Brad Hillwig is an award-winning filmmaker, journalist, and communications professional driven by the art of innovative storytelling. During a career in Alaska media that spans more than two decades, Brad has developed and produced television shows for U.S. cable networks, created brand-defining commercial campaigns, and directed documentaries in some of Alaska's most remote places. In 2021, Brad launched Greatland Studios, a startup production company built around authentic, community-based documentary storytelling. Using an immersive, cinematic style, Brad's films range from independent documentaries to brand-funded content that defies traditional marketing. At the core of his work is a simple mission: to tell purpose-driven stories that capture unique aspects of the human experience. Brad holds an MBA from UAA (2010), where he now serves as the 2024/25 Atwood Chair of Journalism.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8n6fkowdrp2pbkqa55wqm/Atwood-Presentation-DECK-AUUF-March-2025.pdf?rlkey=cnjw13plwexp55kd9jo50pnoj&dl=0

The PDF contains short video clips embedded on pages 4, 10, 14, 17, and 24. To start the videos, you must click on those pages.

Meg Parsons was born and raised in Berkeley, California, in the 50s-60s. She enjoyed what the city and state provided for education and uprearing. She received a BA from Humboldt State College. She left the wet weather and logging industry of the Pacific Northwest to come to Alaska for the summer in 1975, ended up in Homer, and is still smitten with the beauty and spirit of Alaska after fifty years. She joined Friends of AK National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) while attending the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival in Homer in 2016. Since then, Meg has done volunteer work at Tetlin NWR and Izembek NWR, and on the Friends Outreach Committee, participated in the Friends 2024 Discovery Trip rafting the Kisalarik River in Yukon Delta NWR, and rafted the North Fork of the Marsh River bird-watching and hiking in the Arctic NWR.

Poppy Benson is Vice President for Outreach for Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges. She has been involved in Friends for all 20 years, first as a refuge employee coordinating with Friends and after retirement from the Fish & Wildlife Service as a Friends Board member. Prior to her 2014 retirement, she was the supervisory park ranger for the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge based in Homer, founding the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival and developing the Islands & Ocean Refuge Visitor Center. She also taught a two-semester class on Alaska's wildlife refuges for Anchorage OLÉ! (Opportunities for Lifelong Education) and lobbied in Washington for increased funding for refuges. Poppy has a degree in Forest Recreation from the University of Minnesota, where she was raised. She moved to Alaska 40 years ago after working in natural resources in Minnesota, Oregon, and Nevada. She lives in Homer and loves camping, boating of all kinds, from kayaks to liveaboards, skiing, fishing, birding, and hiking.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/86t3wmlzt9b1d51wdba5s/Friends-outreach-presentation-2025-big-screen-for-presentation.pdf?rlkey=6addrvetuebkfds8p5o2o7hz3&dl=0

Kachemak Shorebird Festival - https://kachemakshorebird.org/

Dr. Jack Hickel is the Board President of the Alaska Health Project South Sudan. Jack was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. He has an MD degree and is board-certified with the American Board of Family Medicine. Jack has a Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Diploma from the Republic of South Africa. He worked in Eswatini, Africa, for 16 years, from 1982 to 1997. While there, he was the Chief Medical Officer of a large urban hospital and a small rural hospital and, at various times, was also the medical director of 16 rural clinics. Dr. Hickel worked with Alaska Natives from 2000 to 2024. In 2008 he co-founded the Alaska Sudan Medical Project, now called the Alaska Health Project South Sudan, which delivers hope and health to Old Fangak and other desperate villages along the Nile River, and helps to save countless lives by building a new health center, a tuberculosis clinic, providing clean water, and establishing small farms.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9xme6n5icbr0fxlgdhyfm/Jack-Hickel-Cruise-2024.pdf?rlkey=yq5bfmg6r2dpjhksla7har8iw&dl=0

Slides 32-38, 40, 43, and 45 contain links to videos. The video does not auto-play. You have to click on the slide.