Tara Bourdukofsky
TaraLB@apiai.org
A lifelong member of the Russian Orthodox Church and Sisterhood, Tara is of Unangan/Aleut/Lakota heritage. Although born in San Francisco, she was raised in Alaska and received her Master’s degree in counseling psychology at Alaska Pacific University. Currently, she is the Human Services Director of the Aleutian Pribilof Island Association where she fulfills her passion to serve the Unangan people of the past, present, and future.
Sheri Buretta – Chair
sburetta@chugach-ak.com
Sheri is the Chair of the Board of the Chugach Alaska Corporation and has served on the ROSSIA Board of Directors since 2004. Sheri is a member of the Orthodox church and values the rich cultural heritage of orthodoxy.
Ana Dittmar
anadittmar1@hotmail.com
Ana came from the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox community in Pennsylvania where she was born and values the heritage and traditions of the Orthodox Church. She is a member of historic St. Michael’s Cathedral in Sitka and actively involved in preserving the parish’s multi-language choir, reestablishing the Cathedral’s Orthodox bell ringing, cataloging church icons and liturgical items, and serves on St Michael’s Parish Council. Ana is a professional cultural anthropologist and archeologist working for the National Park Service in the Pacific Rim since 1998.
Dorothy Gray – Secretary
dorothygray@acsalaska.net
Dorothy is a lifelong educator and currently an assistant professor of English for the University of Alaska at the Kenai Peninsula College campus. She is also a lifelong member of the Russian Orthodox Church and serves as the secretary of the Kenai Parish Council. Dorothy helped initiate and direct the 1998 restoration of the Russian Orthodox rectory in Kenai, the 2008 Save America’s Treasure Grant to preserve the Kenai church, one of Alaska’s National Historic Landmarks, and has served on ROSSIA’s board since 2008.
Andrew Guy
aguy@calistacorp.com
Andrew is the President and CEO of Calista Corporation and has been with ROSSIA since its start in 2002 when he helped draw up the organization’s incorporation documents. Andrew recognizes the important role these historic orthodox churches play in villages
throughout the state and realizes there are many challenges to ensure they
are preserved for future generations.
Boris R. Merculief
brmgjm@hotmail.com
Boris is the long-standing Chairman of the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association and chairs the Aleutian-Pribiliof Heritage Group Inc., an organization dedicated to the restoration of historic churches and their furnishings. He is also active in the St. George community. Boris has served on ROSSIA’s board since 2003.
Father Michael Oleska
frmjoleska@yahoo.com
Father Oleksa rarely needs an introduction. He is recognized around the state and has served ROSSIA’s board in varying capacities since its inception in 2002.
Becky Shaffer
rebeccashafferconsult@gmail.com
Rebecca is an architect with the Alaska Regional Office of the National Park Service with a background in historic preservation and sacred spaces, with a focus on energy efficiency and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) compliance. Before moving to Alaska in 2004, Rebecca served on ecumenical boards in campus chaplaincy at Franklin & Marshall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and the University of Oregon.
Skye Sturm
skye.sturm@gmail.com
Skye was born and raised in Fairbanks and following graduation from the University of Colorado College of Architecture & Planning, began working for Design Alaska in Fairbanks. Skye’s passion for adventure and architecture have led her into the backcountry of Alaska to assist with historic preservation projects and to Cambodia and Nepal to work with Habitat for Humanity on a variety of projects.
Travis L. Vlasoff
tvlasoff@tatitlek.com
Travis is a tribal member of The Native Village of Tatitlek and serves as the Director of Real Estate for The Tatitlek Corporation. As a former grant writer and project manager, he has worked diligently to support rural community development in the Chugach Region of Alaska. He is also a strong advocate for tribal subsistence rights and remains active in support of his home community. Travis recognizes the tremendous value of ROSSIA and is honored to have joined the organization in 2011.
Bishop Benjamin – Ex Officio
If you’re interested in joining ROSSIA’s Board of Directors, volunteering or donating, please contact ROSSIA at akrossia@gmail.com.