Anchorage, ALASKA – Leaders of eight Alaska organizations earned a well-deserved break this year through a Rasmuson Foundation Sabbatical Award. Each recipient will receive three to four months of paid time off to relax and explore personal interests, ranging from family road trips to communal living in rural Portugal and Nepal to walking the Continental Divide Trail. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Sabbatical Award, for a total of 123 sabbaticals given over its history.

A panel that included past recipients selected the awardees. The award of $50,000 is made to the recipient’s organization to help cover the leader’s salary, travel, and other experiences during leave. The recipients, many of whom led their organizations through the pandemic, demonstrated a pressing need for time away and recognized that their organizations would benefit by allowing others to step up. 

“By awarding sabbaticals, the Foundation can do its part to ensure longevity and success for its nonprofit and Tribal partners,” said Rasmuson Foundation President and CEO Gretchen Guess. “The vision is to ensure that those leaders feel inspired and energized to continue to drive an impact in their community for years to come.”

A full list of 2025 winners can be found below. Applications for 2026 awards open in June.

Harriet Brouillette, Chilkoot Indian Association

As a Tribal administrator, Harriet Brouillette has committed herself to advancing the mission of the Chilkoot Indian Association for the last 10 years. Under her leadership, the Tribe has improved operations and expanded, growing from six employees to now over 30. Harriet also represents Haines in the Natives Without Land movement and has successfully lobbied the Alaska delegation on the organization’s behalf. The sabbatical gives Harriet a chance to travel with her partner. She hopes to travel to Paris to see the Mona Lisa and to nurture her lifelong love of painting.

LouAnne Carroll-Tysdal, Upper Susitna Food Pantry

LouAnne Caroll-Tysdal has served as the executive director of the Upper Susitna Food Pantry since 2015. The region she serves is a food desert, with limited access to grocery stores and transportation. As executive director, LouAnne manages grants and programming that help provide the Northern Susitna Valley with supplemental food. LouAnne plans to spend her sabbatical traveling extensively, both in the United States with family and abroad to Japan and Nepal. In Nepal, she hopes to visit a school with an innovative approach to collective resource sharing.

Mandy Cole, AWARE

Mandy Cole started working in the domestic violence and sexual assault field more than 20 years ago. She joined AWARE in 2005, working in various positions before becoming the executive director in 2019. Under her leadership, AWARE has expanded, reaching survivors across Southeast Alaska and managing two major capital projects. She co-founded the Juneau Nonprofit Housing Development Council with the Juneau Community Foundation, chairs the City and Borough of Juneau’s Planning Commission, and serves as the Governance Board Chair for the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. She is deeply committed to the work and looks forward to taking her sabbatical to recharge. Mandy plans to travel within the United States, spending time in Hawai’i with her children and visiting her parents in Virginia.

Katie Cornwell, Seward Prevention Coalition

Katie Cornwell joined the Seward Prevention Coalition in 2013 when the organization had only one full-time staffer – her! Under her leadership, SPC’s outreach programs have successfully helped reduce drinking rates among Seward teens. She has also helped increase the organization’s funding tenfold. Katie describes herself as a “diehard optimist.” She looks forward to taking her kids to Disneyland for the first time during her sabbatical and spending time at her family farm in Vermont. She also hopes to dedicate time to mindfulness and creativity, including writing a book she started during graduate school.

Amanda Faulkner, Frontier Community Services

Amanda Faulkner joined Frontier Community Services in 2002 as a developmental specialist. As of 2015, she has served as the organization’s executive director. She has seen the organization through many changes, including organizational restructuring and COVID-19 challenges. She is moved by the measurable impact FCS’s programs have on the community, supporting Soldotna residents with disabilities. Amanda also serves as Board President of the Alaska Association on Developmental Disabilities. She hopes to use her sabbatical to disconnect, practice yoga and explore.

Jenny Neyman, Pickle Hill Public Broadcasting

Jenny Neyman joined Pickle Hill Public Broadcasting in 2019, shortly before state funding for the station was cut. She joined the station as a one-woman operation, responsible for broadcasting, reporting, and management. Under her leadership, local support for the station has increased, funding has stabilized, and full-time staff has grown. With the station thriving, Jenny hopes to use her sabbatical to disconnect and hike the rugged Continental Divide Trail, which follows the crest of the Rocky Mountains from New Mexico to Canada.

Rebecca Parker, Anchorage Senior Activity Center

Rebecca Parker has dedicated the past 10 years of her life to the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. During that time, she established a signature fundraising event and recently oversaw the implementation of a $3.2 million bond to improve the facility. Rebecca will use her sabbatical to reconnect with family and lifelong friends while traveling around Europe. Visiting old friends in Malaga will allow her to improve her Spanish for her two Spanish-speaking grandsons. She also plans to travel to Ireland to visit her daughter.

Kirk Rose, Anchorage Community Land Trust

Kirk Rose joined Anchorage Community Land Trust in 2011 and has served as CEO for the past decade. He was motivated to work in the nonprofit sector because he believes the best way to predict the future is to make it. Under his leadership, ACLT has expanded to serve five neighborhoods and grown into a nationally recognized model for entrepreneur development. Kirk intends to use his sabbatical to spend time with his two young children. Along with his wife, their family plans to stay in an intentional community in Portugal, where they hope to relax, explore, and spend time with visiting family.