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Dear Laurie and Foraker Family,
I want to share with you the celebration of The Foraker Group’s 25th Anniversary!
If there had been any way I could have been there, I would have, but had I been there in person, I would emphasize how proud I am of the important work you continue in the state. I see few callings more important than supporting the people who have dedicated their life to serving others, and at Foraker those who dedicated their lives to serve the “servers”.
I visit the website weekly to stay current with the amazing work that continues. Thanks to all of you, Foraker continues to serve Alaska in the manner that was envisioned many years ago, plus in some important ways that have evolved as needs have changed.
The website describes all those who were there in the beginning and that original vision. I suggest today might be a good time to review and renew your understanding in and dedication to that vision. You can be as proud as I am in how at Foraker, we “walk the talk” of nonprofit resilience.
So of course, in addition to the amazing staff over the years, we thank all of those who have served on the board and the very dedicated funders: Rasmuson Foundation, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, ConocoPhillips, BP, The Mental Health Trust, and Paul Allen Foundation who were there in the beginning.
But today, let’s celebrate with each other, especially our very committed CEO Laurie. Thanks to all of you who continue to do the right thing.
Best always,
DennisDennis McMillian
Founding President/CEO
Paglaġivsi, Greetings,
Aarigaa! Happy 25th Anniversary to The Foraker Group! To everyone who has been a part of Foraker’s journey – to all the board members, staff, consultants, funders, and partners – Congratulations! What an accomplishment. Every single day the work Foraker does positively impacts Alaska nonprofits and tribes, and the result – All Alaskans benefit!
I am grateful to have been a participant in this journey. It started when I was on the team developing a new campus for Iḷisaġvik College. We turned to the Pre-Development Program to assist us, with excellent results. I also have benefitted from Foraker trainings – participating as a part of the various nonprofit boards I’ve sat on – trainings that helped ground us in our governance responsibilities and become more effective leaders for the missions we served. Then, after serving on the Foraker Operations Board (now the Statewide Advisory Council) for several years, I was proud to be asked to join the Governance Board, where I am now the chair.
When I look at Foraker today, I see an assembly of diverse and dedicated people doing amazing work and having meaningful impacts. From quickly responding to the COVID pandemic with information for the sector on if and how to continue operations to forging an advocacy effort that pushed a bill through the legislature that would ensure nonprofits, tribes, and municipalities are paid promptly for the services they perform for the state, Foraker’s voice for the nonprofit sector is loud and proud. Examples like this are the reason Foraker is known as a leader and trusted partner in finding solutions for challenges facing Alaska.
Through the communities of nonprofit leaders Foraker nurtures, to the many connections it fosters to get important jobs done, and to the inspiration we feel to do more over the next 25 years, I thank Laurie and her team, our boards, and all who have been on this remarkable journey.
Quyanaqpauraq. Thank you very much to the entire Foraker family!
Dr. Pearl K. Brower
Foraker Governance Board Chair/President and CEO, Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation
In 2011, at 17 years on the job at my nonprofit, I was asked to participate at the Certificate in Nonprofit Management. This program truly changed the trajectory of my career. Two years later, I finished my MBA. Six years from then, I became Executive Director of Access Alaska. One year later, I participated in the Executive Leadership Intensive. Five years from then I completed my Doctor of Management. During all these times, I have remained connected with The Foraker Group. Today I have been a part of Foraker’s Board Leadership for over four years and am proud to be a part of a group that continues to help Alaska’s nonprofit sector without pause. Happy 25th Foraker!
Eric Gurley
Foraker Advisory Council Chair/ Executive Director, Access Alaska
Dear Laurie and Foraker Team:
Congratulations on 25 years! The Foraker Group’s silver anniversary matches my own tenure in Alaska (incoming class of 2001!), which means I can’t ever remember a time here that Alaska’s nonprofits weren’t feeling your support and powerful guidance. I join all Alaskans now in feeling fortunate to live and work in a state strengthened by the leadership and steady hand of The Foraker Group.
As I reflect on 25 years of Foraker, I am struck by the multitude of times and ways in which I have called upon the services of The Foraker Team for knowledge, guidance and support. Whether it was a nonprofit board leadership challenge, or a sticky issue with an executive director, or fundraising challenges, or hiring or firing challenges, Foraker was there. When my teams needed training, when I needed training, when our board needed new by-laws and when I needed an adult to talk to about organizational challenges, Foraker was there.
I have had the privilege of serving on the Foraker Operations Board, and I’ve taken Foraker classes, attended Foraker Leadership Summits, accessed Foraker resources, participated in classes and am a proud Catalyst Cohort 4 Alumna.
Life is better with Foraker.
Thank you for the unending support for organizations statewide. I am grateful Foraker will continue to be there for nonprofit organizations and leaders for at least the next 25 years, too.
Wishing Laurie Wolf and the entire Foraker team a celebration fitting for this momentous occasion!
Sincerely,
Megan OlsonMegan Olson
Former Advisory Council Member/External Affairs, ConocoPhillips Alaska
Congratulations on this milestone and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love, support, education, and visionary leadership.
Sammye Pokryfki
Former Governance Board Member
What a gift The Foraker Group has been to Alaska nonprofits. From Anchorage to Kodiak, to Southeast to None, The Foraker Group has inspired, supported and led Alaska nonprofits to success.
Pat Branson
Foraker Governance Board Treasurer
The Foraker Summit provided an opportunity to connect with other ED’s in Homer and we have been meeting monthly ever since!
Stacey Mack
Foraker Advisory Council Member/Executive Director, The Homer Foundation
Through the partnership and friendship with Foraker, ACT was provided the internal support to leave the State umbrella and stand on our own as an independent nonprofit. Thank you.
Trevor Storrs
President & CEO, Alaska Children’s Trust
Foraker has been working with the AWCC for as long as I can remember. When I stepped into the role of Executive Director, the support I received from Foraker truly meant a lot and continues to mean a lot as we navigate everything that gets thrown at us Alaskan nonprofits. Thank you, Foraker!
Sarah Howard
Executive Director at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Foraker has always been my “phone-a-friend” as an Executive Director, as a Catalyst graduate, or when I joined their team. When in doubt, I can pick up the phone and there’s someone on the other end that can be a thought-partner with me to make informed decisions on how to move forward with mission at the forefront. I am grateful for the warm hug and support over the years. Thank you!
Monica Garcia-Itchoak
Executive Director, Chugach Museum
I want to congratulate Foraker for 25 years of service to the State of Alaska, particularly Laurie Wolf for all her contributions over the years in helping the Senate Majority Bi-Partisan Caucus plan its priorities for upcoming legislative sessions. She was invaluable in directing discussions on what was most important and achievable. Her written summaries always captured the often-differing opinions. It was a pleasure working with her and The Foraker Group these past several years.
Senator Gary Stevens
Alaska State Senator
I am a Foraker Success Story! I started working for CCS in 1999, was hired to be the Executive Director in 2005 and graduated from the Foraker Certificate Program in 2010. I have stayed in touch and relied on and celebrated with and been frustrated about Government or Policy things together with Foraker many times over the course of my career. In January of 2025, I stepped into a role on the Operations Board and they promptly changed the title to Statewide Advisory Council (not my fault… I don’t think??). So excited to be celebrating 25 amazing years – Go Foraker Go!
Mark Lackey
Foraker Advisory Council Member/Executive Director, CCS Early Learning
Nonprofit leadership can seem lonely from time to time. Particularly in times of crisis (e.g., a global pandemic) or uncertainty (e.g., sweeping changes in federal policy), it can feel as though sticks are added one by one to the burden we bear in pursuit of our organization’s mission. Foraker convenes leaders both virtually and in person, particularly in times of crisis and uncertainty, to support and uplift one another. Perhaps the greatest gift among the many Foraker offers is a sense of community and belonging for the outstanding Alaskan professionals who have dedicated their careers to the nonprofit sector. Thank you, Foraker, for keep us connected. And happy 25th!
Gabe Layman
Foraker Advisory Council Member/CEO, Cook Inlet Housing Authority
Foraker continues to motivate and mobilize, effectively bringing one voice to the nonprofit sector and advancing shared priorities. This past year, in particular, we appreciated their focus on prompt payment parity, ensuring timely payment by state agencies. This highlighted not only the impacts of delay but also how limited agency capacity has become.
Nils Andreassen
Foraker Governance Board Member/Executive Director, Alaska Municipal League
I have been involved with The Foraker Group for almost 25 years. I have witnessed a dream come to pass. Standing alongside Alaska’s nonprofits was the mission and we have met that mission. Nonprofits have benefited from our many classes, consultants, leadership transition, fiscal and HR support.
Jake Poole
Foraker Consultant and Former Foraker Advisory Council Member
Foraker has been a great resource and partner for our organization. They’ve provided valuable guidance when we’ve needed it, offered meaningful training that has helped our staff grow and develop, and created opportunities for nonprofits across the state to connect and learn from one another. Their support has strengthened not only our organization, but also the broader nonprofit community by fostering collaboration and shared success. We are grateful to Laurie and the team for their leadership and partnership!
Cara Durr
CEO, Food Bank of Alaska
I first learned about The Foraker Group from a friend in Kodiak, Mike Wall, who was the General Manager of Public Radio station KMXT. He had participated in leadership training classes in the fall of 2002 and came back very enthused. I was some 18 years into my 19-year tenure with the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce and wondering if there was more to life than managing Home Shows, ComFish Alaska, Literthon’s, Crab Festival and the annual grind of the same events over and over again.
I applied for and was accepted into the fall 2003 cohort. I attended my first session in October of 2003 with some apprehension as I was not sure what I had committed myself to doing! I was perhaps the first 501C6 nonprofit participant and we both learned a lot from those interactions!
In August of 2004, Dennis McMillian invited me to join the Operations Board. I attended my first meeting in September of 2004 which would be the first of many over 19 years of engagement with the Operations Board.
Great work is done. I am proud to have been able to participate and be a long-time partner with the organization. Congratulations on twenty-five years of standing beside Alaska’s nonprofit community.
Regards,
WayneWayne Stevens
Former Foraker Advisory Council Member
For the past 19 years, Foraker has shaped both my career and who I am as a leader. It has taught me that meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes patience, trust, and a willingness to evolve. I’ve had the privilege of helping nonprofits strengthen their organizations, build healthy cultures, and navigate change across the beautiful state of Alaska. Along the way, I’ve learned that lasting impact comes from investing in people, embracing innovation, and never losing sight of the mission we serve.
Raju Shankar
Vice President/CFO
Happy 25th Anniversary, Foraker Group! SAIL has benefited from Foraker almost since day one. Thanks to our former board chair, Clark Gruening, we became part of the Foraker community early on—and what a difference it’s made. Over the years, our staff have graduated from Catalyst (I was in the 1st cohort!), completed the Nonprofit Management Certificate Program, and relied on Foraker’s expertise in succession planning, organizational restructuring, HR, strategic planning, pre-development, and board development. And that’s only scratching the surface. I also had the privilege of serving for many years on Foraker’s Operations Board, giving me a front-row seat to the passion, talent, and commitment behind the organization. Through every opportunity and challenge, Foraker has been a trusted partner, helping SAIL grow stronger, smarter, and more resilient. Thank you, Foraker Group, for 25 years of strengthening Alaska’s nonprofits and the communities we serve. Congratulations—and here’s to the next 25 years!
Joan O’Keefe
Former Foraker Advisory Council Member
Cama’i Laurie,
Congratulations on Foraker’s 25th anniversary.
Where do I begin in expressing how much Foraker has meant to me and my career over the past twenty-five years? From the very beginning, Foraker provided the training and guidance I needed to manage a nonprofit effectively and to work collaboratively with boards, staff, and community members. The foundation Foraker helped us build at the Alutiiq Museum has been critical to its success and growth over the past two decades.
Beyond the training, what has always stood out is Foraker’s commitment to the broader good of Alaska. Your team has consistently helped organizations—tribal, nonprofit, and for-profit—look beyond themselves and serve the larger community with integrity and purpose.
On a personal level, working with you and Dennis and serving on the board has been a true privilege—one I have never taken for granted. Both your leadership and Dennis’s set a tone of thoughtfulness, accountability, and care that has shaped not only organizations, but people across the state. Your leadership over the past decade has created a space where leaders are supported, challenged, and strengthened. Thank you for setting such a high bar.
It has been inspiring to watch how Foraker has influenced organizations across Alaska and elevated standards of ethical leadership and governance. That impact will continue to be felt for generations.
Thank you for the guidance, the encouragement, and the vision you have provided over the years. I celebrate all that Foraker has accomplished and look forward to seeing how it continues to serve Alaska in the years ahead.
Here’s to celebrating 25 years of inspiring Alaskans to achieve more for their communities.
All the best,
SvenSven Haakanson
Former Foraker Advisory Council Member
I was honored to be invited to join Foraker’s Operations Board and hope that I served adequately. The board experience gave me the opportunity to see the broad impact that Foraker has had on the nonprofit sector and the ripples of that impact throughout the health and vitality of Alaska. More personally, we tend to silo ourselves in our own sector of the nonprofit world (conservation in my case) and my time on the board really expanded my understanding of the breadth of the sector and the great capabilities of community leaders from Ketchikan to Utqiagvik and beyond.
Rand Hagenstein
Former Foraker Advisory Council Member
Just as it’s hard to picture Denali without Foraker to its left, it’s hard to imagine a time when The Foraker Group was not a part of our civic landscape. It’s helped our state and the nonprofit sector itself to see the important role it plays in the well-being of our people and communities. Here’s to celebrating another 25 years!
Carla Beam
Former Foraker Advisory Council Member
Congratulations on 25 years. Seems like only yesterday we sat in the Wells Fargo conference room for a meeting called by Ed Rasmussen to form the Foraker Group. The Foraker Group has had a dramatic impact for the betterment of our state.
Jim Palmer
Former Foraker Governance Board Member
Foraker doesn’t just serve as the state’s nonprofit association and support nonprofits in general. The Foraker staff and board are identifying the headwinds, shifting landscapes, and changing economics both afoot and coming to affect nonprofit missions and sustainability. They are looking up, tracking trends and impact with critical research and data, sharing that broadly, and using it to inform policy. The Foraker team provides backbone roles to numerous collaboratives, nonprofits, and projects across Alaska. They step up to take the lead and fill voids–from increasing the number of development professionals, to providing executive search and transition services where there were none, to helping coordinate numerous funder initiatives so they deliver the intended return (Pre-Development, Pick.Click.Give., DV shelter upgrades, etc.), to codifying all the learning from these projects (a manual for completing capital projects), to serving as THE MOST credible voice for the sector during trying times like the pandemic, Foraker is always looking out and forward.
There are so many stories, and you are a part of them all, Laurie. It’s because of your leadership, expertise, and incredible dedication. That’s why there’s a Foraker and the phenomenal impact. Because of you.
Sincerely, Elizabeth
Elizabeth Ripley
Former Foraker Governance Board Member