental Coordinator at Aleut International Association (AIA) from 2019-2024 where she worked directly with Aleut Tribes and communities on their environmental and climate change initiatives locally and internationally. Nadine is passionate about working for the Aleutian and Bering Sea region as it is her family’s home and she is happy to work on projects that support the region and the people that live there. She works closely with the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) working group of the Arctic Council for AIA on biodiversity conservation, working with Arctic Indigenous Peoples’ and Indigenous Knowledge as well as projects on community-based monitoring and solid waste management. Nadine was part of the ABSI steering committee from 2019-2024 and looks forward to leading the partnership as its Coordinator.
Rachel Lekanoff
Aleutian & Bering Sea Initiative Research Coordinator
Rachel Lekanoff joined the NLP as the ABSI’s Research Coordinator in 2024. She grew up in Washington state, and made frequent visits to her family in Unalaska, learning about her Unangax̂ culture and heritage. She earned her B.S. in Environmental Science at Western Washington University. Wanting to be closer to her Alaskan family, she moved north to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks and earned an M.S. in Oceanography in 2020. Since getting her master’s, Rachel has worked on behalf of the Aleutian Pribilof region on a variety of projects including tribal fisheries co-management, climate resilience, and environmental remediation. She is now also a graduate student at UAF (again!) as a Tamamta fellow pursuing a PhD in Fisheries. Her research interests include genomics as a fisheries monitoring tool for rural Alaska. Academically and professionally, she endeavors to elevate Indigenous Knowledge to develop a more holistic view of the fisheries and marine ecosystems all Alaskans rely on. Outside of work and school, Rachel is an avid cyclist and cross-country skier and is frequently on the incredible trail networks in and around Anchorage.
Analouise Hoseth
Alaska Pacific University Community Engagement and Stewardship Coordinator
Analouise was born and raised in rural Alaska in the region of Bristol Bay and is a member of the Curyung Tribe. She began working for Alaska Pacific University in the summer of 2023 and upholds the role of Community Engagement and Stewardship Coordinator. Her focus is to coordinate with 5 Tribal Conservation Districts (TCD), including those of the Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission, Prince of Whales, T’ee Driin Jik, Tanana, Tuyuryaq, and Indigenous Sentinels. In her position, she ensures each TCD and Indigenous Sentinel has the connections and resources needed to achieve their organization’s goals as lined out in the grant. After high school, she achieved her post-secondary education from Clark College. She is currently a senior at the University of Alaska Anchorage, studying Anthropology. Outside of professional school and work settings, she enjoys spending her free time either fishing, cooking, or traveling.
Gabe Canfield
University of Alaska Northwest Boreal Partnership Climate Catalyst
Gabe Canfield’s Inupiaq name is Kungunna and she resides in Anchorage and originates from Ketchikan. She is the Climate Adaptation Catalyst at the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center in partnership with the Northwest Boreal Partnership team. When she’s not working, you’ll find her fishing, backpacking, hiking, biking, or simply embracing the great outdoors.
Grace Ellwanger
Western Alaska Federal Funding Navigator
Grace was born and raised in Northern Michigan and moved to Kodiak in 2020 to pursue her career after studying Environmental Studies and GIS in college. In Kodiak, Grace worked with Tribal partners on environmental monitoring, climate adaptation planning, and programmatic capacity building.
In 2024 Grace moved with her partner in the Coast Guard to North Carolina, but felt passionate about remaining connected to tribal environmental work in Alaska. She is excited to work as the Western Alaska Federal Funding Navigator housed at Deerstone Consulting in partnership with Igiugig Village Council and the Northern Latitudes Partnerships to continue supporting Alaska’s Tribes. Grace loves to spend her free time with her partner and dog traveling, cooking, gardening, and exploring the outdoors.
Sijo Smith
Northern Latitudes Partnerships Communications Coordinator
Sijo has been at the Northern Latitudes Partnerships since January 2021. Raised in Alaska on Dena’ina lands, she is thrilled to be working with a broad range of individuals and organizations working together to sustain the landscapes where she spent her childhood. She received a B.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University and is currently a graduate student at the University of Oregon under Dr. Mark Carey. Outside of work, Sijo enjoys backpacking with her partner, diving in the Pacific Ocean, and curling up with a good book, a cup of tea, and her two cats.