Gary Fandrei, (President) Aquaculture Associations
Gary Fandrei has a B.S. degree with a major in Ecosystems Analysis from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay and an M.S. degree with a major in Environmental Biology from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. Gary is a Certified Fisheries Professional by the American Fisheries Society and has earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Foraker Group. Prior to coming to Alaska, Gary worked for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as a Pollution Control Specialist and a Research Scientist. He currently holds the position of Executive Director for the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association where he previously served as a biologist. Gary also serves as an alternate Director for the Cook Inlet Salmon Brand, Inc. (Kenai Wild), as a member of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council’s Public Advisory Committee (PAC), as a Deputy Commander of the Kenai Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol and recently served on the Finance Subcommittee and the Hatchery Subcommittee of the Alaska Legislative Task Force on Salmon Fisheries.
John Williams, (Vice President) City of Kenai
John Williams came to Alaska in 1962 as a supervisor on the installation of the industrial instrumentation and automation systems at the Collier Carbon and Chemical plant and the Tesoro refinery in Nikiski. He and Sen. Tom Wagoner were instrumental in starting Kenai Peninsula Community College, now part of the University of Alaska statewide system. In 1986, Mr. Williams was elected mayor of the City of Kenai and served in that position for 18 years. In the fall of 2005, he was elected as mayor and CEO of the Kenai Peninsula Borough and served in that position until 2008. Mr. Williams was appointed to the Council by the City of Kenai in 2009.
Deric Marcorelle, (Secretary/Treasurer) Environmental Interests Group
Deric was born and raised in Ipswich, Massachusetts. He spent four years in the US Navy attached to Fighter Squadron 41 onboard the carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. After military service, he studied AAS Conservation Technology at Essex Agricultural Institute, and served as a former Massachusetts and National Certified Arborist before earning his BS in Natural Resource Management at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Deric spent ten years with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Sport Fish Division, and another twenty years with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. He retired in 2010. Deric is a founding and current Director for Peninsula Community Health Services, and is on the Board of ReGroup, a Kenai Peninsula community recycling organization. He is a lifelong lover and owner of ’60s vintage Volvos.
Robert Peterkin, II, Tourism Interests Group
Robert Peterkin II was born in Anchorage, Alaska in 1968 and has lived in Kenai ever since. Robert, a 1987 Kenai Central High School graduate, started R&K Industrial inc. in 1988 and was president of the company until 2004 when he sold the company to ASRC. Today, Robert is a 50% owner of Atigun Inc, Metalizing Inc., and M&R Properties. He is also a past president of the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and the Kenai Petroleum Club. Currently, he is president of the Kenai Peninsula Youth Foundation (KPYF), that owns the Kenai River Brown Bears, a junior A hockey team. Along with serving on the Board at Cook Inlet RCAC and KPYF, Robert sits on the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce board. He regularly attends Kenai Christian Church with his three awesome children Craig, Elisabeth and Jolie. As a proud father, his main interest is spending time with his children; however, he also enjoys the outdoors, mushroom hunting, fishing, boating, six-wheeling, and, of course, snow machining.
Paul Shadura, Commercial Fishing Interests Group
Mr. Shadura is the elected representative of the Cook Inlet Commercial Fishing organizations. He is a third generation Cook Inlet salmon, halibut, and herring fisherman and has fished set gillnet, seine, and longline, as well as tendering and buying. He is a past United Fishermen of Alaska vice president and board member; past president, vice president, and executive director of Kenai Peninsula Fishermen’s Association; and Finance Chair on Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association board. He owns PAS Services, a resource consulting business.
Hans Rodvik, Municipality of Anchorage
Hans Rodvik is the Deputy Communications Director for Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson. Mr. Rodvik has worked for Gov. Mike Dunleavy and in the state legislature in public relations, strategic communications and government affairs. He grew up in Anchorage and graduated from Dimond High School and the University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He has also served on the Sand Lake Community Council. He has setnetted in Cook Inlet and currently owns a drift gillnet permit in Bristol Bay. Mr. Rodvik resides in Eagle River with his wife and son.
Rob Lindsey, City of Kodiak
Rob Lindsey was born in Kodiak several years prior to the 1964 earthquake and tidal wave. Commercial fishing was the source of income for his family and his first career for about 30 years in the waters around Kodiak, Shelikof Strait and the westward region.
A graduate of the Kodiak school system, he has enjoyed a wonderful life watching Kodiak and the whole state grow and still be seen as a pristine global treasure. The effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill confirmed his belief that everyone is involved in the oil industry. Rob says it’s been a great honor to be a part of the Cook Inlet RCAC.
Grace Merkes, Kenai Peninsula Borough
Grace Merkes has been an Alaskan Resident for over 50 years. She homesteaded in Sterling and lives there with her husband, Leon Merkes. They have 8 adult children, 7 of whom still live in Alaska. Some of the government and non-profit organizations she has been involved with are: Alaska Municipal League, National and Local Republican Women’s Organization, Chair Person of the Alaska Human Rights Commission, Kenai Peninsula Brown Bear Task Force, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly (2001-2009), Sterling/Ridgeway Fire Service Area Board, KPB Planning Commission, and a State House of Representatives candidate. Grace was appointed by the KPB Assembly to the Cook Inlet RCAC Board in 1998. Grace has seen the KPB grow from the days of the discovery of oil in the Swanson River area to what it is today, with the diversity of oil platforms, fishing industry, pipelines, refinery, LNG, Agrium, tourism, and so on. She currently sits on the Cook Inlet RCAC PROPS, Executive, and Audit Committees. Her goal on these committees and the Board is to weigh all issues fairly and represent all the people in a way that is in the best interests of the citizens of the Kenai Peninsula Borough, the Cook Inlet Environment and the oil industry.
Bob Flint, Recreational Group
Bob Flint came to Alaska in 1971 with the Vista Program and with the exception of one year in Juneau, has lived in Anchorage ever since. In 1973, Bob went to work for what would amount to nearly 33 years with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC), working primarily on regulated programs, such as oil, wastewater, water quality, solid waste, air quality, and hazardous material, ultimately progressing to regional manager. Bob spent most of his time in oil spill prevention and response, benefiting from on-the-job training in ICS (incident command system), HAZWOPER (hazardous waste operations and emergency response), tanker-man assistant, and law enforcement. Over the years, Bob has responded to scores of spills of varying sizes, and has been the state of Alaska’s incident commander on several, including the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Since 1989, he has participated and evaluated many drill exercises. While working for ADEC, Bob set up the non-tank vessel program. Since retirement, he has formed his own company (Flint-Emergency Management Services) and his company has participated in a number of training exercises in Alaska. Further from Alaska, Bob played key roles in spill responses in San Francisco during the Cosco-Busan oil spill, the Mar-Gun grounding on Saint George Island, and the BP spill in the Gulf. Closer to home, Bob was Logistics Chief during the 2009 Pathfinder grounding in Prince William Sound and Operations Chief a year later for the rescue of the M/V Golden Seas that lost 85% of its engine power and floundered in the Aleutian Islands. He has participated in a number of training drills in Cook Inlet. In addition to his work life, Bob enjoys playing in Southcentral Alaska; camping, fishing, and doing some hunting. Although he used to SCUBA dive in Prince William Sound, Bob has hung up his flippers and taken up the wood lathe, making lots of shavings.
Michael Opheim, Alaska Natives Group
Michael Opheim, son of Norman and Nancy Opheim (Kodiak) is of Aleut descent, and currently resides in Seldovia, Alaska. As an active community member for 38 years, Michael grew up harvesting from the land and sea with family members. He spent many long summer days fishing for pinks on the Seldovia Outside Beach; gathering bidarkis, clams, mussels, china caps, octopus and kelp from the sea; harvesting berries and other edible plants; and hunting local game off the land in early fall. As most young Alaska men, he spent nine years as a commercial fisherman, and later earned the position of Environmental Coordinator for the Seldovia Village Tribe in 2003. As the Environmental Coordinator, he is responsible for the administration and management of the Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP) and other environmental projects. Under his leadership, the SVT Environmental Office has flourished, bringing essential environmental projects to Seldovia that benefit the entire community. Michael finds his best days are those that allow him time in the field doing what he loves best. As the Environmental Coordinator, he has been able to travel throughout the state, affording him the opportunity to establish many contacts and friends throughout our tribal communities. Michael believes that we are stewards of our natural resources, and works to ensure those resources are available for the coming generations.
Carla Stanley, City of Homer
Ms. Stanley began teaching marine science, art, and other subjects at Kenai Junior High. She later taught at both Soldotna and Skyview high schools before retiring to Homer in 1997 and has remained active in the marine science community over the years writing curriculum, serving as the Alaska Director for the Northwest Association of Marine Science Educators, plus working and volunteering for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Her efforts there are in some ways an extension of her work that dates back to the Exxon Valdez. After the spill, Ms. Stanley led an Alaska Department of Fish and Game team that tracked commercially caught King Salmon during summers. “The marine environment is very precious to me,” commented Ms. Stanley. “Keeping it clean and safe is important.”
Walt Sonen, City of Seldovia
Walt Sonen is a 36 year resident of the Seldovia area and Alaska. He has made his living commercial fishing since his residency, and several years before. He serves on the board of the Seldovia Oil Spill Response Team, and has been involved with the organization almost since its inception after the Exxon Valdez spill. He believes that a clean and healthy Cook Inlet environment is a legacy that should be maintained by and for us all.
Scott Arndt, Kodiak Island Borough
An Alaskan since the age of 10, Scott has lived in Kodiak since 1962 when his father moved the family from Wisconsin for a job at the Kodiak Navy Base. He has been involved in local government for more than 40 years, serving on the Kodiak Service Area 1 Board since its inception in 1979, the Fire Protection Area 1 Board for more than 30 years, in addition to terms on the Planning and Zoning Commission, Solid Waste Advisory Board, school board, architecture review board and the borough lands committee. Scott holds a degree in business and accounting from Western Washington State University. Scott is currently a member of the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly and has served previously for three year terms in 1983 and 1997.
OPA 90 also calls for the inclusion of non-voting Ex-Officio members, representing various state and federal agencies.
- Capt. Leanne Lusk – United States Coast Guard
- Robert Whittier – Environmental Protection Agency
- Dr. Heather Crowley – United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
- Graham Wood (Acting) – Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
- Jonathon Schick – Alaska Department of Natural Resources
- Catherine Berg – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Kevin Reeve – Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management
- Brian Blossom – Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- Anthony Strupulis – State Pipeline Coordinator’s Office
- David Fitz-Enz – United States Forest Service
