Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Forum Podcasts

Anchorage <> Mat-Su Commuter Rail? - Cynthia Wentworth, LaMarr Anderson, Andrea Feniger, Joel Cladouhos - Alaska Commuter Rail Coalitio

Cynthia Wentworth, LaMarr Anderson, Andrea Feniger, Joel Cladouhos - Alaska Commuter Rail Coalitio Season 2024 Episode 324

Cynthia Wentworth is Anchorage-born and raised.  She first took the Alaska Railroad to Montana Creek in 1960 to visit a friend on her homestead.   In 1966, she and her sister Dana, both in the West Anchorage High School band, took the train to Palmer for basketball games.  Cynthia spent her federal and state career as an economist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Railroad Corporation.  From 2007 to 2013, she lived in Paris, France, where she translated documents on a modal shift from truck to rail for a French transportation agency.  In 2014, she earned her Master's in Cultural Anthropology from Pariss School for Advanced Social Science Studies.  In 2018, Cynthia served on Governor Walker's commuter rail advisory task force.  Since 2022, she has represented Alaska on the Sierra Club's Clean Transportation Committee and rail interest group.  Cynthia's sister Dana moved to England in 1978.  Cynthia spends winters in both England and France, close to family members and where she does not need a car.  She takes the train!

LaMarr Anderson has lived in Palmer for the past 20 years and has long been active with various Mat-Su Borough citizen boards, community service organizations, and community improvement projects.  He retired as Lieutenant Colonel from the Air Force with 21 years of service. His assignments included Director of Manpower/Personnel, Hq USAF Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Mission Support Squadron Commander, and various assignments at the Hq USAF Manpower and Personnel Center and Strategic Air Command. Following Air Force retirement, he served in various civilian management roles. He served two terms on each of the MatSu Transportation Advisory and Mat-Su Borough Platting Boards.  He is currently active on the Boards of Mat-Su Health Services, Mat-Su Council on Aging, Valley Charities, and the Mat-Su Salvation Army. His other community involvement includes Palmer Rotary, Mat-Su Community Orchestra, and Concert Band. 

Andrea Feniger is an Anchorage resident and has been the Alaska Chapter Director of the environmental non-profit Sierra Club for three and a half years. She holds a BA in political science from The University of Alabama and is a Master of Public Affairs Candidate at The University of California, Berkeley. After growing up in the South, she was excited to settle in a place with abundant natural access. She is grateful to have the opportunity to apply her experience and passion to climate and conservation issues around the state of Alaska.

Joel Cladouhos is a father, husband, and social innovator. He was born in Fairbanks and grew up in Juneau. His background includes economic development, the blue economy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Joel earned his undergraduate degree in economics from Grinnell College and his MBA from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Joel is interested in the sustainable use of Alaska's natural resources, such as fisheries, mariculture, renewable energy, eco-tourism, outdoor recreation, local food systems, the circular economy, and the regenerative economy, and supporting the unique opportunities for sustainable development that represent the greatest potential for Alaska.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zaoqr37bjc2glto4a6n7o/Commuter-Rail-in-Alaska-AUUF-3-24-2024.pdf?rlkey=zrgqtxmyzraptwrk0x1cbwl4m&dl=0

Alaska Commuter Rail Coalition - https://commuterrailak.com

Anchorage Transportation Fair - 28 Mach 2024 - 3 pm-7 pm - UAA Alaska Airlines Center, Auxiliary Gym