What does the Statewide Advisory Group do?

The Statewide Advisory Group provides meets with AYEA program staff to make decisions and set program priorities each year. Individuals on the SWAG promote AYEA by sharing information about upcoming AYEA trainings, projects, and youth opportunities throughout the state. Each SWAG member contributes specific skills and background to the Statewide Advisory Group and the AYEA program (see below) by serving on ad-hoc sub-committees to address specific issues or projects. All SWAG members are expected to help raise funds to support the AYEA program.

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Isabel Bush, Juneau (Youth Member)

Isabel is a Junior at Juneau Douglas High School. She has been involved with the Juneau AYEA chapter (JAYEA) for three years, and has served on the SWAG for two years. She is currently the secretary of JAYEA and a liason with Friends of Recycling, in which she attends the organization's meetings and provides information to youth about volunteer opportunities. When not working on environmental issues, she enjoys jump roping, running, and playing piano. Isabel holds a Guinness Book of World Records recognition for having jump-roped for two days straight!

Claire Fordyce, Juneau (Adult Mentor)

Claire first volunteered with AYEA during the Summer Get Together in 1999. She was soon hooked on volunteering for AYEA in a myriad of capacities. She helps coordinate the annual Civics & Conservation Summit and provides local support to the JAYEA chapter. She graduated from Melbourne University with a Bachelor of Education in Science and taught high school Biology and Natural Resource Management for several years. She is passionate about the rights of youth to learn, form opinions, and be heard by civic leaders. She continues to have a lot of fun and be in awe of the AYEA team.

Amanda Huff (Adult Mentor)

Amanda Huff graduated from Bartlett High School in 2003. She was the AYEA newsletter editor in 2002 and a peer leader for the Civics Summit during her senior year. She attended the University of Alaska Southeast and transferred to the University of Alaska Fairbanks to finish off her Associate of Applied Business degree. She currently works at the UAF Library in technical services. During her spare time she enjoys being outside and ballroom/Latin dancing with her husband. She is excited to be involved with such an energetic, world-changing group!

Valerie Jensen, Yakutat (Youth Member)

Valerie has been involved with AYEA since the spring of 2004, when she attended a Southeast Youth Summit for teens to address regional environmental issues. She helped form the Yakutat AYEA Chapter (YAYEA) in the summer of 2005 and has served on SWAG since the fall of 2006. She is currently the Public Relations officer for YAYEA. Valerie likes to native dance, listen to music, play with her little brother, and LAUGH! She lives for the scenery in Yakutat.

Milly Josephson, Anchorage (Youth Member)

Milly joined AYEA in 2003 and has been actively involved ever since. She is currently serving as Chair of the Anchorage Chapter (AAYEA). In addition to helping the Anchorage chapter, Milly has been a part of AYEA's Youth in Governance initiative to promote the placement of youth into meaningful roles on boards and commissions. She has presented at numerous conferences and statewide events over the years. Milly enjoys politics, film, and Thai food. Milly has said of AYEA, "This program has taught me more about my state and my role in its future than any other experience."

Charlee Lockwood, Saint Michael (Youth Member)

Cheryl “Charlee” Lockwood attends Mount Edgecumbe High School, a public boarding school in Sitka -- about 800 miles away from her home in Saint. Michael village on Norton Sound. During her involvement with AYEA, she has worked on many issues and in 2006 traveled to Washington, D.C., as part of AYEA’s Global Warming delegation. Charlee is now the chair of the Mt. Edgecumbe (MEAYEA) AYEA chapter.  Charlee received the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes honor roll recognition in 2006 for her work on global warming.  She fears spiders and bugs, but she likes food and watching comedy shows. When she’s not busy as the chair of MEAYEA, she likes to hang with friends, swim, hike, bike, and go camping.

Jonathan Teeters (Adult Mentor)

Jonathan was born and raised in Seattle but always knew that he needed a little more dirt under his fingernails. While attending the University of Idaho, he studied abroad in Ecuador and worked as a mentor for multicultural students, began a campus-wide sustainability movement as an ASUI Senator, worked as a genetics technician, led numerous student groups, and learned to hunt! He got his start in Alaska as an intern with the Alaska Conservation Foundation, where he worked as a liaison between Labor Unions and Conservation Organizations statewide. After graduation Jonathan came back to Alaska, working with ACF, and then became the Alaska Statewide Organizer for the Democratic National Committee, where he currently finds ways to get others involved locally, statewide, and nationally. For fun Jonathan loves to fish, hunt, ski, dance, and chill with friends.

Bryce Timm, Ketchikan (Youth Member)

Bryce became involved with AYEA at the young age of fourteen, while still in the eighth grade! He attended AYEA's Civics and Conservation Summit in Juneau in 2003 and then served as a Peer Leader for the annual training for two years. Bryce has been on the SWAG for almost two years and presented at the Bioneers Alaska conference in 2006. He hopes to start a Ketchikan AYEA chapter in the near future. Bryce is an avid athlete, serving on both the high school wrestling and football teams.