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School Board Members

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Contact information for each Board member is below. If you have a question or comment for all the board members you can use the board’s group e-mail address: SchoolBoard@asdk12.org. Please take a moment to review our privacy statement before submitting your comments.

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Photo of John Steiner.John Steiner, President
Seat D through April 2011 (3rd term)
Phone: 907-696-2629  Fax: 907-696-2649
10230 Ronald Place
Eagle River, AK 99577
E-mail: steiner_john@asdk12.org

John Steiner and his wife of 30 years, Chris, spent 18 years as Anchorage School District parents. Daughters Monica, Dianna and Megan, are all graduates of Chugiak High School, two having also studied overseas on Rotary student exchanges. Alaska residents since 1976, John, Chris and their girls moved to Anchorage in 1987 and to Eagle River in 1989. A former varsity gymnastics, soccer and volleyball, choir, band, orchestra and drama dad, Mr. Steiner has competed in state championship Poetry Slams, acted in community theater, served as a long-time director and past-president of Eagle River Valley Community Council and on the board of the Alaska Fine Arts Academy. Mr. Steiner holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Ohio State University and earned his law degree from Yale Law School. A Senior Assistant Attorney General for the State of Alaska, Mr. Steiner is legal counsel to Ted Stevens Anchorage and Fairbanks International Airports, a member and past chair of the Legal Affairs Steering Group of the Airports Council International-North America, and part owner of two small residential land development ventures. A past five-time delegate to the Alaska PTA Legislative Issues Conference, Mr. Steiner served on district and local school advisory committees before his 2002 election to the Anchorage School Board. He has served on the Board’s Audit and Policy committees, as chair of its Legislative and Ad Hoc ABC committees, has served as both Treasurer and Board Clerk, and also serves on the board of the Association of Alaska School Boards. Mr. Steiner holds seat D, and his current term expires in April 2011.


Photo of Tim Steele.Tim Steele, Vice President
Seat A through April 2010 (3rd term)
Phone: 907-277-7663 Fax: 907-277-2653
2124 Hillcrest Place
Anchorage, AK 99503
E-mail: steele_tim@asdk12.org

Tim Steele is a retired Lieutenant Commander from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Corps).  He has a broad background including: Senior Urban Regional Planner, Real Estate Broker, General Building Contractor, Federal Procurement Officer, Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR) and Hazardous Material Spill Responder, Municipal Board of Equalization, and Elmendorf AFB Restoration Advisory Board. Mr. Steele is serving his third term on the Anchorage School Board holding various positions of leadership including two terms as President in 2004-05 and 2007-08. He has also served two terms as a member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Alaska School Boards. Mr. Steele has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Economics from California State University, Fresno, CA, and a masters in Environmental Management from the University of California, Riverside, CA.  He is the widowed father of two Anchorage students. He is a member of both the Legislative and Assembly Education committees and is the board representative to the Chamber of Commerce's Business and Economic Development Committee. Mr. Steele was elected to seat A and his current term expires April 2010.


Kathleen PlunkettKathleen Plunkett, Treasurer
Seat E through April 2012 (1st term)
Phone: 907-742-1740
4828 E. 5th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99508
E-mail: plunkett_kathleen@asdk12.org

Kathleen Plunkett is an Accountant for ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc and she holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with an Accounting major from the University of Alaska Anchorage.  Kathleen, her husband Rex and their two sons all graduated from Anchorage High Schools.  Kathleen has been an active community volunteer for more than 30 years.  She is a current member and the former president of the Russian Jack Community Council.  Kathleen has worked on and built two East-side parks and she is a current member and chairman of the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Commission.  She is a member of the Weed and Seed East Anchorage Steering Committee.  Kathleen is the former president, vice president, treasurer and delegate of the Federation of Community Councils.  She has served on the Anchorage Platting Board and Neighborworks Anchorage Board.

Kathleen was elected to Seat E in 2009 and her term expires in 2012.  She is the Treasurer and a member of the Audit Committee.


Jeannie MackieJeannie Mackie, Clerk
Seat B through April 2010 (1st term)
Phone: 350-6491 Fax: 646-1098
5835 Prominence Pointe Drive
Anchorage, AK 99516
E-mail: mackie_jeannie@asdk12.org

Jeannie Mackie is a stay-at-home mother, wife and advocate for children. With three boys ages 11, 8 and 3, Jeannie and her husband will have students in the school district for many years to come. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and has experience working in both the legislative and executive branches of state government. As an Alaska Native, raised in the small community of Nenana, Jeannie offers a unique perspective to the sensitive challenges of students migrating from rural areas to the Anchorage School District. As a mother, she understands the everyday challenges and concerns of parents and is dedicated to the advancement of education and the well-being of all children in the Anchorage School District.


Photo of Jeff Friedman.Jeff Friedman
Seat F through April 2012 (3rd term)
Phone: 907-742-4699
1534 D Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
E-mail: friedman_jeff@asdk12.org

Jeff Friedman studied child development at Antioch College and graduated in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He then went on to graduate with honors from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1984. Over the next three years he was a business manager and assistant director for Friendship Camps, Inc. in Virginia. He began practicing law in Alaska in 1988. Mr. Friedman has one son, Sam, who graduated from the Anchorage School District and currently attends Alaska Pacific University. Mr. Friedman has served on Polaris K-12’s Advisory Board, Education Specifications Committee, and Building Design Committee. Mr. Friedman twice served on the school district’s citizen budget review teams. He is also a former board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Anchorage and is on the Alaska Bar Association’s Discipline Hearing and Fee Arbitration Committees. Mr. Friedman was elected to the school board in April 2003 and was Board President for 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2008-09. He is currently a member of the Policy committee.


Pat HigginsPat Higgins
Seat C through April 2011 (1st term)
Phone: 907-742-5338
9140 Granite Place
Anchorage, AK 99507
E-mail: higgins_pat@asdk12.org

Pat Higgins is a human resources professional with more than 30 years of senior HR management experience in the public and private sector. As someone very involved in hiring the students and graduates from the Anchorage School District, he is passionate about the role of good education and improving our vocational opportunities for young people. Pat has worked and traveled throughout Alaska, from the North Slope when he worked for Alyeska Pipeline (initially in charge of employment and later as their first internal employee concerns program investigator), to Sitka/Juneau where he served as HR Director and a member of the Executive Management Team for the Alaska Native owned Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium. He is presently working as an HR consultant for Coastal Villages Region Fund, an organization with fishing and crabbing interests in the Bering Sea that was formed to provide employment and community development opportunities to 20 rural communities on the west coast of Alaska. Pat graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Personnel Management before moving to Anchorage in 1983 with his wife of 33 years Patti, son Gavin, and daughters Rachael and Tara. Pat has been active in a variety of community activities, serving as President of Friends of the Library at Loussac Library, PTA member, chair of two United Way Campaigns for Alyeska Pipeline, Little League Coach and hockey dad, and is currently a Board Member of Abbott Loop Community Council.  Pat and his family also sponsored the first traveling Smithsonian Exhibit to Alaska “Seeds of Change”, and a visit by US Astronaut Ellen Ochoa to Anchorage schools. Pat is presently Chair of the ASB Audit Committee and a member of the ASB Legislative Committee.  Pat is also the Board representative for the School Business Partnership and is a member of its Audit Committee; he previously served as the Board representative to the Federation of Community Councils. Pat Higgins was elected to seat C in 2008 and his current term expires in April 2011.


Photo of Crystal Kennedy.Crystal Kennedy
Seat G through April 2012 (3rd term)
Phone: 907-696-2624 Fax: 907-696-2318
20040 New England Dr.
Eagle River, AK 99577
E-mail: kennedy_crystal@asdk12.org

Crystal Kennedy and her family moved to Alaska in 1994 when her husband, Greg, a US Air Force F-15 pilot, was assigned here. Her husband, now retired from the Air Force, flies for Fed Ex. Because her father was also in the USAF, Ms. Kennedy has lived in 12 states and three foreign countries. Her three children, Ryan, Erin and Kyle graduated from Chugiak High School. She has one grandson and two granddaughters. Ms. Kennedy received a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Wright State University in 1979 and a bachelor's degree in legal administration from the University of West Florida in 1986. Ms. Kennedy has been an active volunteer in schools and communities for more than 25 years. She served as president of Ravenwood Elementary PTA for three terms, and as a member of the ASD Health & PE Curriculum Review Committee, the Anchorage Council of PTAs, the ASD Capital Request Advisory Committee and numerous education task forces. She served as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), as a board member of the Eagle River Valley Community Council, a youth soccer coach and a Sunday school teacher. She currently serves on the board of directors of Heart to Heart Pregnancy Resource Center in Eagle River, is a Chamber Ambassador for the Chugiak/ Eagle River Chamber of Commerce and a member of Skyline Family Fellowship in Eagle River. Ms. Kennedy holds the position of Secretary/Treasurer for the Association of Alaska School Boards board of directors. She is a graduate and active alumna of the Broad Institute for School Board members. Ms. Kennedy currently serves on the School Board policy committee, the legislative committee, the ABC Ad Hoc committee, and is the board representative to the Chugiak/ Eagle River Chamber of Commerce and the Council of Great City Schools. Ms. Kennedy holds Seat G for a third term which expires in 2012.


Photo of Carol Comeau.Carol Comeau, Superintendent
Phone: 907-742-4312 Fax: 907-742-4318
5530 E Northern Lights Blvd
Anchorage, AK 99504-3135
E-mail: comeau_carol@asdk12.org

Carol Comeau has lived in Anchorage for more than 40 years. She began her service in the Anchorage School District in 1974 as a noon-duty attendant and teacher aide at Ocean View Elementary School. Moving into teaching the following year, Ms. Comeau spent the next 11 years teaching at Ocean View and Spring Hill Elementary, and also serving as president of the teachers’ union for one year. Following a one-year internship, Ms. Comeau was a district principal until 1990, when she became the district's executive director of elementary school education. From 1993 to 2000 Ms. Comeau was the district's assistant superintendent for instruction. The School Board appointed her as ASD's superintendent in December 2000. Ms. Comeau believes it is essential to be an active participant in the community and volunteers for a variety of local and national organizations. Married for 46 years to Dennis Comeau, Ms. Comeau's three children and five grandchildren live in Washington and Georgia. [Read Superintendent Comeau's full biography here]



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