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The Arctic Broadband ForumMay 8-9, 2017 University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, Alaska

Telecommunications and Broadband in the Arctic

PROGRAM

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Welcome The Arctic Broadband Forum 2017

Welcome to Alaska

Welcome to Alaska and the University of Alaska Fairbanks for The Arctic Broadband Forum 2017.

Welcome to the Senior Arctic Officials, Permanent Participants, and Observers to the Arctic Council for their final meeting under the auspices of the U.S. chairmanship and welcome to participants from around the world to the Week of the Arctic.

A great deal of attention is focused on the Arctic: climate change, economic development, research, search & rescue, healthcare, education and international cooperation. Today, we bring together educators, researchers and industry from across the World to discuss the challenges, successes and potential of telecommunications and broadband deployment in the Arctic.

This tale varies slightly by region, but according to Indigenous legend throughout theArctic, in the beginning, the world was in utter darkness and light was hidden in the

lodge of the Old Fisherman. Raven, wishing to gain access to this treasure, turned himself into a seed and was swallowed by the Old Fisherman’s daughter. Then, born as her son, Raven begged and pleaded with his Grandfather to bring out the box holding the light. Worn out by the child’s whining, the Old Fisherman un-wrapped eight boxes, one inside the next, until the last lid was lifted and the lodge was flooded with light. Entranced, the boy ran around the house, playing

with the ball of fire. He asked for the roof boards covering the smoke hole to be taken off. No sooner were they removed, than the child changed himself back into Raven, jumped to the roof and flung the ball of light into the sky where it exploded and filled the sky with the sun and the stars. That was

how Raven brought light to the world. Qaumaniq, an Inupiat word roughly translated as “beam of light,” reminds us of this tale as major telecommunications leaders begin to implement their plans for laying fiber optic cable throughout the Arctic— bringing new light to the World.

Over the next two days, we will examine broadband in the Arctic from a variety of perspectives: industrial, educational, political, and indigenous. I encourage you all to network, dialogue and share your experiences and perspectives.

“…like electricity a century ago, broadband is a foundation for economic growth, job creation, global competitiveness and a better way of life. It is enabling entire new industries and unlocking vast new possibilities for existing ones. It is changing how we educate children, deliver health care, manage energy, ensure public safety, engage government, and access, organize and disseminate knowledge.”

We hope you take the opportunity to enjoy our community and our State and take with you anunderstanding and appreciation for our beauty, our culture and our environment.

KARL KOWALSKIChief Information Technology OfficerUniversity of Alaska

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Fairbanks Shuttle Schedule

Sophie Station

Sophie Station

Sophie Station

AM - West Fairbanks Hotels to UAF7:00 8:00 7:00 8:00

Pike's Lodge 7:10 8:10 7:10 8:10La Quinta 7:20 8:20 7:20 8:20UAF Butrovich 7:30 8:30 -- --UAF Murie -- -- 7:30 8:30UAF Elvey/IARC -- -- 7:32 8:32UAF Wood Center 7:35 8:35 7:35 8:35PM - UAF Wood Center to West Fairbanks Hotels

Pike’s LodgeLa Quinta

4:30, 5:15, 6:00, 6:45, 7:30 4:30, 5:15, 6:00, 6:45

PM - IARC to West Fairbanks Hotels

-- --Pike's LodgeLa QuintaWedgewoodPM - Museum to West Fairbanks Hotels

-- 7:30, 8:30Pike's LodgeLa Quinta

Sophie Station

WEST

Marriott

Marriott

Marriott

Marriott

MON May 8 TUE May 9

7:00 8:00 7:00 8:00Westmark 7:10 8:10 7:10 8:10Regency 7:15 8:15 7:15 8:15UAF Butrovich 7:40 8:40 -- --UAF Murie -- -- 7:40 8:40UAF Elvey/IARC -- -- 7:42 8:42UAF Wood Center 7:45 8:45 7:45 8:45PM - UAF Wood Center to Downtown Fairbanks HotelsRegencyWestmark 4:30, 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 4:30, 5:30, 6:30

PM - Museum to Downtown Fairbanks HotelsRegency

-- 7:30, 8:30Westmark

PM - IARC to Downtown Fairbanks HotelsRegencyWestmark -- --

AM - Downtown Fairbanks Hotels to UAF

AM - East Fairbanks Hotels to UAFHoliday Inn 7:05 8:05 7:05 8:05Candlewood 7:10 8:10 7:10 8:10Hampton Inn 7:15 8:15 7:15 8:15Wedgewood 7:25 8:25 7:25 8:25UAF Butrovich 7:40 8:40 -- --UAF Murie -- -- 7:40 8:40UAF Elvey/IARC -- -- 7:42 8:42UAF Wood Center 7:45 8:45 7:45 8:45PM - UAF Wood Center to East Fairbanks HotelsHoliday InnCandlewoodHampton InnWedgewood

4:30, 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 4:30, 5:30, 6:30

PM - IARC to East Fairbanks HotelsHoliday Inn

-- --CandlewoodHampton InnWedgewoodPM - Museum to East Fairbanks HotelsHoliday Inn

-- 7:30, 8:30CandlewoodHampton Inn

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Maps: University and Fairbanks The Arctic Broadband Forum 2017

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HOTELS ON SHUTTLE ROUTE1 Alpine / La Quinta 2 Pike’s Waterfront Lodge 3 Sophie Station 4 Wedgewood Resort 5 Hampton Inn 6 Candlewood Suites 7 Holiday Inn Express 8 Marriott Springhill Suites 9 Westmark 10 Regency

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Schedule At-a-Glance The Arctic Broadband Forum 2017

TIME SESSION SPEAKER8:00 am Continental Breakfast, Coffee, Tea

8:30 am Welcome & Opening Remarks • Dr. Jim Johnsen, President, University of Alaska System• Dr. Dana Thomas, Chancellor, University of Alaska Fairbanks• Karl Kassel, Mayor, Fairbanks North Star Borough

9:00 am PANEL 1: How Broadband Is Changing Lives In The Arctic

MODERATOR: Dr. Pam Lloyd, Vice President, GCI Healthcare and Education• Dr. Lisa Parady, Executive Director, Alaska Council of School Administrators • Stewart McDonald, Superintendent, Kodiak Island Borough School District• Macy Kenworthy, Arctic Youth Ambassador• Byron Nicholai, I Sing, You Dance, Tooksook Bay, Alaska• Dr. Stewart Ferguson, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Telehealth

10:00 am NETWORKING BREAK

10:30 am Submarine Cables: A Tool of Controlor Emancipation?

Michael Delaunay, University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin, FRANCE

11:00 am BUSINESS PROFILE: Northwestel Curtis Shaw, Vice-President Consumer Markets, Northwestel, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, CANADA

11:30 am Feasibility Study of an Arctic Mobile Communications Network

Harri Saarnisaari, Centre for Wireless Communications, University of Oulu, FINLAND

12:00 pm NETWORKING LUNCH

1:00 pm KEYNOTE: They Said It Couldn’t Be Done Quintillion Sub-Sea Cable Project: Connecting Japan to the UK

Elizabeth Pierce, President and CEO, Quintillion, USA

1:30 pm Broadband for all in the Arctic?A Comparative Analysis of Alaskaand Northern Canada

Heather Hudson, Affiliate Professor, Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), University of Alaska Anchorage, USA

2:00 pm Public-Private Partnerships: Unlocking The Arctic’s Broadband Potential

Leonard Steinberg, Sr. Vice President, Regulatory & Government Affairs, Alaska Communications, USA

3:00 pm Panel 2: Indigenous Perspectives: Technology and Broadband Access,Deployment & Potential In the Far North

Moderator: Patrick Savok, Chief of Staff, Northwest Arctic BoroughPerspectives on broadband development vary across the Arctic. This panel explores the issues of broadband and technology development in theindigenous context.• Ian Erlich, President, Invoke360, past-President Maniilaq Association, technologist, entrepreneur and global investor• Cheryl Stine, Executive Vice President, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Alaska• Debbie Brisebois, Executive Director, Inuit Broadcasting Corporation • Joshua Peter, Executive Director Information Technology, Tanana Chiefs Conference • Larry Kaplan, Professor of Linguistics, Director, Alaska Native Language Center• Darrell Ohakannoak, Manager, Polarnet, Chair/President, Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation

4:00 pm The Future Is Already Here. It Is Just Not Evenly Distributed

Alfonso Licata, President and CEO, ORION Networks, Ontario, CANADA

4:30 pm Connecting the Arctic: Inuit Perspectives on Broadband Development in the Arctic

J. Okalik Eegeesiak, Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Conference Canada, IQALUIT

5:00 pm Closing Remarks

5:30 pm Networking Reception with Association of International Education Administrators, Wood Center Ballroom

MONDAY, May 8 *All sessions in Wood Center Ballroom*

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TIME SESSION SPEAKER8:00 am Continental Breakfast, Coffee, Tea

8:30 am Welcome & Opening Remarks • Brian Rogers, Chair, Board of the University of the Arctic• Aaron Schutt, President & CEO, Doyon Limited• A message from Representative Zach Fansler, Bethel, Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska State Legislature• Representative David Guttenberg, District 4, Alaska State Legislature

9:00 am KEYNOTE:Northeast Passage Fiber Project

Jukka-Pekka Joensuu, Executive Advisor & CLO, Cinia Group, FINLAND

9:30 am Together We Are Making Progress - The Future of Arctic Broadband

Tina Pidgeon, General Counsel, GCI, USA


10:30 am Satellites are still Cool! -- High Latitude Broadband Opens Opportunities

Tom Heinrichs, Director Geographic Information Network of Alaska, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA

11:00 am Expanding Business Opportunities Through Broadband

Kristina Wilcox, Capitol Hill Consulting Group Executive Director, Women’s High Tech Coalition, USA

11:30 pm Decision Theatre North Pips Veazey, Associate Project Director Alaska EPScoR and Dayne Broderson, Technical Services Manager, Geographic Information Network of Alaska (GINA)


12:45 pm Special Remarks U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan

1:00 pm Panel 3: The Government’s Role in Broadband Development in the Arctic: Opportunities & Challenge

MODERATOR: Nils Andreassen, Executive Director, Institute of the North• Fran Ulmer, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission, USA• Representative David Guttenberg, District 4, Alaska State Legislature• Jean-Pierre Blais, Chair Canadian Radio-TV Telecommunication Commission (CRTC), CANADA• Kristiina Pietikäinen, Director of Strategic Affairs for the Ministry of Transport and Communications, FINLAND• Gerad Godfrey, Senior Advisor, Rural Business &Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of the Governor, State of Alaska

2:00 pm Challenges to Implementation of Telehealth in Northern Canada

Heather Exner-Pirot & Lorna Butler, International Centre for Northern Governance and Development, University of Saskatchewan, CANADA

2:30 pm NETWORKING BREAK

3:00 pm The Alaska Native Tradition of Creative Adaptation

Frank Odasz, President, Lone Eagle Consulting, USA

3:30 pm Alaska Libraries Supporting Arctic Educa-tion Through Video Conferencing and More

Daniel Cornwall, OWL Program Manager / Internet and Technology Consultant Alaska State Library

4:00 pm SSI: Listening to the People We Serve Lorraine Thomas, Community Outreach and Development, SSi Micro,Yellowknife, CANADA

4:30 pm Arctic Broadband. Recommendations for an Interconnected Arctic: ARCTIC ECONOMIC COUNCIL UPDATE

Robert McDowell, Former FCC Commissioner and Partner, Cooley LLP, USATara Sweeney, Executive Vice President of External Affairs, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation


Schedule At-a-Glance The Arctic Broadband Forum 2017

TUESDAY, May 9 *All sessions in Wood Center Ballroom*

Thanks

TO OUR SPONSORSGOLD SPONSORS

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Session Overviews The Arctic Broadband Forum 2017

MONDAY May 8, 2017

8:00 am Continental Breakfast, Coffee, Tea

8:30 am Welcome & Opening Remarks • Dr. Jim Johnsen, President, University of Alaska System • Dr. Dana Thomas, Chancellor, University of Alaska Fairbanks • Karl Kassel, Mayor, Fairbanks North Star Borough

9:00 am Panel 1: How Broadband Is Changing Lives in the Arctic Moderator: Dr. Pam Lloyd, Vice President, GCI Healthcare and Education

Broadband is changing the lives of the people who live, work and play in the Arctic. This panel brings together the real-world experiences of a diverse group of Arctic residents and commu-nity leaders, including Arctic youth. A discussion of how broadband has made Arctic schools and health institutions more effective, strengthened the local economy, and changed lives.

• Dr. Lisa Parady, Executive Director, Alaska Council of School Administrators • Stewart McDonald, Superintendent, Kodiak Island Borough School District • Macy Kenworthy, Arctic Youth Ambassador• Byron Nicholai, I Sing, You Dance, Tooksook Bay, Alaska• Dr. Stewart Ferguson, Alaska Native Medical Center


10:30 am Submarine Cables: A Tool of Control or Emancipation? Michael Delaunay, University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin, FRANCE

The stake of broadband Internet access is becoming increasingly vital for society. In a global-ised world such as ours, this access is being progressively considered as a basic necessity; like drinkable water and electricity. However, the populations of Canadian Arctic territories are may be the least well connected of the western countries. Inuit inhabitants of Nunavut are certainly the unfortunate winners of this title, having to rely exclusively on expensive, slow and inefficient satellite connections when compared to the connections offered by ground cables and microwave towers used in the Northwest Territories as well as in Yukon.Whether a tool of control or emancipation, submarine telecommunication cables have fueled the fanta-sies and expectations of both societies and governments since their invention. Nevertheless, although this technology remains a powerful tool of control it can also be seen as a way to make the world more accessible and even as a means of unification for arctic populations.

11:00 am BUSINESS PROFILE: NorthwesTel Canada Curtis Shaw, Vice-President Consumer Markets, Northwestel, CANADA

The people of Canada’s North make up only 0.3% of the country’s population and are spread out over 4 million square kilometres (almost 1/3 of Canada’s land mass) of rugged terrain. We bring them together. We connect the North through innovation—by supporting the de-velopment of advanced communications and entertainment solutions that reach further and provide better service for our customers. We serve over 121,000 people in 96 commu-nities—46 of which are only accessible by air. It’s a vast and diverse audience. 70% of these communities have less than 500 people, while 40% of all our customers live in Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit—the engines of business and government in the North.

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11:30 am Feasibility Study of an Arctic Mobile Communications Network Harri Saarnisaari, Centre for Wireless Communications, University of Oulu, FINLAND

A feasibility study of an arctic mobile communications network was made for the Nordic Council of Ministers and in this presentation we summarize the major points of the study. There are regulatory, political, economic and technical challenges when the arctic commu-nication solution is sought.


1:00 pm KEYNOTE: They Said It Couldn’t Be Done Quintillion Sub-Sea Cable Project: Connecting Japan to the UK

Elizabeth Pierce, President and CEO, Quintillion

Seafarers have been using the Northwest Passage for centuries. In the summer, when the ice melts, the narrow route through Canada’s northern archipelago reduces travel time for modern ships by an estimated four days compared to going via the Panama Canal. Quintil-lion’s northern fiber route will provide a solution to the global demand for redundancy and diverse fiber optic cable routes taking advantage of the same short cut.

1:30 pm Broadband for All In the Arctic? A Comparative Analysis of Alaska and Northern Canada

Heather Hudson, Affiliate Professor, Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), University of Alaska Anchorage

Access to broadband is necessary to participate in the digital economy – for access to ser-vices such as online banking, ecommerce, government programs, education and training, telehealth, community and small business entrepreneurship. These services are particularly important for isolated, primarily indigenous communities across the Arctic. Alaska has 200 villages scattered over more than 663,000 square miles, while in northern Canada, there are a similar number of isolated indigenous communities in the three northern territories and the northern regions of the provinces.

2:00 pm Public-Private Partnerships: Unlocking the Arctic’s Broadband Potential Leonard Steinberg, Senior Vice President, Regulatory & Government Affairs, Alaska Communications

Building on the theme of collaboration and innovation, Alaska Communications proposes that public-private partnerships are the key to unlocking the Arctic’s broadband potential. In this session, attendees will learn how Alaska can create a public network connecting remote communities; what a public-private network would look like; and examples of how partnerships have enabled high-speed broadband in Alaska.


3:00 pm Panel 2: Indigenous Perspectives: Technology and Broadband Access, Deployment & Potential in the Far North

Moderator: Patrick Savok, Chief of Staff, Northwest Arctic Borough

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Perspectives on broadband development vary across the Arctic. This panel explores the issues of broadband and technology development in the indigenous context.

• Ian Erlich, President, Invoke360, past-President Maniilaq Association, technologist, entrepreneur and global investor• Cheryl Stine, Executive Vice President, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Alaska• Debbie Brisebois, Executive Director Inuit Broadcasting Corporation • Joshua Peter, Executive Director Information Technology, Tanana Chiefs Conference • Larry Kaplan, Professor of Linguistics, Director, Alaska Native Language Center• Darrell Ohakannoak, Manager, Polarnet, Chair/President of Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation

4:00 pm The Future Is Already Here. It Is Just Not Evenly Distributed Alfonso Licata, President and CEO, ORION Networks, Ontario, CANADA

ORION is dedicated exclusively to supporting research, education and innovation (RE&I) in Ontario. ORION provides high-speed connectivity to its connected institutions, linking them to each other and to a global grid of research and education networks. Challenges to deliv-ery in remote communities.

4:30 pm Connecting the Arctic: Inuit Perspectives on Broadband Development in the Arctic

J. Okalik Eegeesiak, Chair Inuit Circumpolar Conference Canada, IQALUIT

To truly walk in the 21st century Inuit and the Arctic needs improved connectivity. Improved connectivity in the Arctic will support sustainable development for Inuit. Improved con-nectivity is a critical pillar to providing Inuit and all Arctic residents with needed economic options that align with environmental and social aspirations and that are compatible with a future Inuit aspire to, towards fairness, self determination, and equity. Connectivity is also critical for search-and-rescue and necessary for research in the region. Well-functioning communication networks will allow better access to education, healthcare, and commerce, as well as enhance citizens’ participation in civic life and improve delivery of services.


5:30 pm Reception with Association of International Education AdministratorsLocation: William Ransom Wood Center Ballroom

6:00 pm Community Talks-Climate Science and Planning: A Marine-Focused Roundtable

Location: Blue Loon, 2999 Parks Hwy, Fairbanks

Arctic researchers, policymakers and community and cultural leaders will discuss key themes of Arctic interest during armchair conversations at the Blue Loon. Invited to attend are community members, interested Alaskans and visiting delegations. These informal sessions hosted during the Week of the Arctic’s Arctic Interchange offer meaningful insight into pri-ority issues of the Arctic, highlight university expertise, and engage community members.

DINNER (ON YOUR OWN)

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Tuesday May 9, 2017

8:00 am Continental Breakfast/Coffee/Tea

8:30 am Welcome & Opening Remarks • Brian Rogers, Chair, Board of the University of the Arctic • Aaron Schutt, President & CEO, Doyon Limited• Message from Representative Zach Fansler, Bethel, Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska State Legislature• Representative David Guttenberg, District 4, Alaska State Legislature

9:00 am KEYNOTE Northeast Passage Arctic Connect Project Jukka-Pekka Joensuu, Executive Advisor & CLO, Cinia Group, FINLAND

The Northeast Passage submarine fibre cable connection (Arctic Connect) has been a subject of investigation for a number of years. The system’s submarine section would consist of an approxi-mately 10,500 kilometre connection from Japan and China to Kirkkoniemi in Norway and Russia’s Kola Peninsula.IT would create the fastest physical telecommunications route from Asia to North-ern and Central Europe via Norway, Russia, and Finland. It’s execution would demand international commitment from, at the very least, Russia, China, Japan, Norway and the relevant EU countries.

9:30 am Together We Are Making Progress – The Future of Arctic Broadband Tina Pidgeon, General Counsel, GCI

A warming Arctic brings change. Change is not itself a solution, though it does create op-portunity that comes with its own challenges. Overcoming these challenges depends on a three-pronged strategy for economically and technologically sustainable Arctic broadband deployments: technological innovation, empowering public policies, and anchor tenant economics. More than ever today, the Arctic is a place where the success of one leads to the success of another. When we join forces to identify and advance the opportunities for the Arctic region, we strengthen the business case for investment for the benefit of everyone.


10:30 am Satellites are still Cool - High Latitude Broadband Opens Opportunities Tom Heinrichs, Director Geographic Information Network of Alaska

Fiber connectivity at high latitudes has enabled enhanced operations of polar orbiting, Earth observing satellites. Svalbard led the way, but the North American far north will soon be served with fiber. We discuss some of the history and past and future impacts for envi-ronmental EO satellite operations.

11:00 am Expanding Business Opportunities Through Broadband Kristina Wilcox, Capitol Hill Consulting Group Executive Director, Women’s High Tech Coalition

Broadband internet has the potential to drastically change the lives of individuals living in the most northern, remote communities in the United States, and the Quintillion Subsea Cable System is making this a reality. This session will discuss business opportunities through broad-band. The Women’s High-Tech Coalition (WHTC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that promotes the exchange of ideas among leaders in the public and private sectors whose focus is technology, innovation, and the development of public policy related to technology.

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11:30 am Decision Theatre North Pips Veazey, Associate Project Director Alaska EPScoR and Dayne Broderson, Technical Services Manager, Geographic Information Network of Alaska (GINA)

Decision Theater North (DTN) uses interactive, high-resolution visual environments to en-able discussions and decisions by policy makers, researchers, industry leaders and commu-nity members. The growing need for these theaters stems from: advances in visualization technology; data sets of unprecedented size; the increasing need for team approaches to complex research and policy questions; and a growing acknowledgement of the importance of visual stimuli to fully engage the decision-making capacity of the human brain. DTN is building capacity at UAF and seeks to expand its partnerships with organizations in the North that are facing complex decisions.


12:45 pm Special Remarks U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan

1:00 pm Panel 3: The Government’s Role in Broadband Development in the Arctic: Opportunities and Challenges

Moderator: Nils Andreassen, Executive Director, Institute of the North

Government support can range from incentives to building a friendly regulatory environ-ment, which is critical to the future of broadband in Arctic. This panel will feature gov-ernment officials from across the region who will discuss current and future government involvement in connecting the Arctic.

• Fran Ulmer, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission, USA• Representative David Guttenberg, District 4, Alaska State Legislature• Jean-Pierre Blais, Chair CRTC, CANADA• Kristiina Pietikäinen, Director of Strategic Affairs for the Ministry of Transport and Communications, FINLAND• Gerad Godfrey, Senior Advisor, Rural Business &Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of the Governor, State of Alaska

2:00 pm Challenges to Implementation of Telehealth in Northern Canada Heather Exner-Pirot and Lorna Butler, International Centre for Northern Governance and Development, University of Saskatchewan, CANADA

The high costs and poor outcomes in northern health care are well known and documented. Northerners, and in particular Indigenous Northerners, have lower life expectancies, high-er disease burdens, and deal disproportionately from mental illness and addictions. High health care budgets, which are higher per capita in every Arctic state for their northern ver-sus southern populations than Greenland/Denmark, have not been a solution to ill health.

One obvious solution to the challenges of high costs and poor access is telehealth: a means of delivering medical information and health care through the use of telecommunication technologies. Telehealth has the potential to both limit high medical transportation costs (which for example cost the Government of Nunavut $69 million, or about $1865/pp, in Nunavut in 2015 alone) and improve access for rural and remote residents to high quality services and specialists which they could not otherwise access.

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3:00 pm The Alaska Native Tradition of Creative Adaptation Frank Odasz, President, Lone Eagle Consulting, USA

What matters most, is sustaining Indigenous Cultures, Values, and Quality of Life…which de-pend heavily on leading with the best cultural digital opportunities, while creating aware-ness on how to avoid the growing risk of abuses, from both beyond the villages, as well as within; such as social media cyberbullying. Given affordable broadband access, and appro-priate devices, bridging the digital divide depends on what first you learn is possible, and then, choose to do with broadband. Lessons learned from 20 years of onsite, and online, in-digenous broadband training best practices, amid persistent challenges, informs what’s now becoming possible. As president of Lone Eagle Consulting, Frank Odasz has presented inter-nationally on indigenous broadband training best practices and will share his recent NTIA Alaska Native broadband pilot projects; What matters most for many may be…. Making the choice to speak with a global voice as stewards of the Earth and of our one human family.

3:30 pm Alaska Libraries Supporting Arctic Education Through Video Conferencing and More

Daniel Cornwall, OWL Program Manager / Internet and Technology Consultant, Alaska State Library, USA

Stories and data of how Alaska’s Online With Libraries videoconferencing network and state-wide tutoring services are supporting education in Alaska’s Arctic

The Alaska Online With Libraries (OWL) Program began in 2011 as the OWL Project with federal funds provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and administered through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) of the US Department of Commerce. In 2013, the OWL Project became State of Alaska funded and was renamed the Alaska Online With Libraries (OWL).

4:00 SSI: Listening to the People We Serve Lorraine Thomas, Community Outreach and Development, SSi Micro, Yellowknife, CANADA

As a northern-based company led by Jeff Philipp, who grew up in a town of 700 people in the NWT, SSi has always had a keen understanding of what people in remote communities need.

Today, SSi has built (in northern terms) a large, successful business delivering broadband services to all 25 Nunavut communities with the same service at the same price. Listening, and taking direction from the people we serve is the key to success.

This presentation looks at specific examples of Inuit and northern concepts that have been embraced by SSi in the development and delivery of broadband services. While some of the concepts may seem counter-intuitive for those used to the telecom model of the past, SSi has forged an alternative path for long-term success in the north.

4:30 Arctic Broadband. Recommendations for an Interconnected Arctic: ARCTIC ECONOMIC COUNCIL UPDATE

Robert McDowell, Former FCC Commissioner and Partner, Cooley LLP, USA Tara Sweeney, Executive Vice President of External Affairs, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation

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The Telecommunication Infrastructure Working Group unveiled its report “Arctic Broad-band. Recommendations for an Interconnected Arctic” on January 24, 2017 during the Arc-tic Frontiers conference in Tromsø. This report is the first of its kind. The report explores how each Arctic state defines broadband, and the goals each has established for broadband deployment, as well as the overarching societal benefits of broadband. The document also discusses the challenges that must be considered and surmounted in order to expand broad-band in the Arctic, and both funding options and past, current and proposed broadband deployment projects are explored.

5:00 Closing Remarks

7:00 “We Breathe Again”: A Documentary Film Screening (Separate Sign-Up Required)

Location: Goldstream Stadium 16 & IMAX Theater, 1855 Airport Way, Fairbanks

In a landscape as dramatic as its stories, We Breathe Again intimately explores the lives of four Alaska Native people, each confronting the impacts of intergeneration-al trauma and suicide. A co-production of UAF, Native Movement and Crawl Walk Run. http://akarctichost.org/program/we-breathe-again-documentary-film-screening

NILS ANDREASSENNils has a degree in Peace and Development from the University of Bradford in England and his background in rural and internation-al development, Alaska and Arctic policy is-sues fit well within the Institute’s mission to inform public policy as it relates to natural resource development, and specifically to

result in improved living and economic conditions for north-ern residents. The Institute has a legacy working on Arctic infrastructure priorities and policies that serve to strengthen and connect northern communities.

JEAN-PIERRE BLAISJean-Pierre Blais began his term as Chair-person and CEO of the Canadian Radio-tele-vision and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in June 2012. Before joining the CRTC, Mr. Blais was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Govern-ment Operations Sector. From 2004 to 2011,

he was Assistant Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs at the Department of Canadian Heritage. His responsibilities includ-ed legislation, policies and programs related to copyright modernization, broadcasting, the cultural industries, the arts, as well as cultural trade policy and cultural treaties. Mr. Blais holds a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne, as well as a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Common Law from McGill University.

DEBBIE BRISBOISDebbie Brisebois has been the Executive Di-rector of the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) since 1985 playing an instrumental role in its policy development and imple-mentation. Debbie has served as Executive Producer on a number of films and docu-mentaries and has had the opportunity to

work with both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal producers on a variety of productions between 1985 and 2005. Similarly, Debbie has shared her knowledge, experience and passion with many others, including Television Northern Canada, Ab-original People’s Television Network, Inuit Circumpolar Con-ference, live productions, and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, as well as through writing for various publications. With the support of the IBC Board, Debbie has spearheaded the development of the Nunavut Media Arts Centre -- a full scale, state of the art digital facility, which includes the Inuit Film and Video Archive in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

DAYNE BRODERSONDayne Broderson is a research and opera-tional IT manager at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geographic Information Network of Alaska (UAF-GINA). Dayne performs gen-eral and technical management, program development, and outreach for GINA. Dayne has a background in Computer Science (B.S

in CS from UAF). He manages systems that receive, process, and distribute near real time satellite data, large geospa-

About the Speakers

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About the Speakers The Arctic Broadband Forum 2017

tial map data, and geospatial application services using systems deployed across multiple data centers in Alaska University campuses in addition to systems within other federal and State of Alaska data centers. Dayne also sup-ports multiple research projects to build out cyberinfra-structure capacity across all three University of Alaska campuses. Dayne helps researchers and agency partners find solutions to manage, host and distribute data and ser-vices for research and operational use by a wide spectrum of general public, research, and operational users a vari-ety of networks and systems in Alaska.

LORNA BUTLERDr. Lorna Butler is a Professor and former Dean at University of Saskatchewan, Col-lege of Nursing. Dr Butler recently joined the International Centre for Northern Gov-ernance and Development as the Acting Director. Previously she was the lead for strategic development in the area of

Health and Social Well Being for the Centre. She has also become involved with the Conference Board of Canada’s Northern Institute and Leaders Roundtable on Immigration. As a Maurice Legault Fellow of the Canadian Cancer Soci-ety, Dr. Butler’s research interests began in behavioral and quality of life research with a particular interest in cancer recurrence and sexuality as a component of quality of life in chronic disease. Her more recent interests are in devel-oping and testing remote presence telementoring to sup-port health services to rural, remote and northern commu-nities.

DANIEL CORNWALLDaniel Cornwall is the Online With Librar-ies (OWL) program manager for the Alaska State Library. He has worked for the Alaska State Library since 1998 and holds a Mas-ters of Library and Information Science from University of Texas at Austin. Daniel is based in Juneau, Alaska. As part of the Li-

brary Development team, develops and improves the tech-nological literacy and professional information management techniques of librarians, archivists and museum personnel throughout the state in order to make their institutions more effective information and educational centers.

MICHAEL DELAUNAYMr. Delaunay is a PhD student in Political Sciences at University Ver-sailles-Saint-Quentin, France and a fellow at Observatoire de la politique et la sécu-rité de l’Arctique (Observatory for Policy and Security of the Arctic), Montreal, Can-ada. His thesis subject is about telecom-

munications in the Canadian arctic. His main subjects of interests are social sciences, defense and geopolitics of the Arctic region.

OKALIK EEGEESIAK(Josie) Okalik Eegeesiak was elected Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) in July 2014. ICC represents the international interests of Inuit in Canada, Greenland, Chukotka (Russia) and Alaska (USA). Ms. Eegeesiak was President of Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) from 2008-2014. QIA rep-

resents approximately 14,000 Inuit in 13 communities of the Qikiqtani Region. QIA’s mandate includes to protect, preserve, and promote Inuit rights, interests, and aspira-tions. Prior to taking over the presidency of the QIA, Eegee-siak was self-employed focussing on human resource and community development. Her background includes repre-senting Inuit communities in various capacities through government and non-government organizations at the in-ternational, national, territorial and community level through boards and committees.

IAN ERLICHIan Erlich is the President of Invoke360 and past President, Maniilaq Association. Mr. Erlich first started working with Maniilaq Association, a regional non-profit corpora-tion providing tribal, health and social ser-vices to the residents of Northwest Alaska. The Maniilaq service area comprises of vil-

lage clinics and a regional health center covering an area larger than seventeen Lower 48 states. Mr. Erlich launched his career in 1999, working in the IT department. Maniilaq IT became an early leader in the application of telemedi-cine, improving healthcare and saving valuable resources. Mr. Erlich has also served on the the Indian Health Service’s Information Services Advisory Council. Mr. Erlich became involved in tribal issues and then politics, eventually work-ing as President/CEO for Maniilaq and later a business en-trepreneur. Mr. Erlich believes strongly that broadband will be the great equalizer, one that affords everyone an oppor-tunity to participate at some level.

HEATHER EXNER-PIROTHeather Exner-Pirot is a Strategist for Out-reach and Indigenous Engagement at the University of Saskatchewan and Coordina-tor of the UArctic Thematic Network on Northern Nursing Education. She is also the Managing Editor of the Arctic Yearbook, a member of the Board of Advisors for The

Arctic Institute, an Editorial Board member with the Cana-dian Journal of Foreign Policy, a Board member with the Saskatchewan First Nations Economic Development Net-work, and an online commentator for Radio Canada’s Eye on the Arctic. She earned her PhD at the University of Cal-gary in 2011 and has held positions with the University of Arctic and the International Centre for Northern Gover-nance and Development.

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DR. STEWART FERGUSONStewart Ferguson Ph.D. is the Chief Technol-ogy Officer (CTO) for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) located in An-chorage Alaska. Dr. Ferguson currently has primary responsibility for the expansion of a single patient record EHR throughout the Alaska Tribal Health System, and for the Tele-

health Program at ANTHC. Previously, Dr. Ferguson was Chief Information Officer and Director of Telehealth for ANTHC, and was responsible for the design and development of the AFHCAN telehealth program. Dr. Ferguson currently serves on the Na-tional Quality Forum’s Telehealth Measures Committee, Cern-er’s CIO Council, the Board of the Alaska eHealth Exchange, and Medicaid Redesign committees in Alaska. Dr. Ferguson has over twenty-five years of progressive computer and research experience in academic, industrial, biomedical and business environments. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees both in Bio-medical Engineering, and B.S. degrees in both Mathematics and Electrical Engineering.

PAUL GILLARDPaul Gillard is the VP Business Markets of Northwestel Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bell Canada, and provider of telecommu-nications solutions for the Northwest Territo-ries, Nunavut, Yukon and northern British Columbia. Mr. Gillard was appointed VP Busi-ness Markets in October 2015. He has spent

his entire twenty-four-year career in Telecommunications. The last thirteen has been spent in the North with Northwest-el. In his time in the North Paul has managed Northwestel’s relationships with its largest customers and been part of North-westel’s largest projects. Located in Yellowknife, Paul is an active participant in the local community. He sits on the Board of the local United Way, the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foun-dation, the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce and is an orga-nizer for youth sports in the Northwest Territories.

DAVID GUTTENBERGRepresentative Guttenberg was born in New York and moved to Fairbanks in 1969. It has been his home since. He has served in the Alaska House of Representatives since 2003, with broadband being one of his top issues. He is continuously working towards increas-ing affordable access to broadband through-

out the State of Alaska.

TOM HEINRICHSTom Heinrichs is Director of the Geographic Information Network of Alaska (GINA) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). He is the general manager and has developed nu-merous partnerships around near-real-time satellite data provision, broad scale high ac-curacy mapping, and web mapping services.

Tom has operated satellite ground receiving stations in Fair-banks for more than 15 years and leads the NOAA High Lati-

tude Satellite Proving Ground serving the National Weather Service and NOAA-NESDIS. He holds a B.S. in Physics from Stanford and a M.S. in Geophysics from the University of Alas-ka Fairbanks.

HEATHER E. HUDSONProfessor Heather E. Hudson is Affiliate Pro-fessor and former Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), Uni-versity of Alaska Anchorage. Her research focuses on applications of information and communication technologies for socio-eco-nomic development, regulatory issues, and

policies and strategies to extend affordable access to commu-nications, particularly in rural, indigenous and developing regions. She has planned and evaluated communication proj-ects in Alaska and northern Canada and more than 50 devel-oping countries and emerging economies. Dr. Hudson has con-sulted for international and development organizations, government agencies, the private sector, and consumer and indigenous organizations. She is a member of the Tribal Work-ing Group of FirstNet (the First Responder Network Authority). She has advised the Arctic Council, the FCC, and the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administra-tion) on indigenous and Arctic telecommunications issues. She has also served as an expert witness for Canadian indigenous organizations in regulatory proceedings at the CRTC. Dr. Hud-son is the author of numerous articles and several books, most recently Connecting Alaskans: Telecommunications in Alaska from Telegraph to Broadband (University of Alaska Press).

JUKKA-PEKKA JOENSUUExecutive Advisor and CLO at Cinia GroupJukka-Pekka Joensuu is an international-ly recognized telecoms business executive with a proven track record in building next generation services and extensive new network platforms for both mobile and data segments. In 2013 Ministry of Traffic

and Communications in Finland asked Jukka-Pekka to make a business plan for the Baltic Sea submarine cable. He was asked to join the initiative including purchase of state owned company Corenet and transforming Corenet to Cinia group of companies building the digital infrastructure and backbone for the digital economy. He is currently working as execu-tive advisor and CLO for Cinia. Finland has decided to build a private public consortium to increase the data capacity be-tween east and west and to connect continental Europe with a high speed data network with cutting edge technology and increased ability for cyber secure communications.

LARRY KAPLANMr.Kaplan is professor of Linguistics and currently serves as director of the Alaska Native Language Center. He teaches cours-es in Linguistics, such as Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology, Historical Lin-guistics, and Language Policy and Planning, and also works as a linguist with the Inupi-

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aq Eskimo language, which is spoken in northern Alaska. Ka-plan is compiling dictionaries of Inupiaq as well as working on texts and grammatical explanations for the language. He is also involved with training Inupiaq language and culture instructors and works with programs in Native Language Ed-ucation that offer degrees intended to prepare Native lan-guage teachers from Alaska and Yukon Territory in Canada.

MACY KENWORTHYMacy Rae Kenworthy is originally from Kot-zebue, Alaska and Sisualik. She graduated from Mt. Edgecumbe High School in 2014. Macy Rae is the Vice President of the Qikiq-tagruk Inupiaq Youth Council as well as an US Arctic Youth Ambassador in the program started by the US Fish and Wildlife Service,

US Department of State, and Alaska Geographic. She is cur-rently pursuing her BA in Digital Journalism with the Univer-sity of Alaska Fairbanks.

ALFONSO LICATAAlfonso has a strong track record in the de-sign and launch of new and disruptive enter-prises in the technology space and across multiple market segments. As the CEO of Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION), Alfonso helps drive the organization’s strategy forward in a highly

collaborative and strategic manner. He brings his unique blend of experience in user-first service, teamwork, and strategic alliance-building to bear on solving the complex problems faced by Ontario’s research, education and innovation com-munity. Alfonso is also a Volunteer Mentor and Entrepreneur in Residence, supporting teams and companies at Ryerson Uni-versity’s Digital Media Zone (DMZ), Communitech and MaRS. He previously held a similar role at Deloitte, after co-founding several technology-based companies over the last 15 years.

DR. PAM LLOYDAs Vice President for GCI Education, Pam Lloyd provides the strategic product devel-opment and management for SchoolAccess. She works with industry leaders as well as school administrators to focus on priorities for students, teachers, and libraries. Pam is responsible for the strategic direction of

SchoolAccess and through her leadership and advocacy she creates a vision for the team. Prior to joining GCI, Pam worked with the Anchorage School District (ASD) for 15 years. As ASD’s K-12 Instructional Technology Coordinator, Pam provided tech-nology support, resources, and opportunities for teachers and students in 103 schools. Pam is a leader in Alaska’s distance learning community, representing the ASD in the AK20 and Alaska Distance Education Consortium. She was a member of the K12 Online Teachers forum hosted through the Northwest Education Technology Consortium. She has been involved with the Alaska Learning Network with the Department of Educa-tion, and has served on various state-wide committees involv-ing distance learning and career technical education.

STEWART MCDONALDAs the superintendent of Kodiak Island Borough School District, Stewart has first-hand experience in how broadband and technology is impacting education in Alas-ka. Using a combination of technologies and a one-school concept, Superintendent Stewart McDonald has turned the Kodiak

Island Borough School District (KIBSD) from one that was limited by its remote and rural location to one that is thriving because of it. For example, students in Kodiak are working with NASA through A World Bridge project, a part-nership between the Kodiak Island Borough School District and project-based education group Trillium Learning. Through A World Bridge project, students are teaming up with scientists at NASA, NOAA and other organizations to design and implement real-world solutions to current Arc-tic problems. This is all possible because of broadband. Stewart can share some amazing stories

ROBERT MCDOWELLPartner, Cooley, LLP. Rob McDowell advis-es telecommunications, media and tech-nology clients on their most significant regulatory, legal and business matters. As a former commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and a highly regarded industry leader, Rob has

been at the forefront of the most complex and ground-breaking issues facing telecommunications. Rob was first appointed to the FCC by President George W. Bush in 2006 and again by President Obama in 2009. He was unanimous-ly confirmed both times by the US Senate. During his ten-ure, Rob led efforts to expand consumer access to spec-trum through his work on the two largest wireless auctions in US history at the time, played a key role in the 2009 digital television transition and led efforts to establish the first federal civil rights rule in a generation by creating a ban on racially discriminatory practices in broadcast ad-vertising. He also worked extensively on several large and complex mergers, including Sirius/XM and Comcast/NBC-Universal. He is an advocate for internet freedom, serving on the US delegation to the 2012 World Conference on International Telecommunications and exposing an in-ternational bid to regulate vital aspects of the Internet through multilateral treaty-based organizations. Rob au-thored an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal opposing multi-lateral internet regulation that led to a resolution passed unanimously in the House and Senate, as well as the ulti-mate defeat of the international bid at a treaty negation in Dubai later that year. Rob is often called upon for speaking engagements and frequently appears on TV and radio. He has written opinion pieces for many high-profile publications, including the Wall Street Journal and Wash-ington Post.

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SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKISenator Lisa Murkowski is the first Alas-kan-born Senator and only the sixth United States Senator to serve the state. The state’s senior Senator, Murkowski is a third-genera-tion Alaskan, born in Ketchikan and raised in towns across the state: Wrangell, Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchorage. Only the 32nd fe-

male to serve in the United States Senate since its founding in 1789, Senator Murkowski has assumed leadership roles quickly. She is the Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resourc-es Committee and also serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, where she is the Chairman of the Interior and Environment Subcommittee. Senator Murkowski is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Commit-tee and senior member of the Senate Indian Affairs Commit-tee. She earned a B.A. in economics from Georgetown Univer-sity in 1980 and a law degree from Willamette University in 1985. Prior to her appointment to the United States Senate in 2002, Senator Murkowski practiced commercial law in Anchor-age and was elected to three terms in the Alaska State House of Representatives, a full six-year U.S. Senate term in 2004, and then re-elected in 2010 in a historic write-in campaign, the first successful write-in effort to the Senate since 1954.

BYRON NICHOLAIByron Nicholai is from the village of Tok-sook Bay. He is a performer of Yup’ik songs and composes his own songs. Byron is the creator of the Facebook page called, “I Sing. You Dance” and has traveled all over Alaska and outside of Alaska to present and to perform. Nicholai has traveled to

Washington, D.C., to perform for Secretary of State John Kerry and Arctic nation leaders at a reception marking the U.S. chairmanship of the Arctic Council. Now a successful artist, he never thought he would be anything but a normal village teenager. But by embracing the culture, he said, “you can get something out of it. You really can.”

FRANK ODASZFrank Odasz is President of Lone Eagle Con-sulting, specializing in rural, remote, and indigenous Internet learning since 1997. In 1998, he delivered the first Internet work-shops for the 11 Alaska Native villages on the Yukon, and presented across Alaska for the International Thinkquest Youth competition

and for Galena’s historic IDEA homeschooling program. For the last 19 years, Frank has been teaching Alaskan educators per-sonalized online courses for the Alaska Staff Development Network. 1985-1997, Frank served on the faculty of the Uni-versity of Montana Western and created the Big Sky Telegraph connecting 100 one-room schools with self-directed online courses. Frank offers 30+ years of lessons learned from his online, and onsite, motivational training innovations and has presented internationally for ITU, APEC, and the governments of Canada, Australia, and Jamaica

DARRELL OHOKANNOAK Mr. Ohokannoak is manager of Polarnet and Chair/President of Nunavut BroadBand De-velopment Corporation. He was first select-ed as Chairman of NBDC in 2005 by the NBDC directors. As Manager of Polarnet, Mr. Ohokannoak heads the delivery QINIQ in all the communities of the Kitikmeot, with

Polarnet as the Community Service Provider. He was con-tracted by SSI Micro (the company who built the new QINIQ broadband network) to conduct training for all the Commu-nity Service Providers in all the regions. Mr. Ohokannoak was one of the principal people who started Polarnet in 1997 – providing local dial-up services to the 5 Kitikmeot communi-ties. Today, Mr. Ohokannoak, wants to see broadband tech-nologies available in Nunavut at the same level as technologies in southern Canada. He sees a huge potential to help Nunavummiut improve ways of communicating – includ-ing VoIP, video conferencing, and various forms of real-time communication. A lifelong resident of Cambridge Bay, he is very experienced in working on various boards of organiza-tions. He volunteers on the Cambridge Bay Justice Commit-tee, and runs the local cadet corps.

DR. LISA PARODYDr. Lisa Skiles Parady is the Executive Direc-tor of the Alaska Council of School Adminis-trators. Prior to taking her position, she served in a governor’s Cabinet as the Direc-tor of the Department of Workforce Services and as a senior policy analyst responsible for all health, human services and education is-

sues. Dr. Parady also served as the Chief of Staff for the Wyo-ming Department of Education and most recently, as the Assis-tant Superintendent of the North Slope Borough School District. In that role she initiated and led the development of the Inupiaq culture, history and language integrated curricu-lum. Dr. Parady received her law degree and her doctorate in education and administration from the University of Wyoming

JOSHUA PETERJoshua Peter is the Executive Director Infor-mation Technology, Tanana Chiefs Confer-ence (TCC) and a Koyukon Athbascan who lives in Fairbanks. After serving in the U.S. Navy and other interim employment, Josh-ua’s career in information technology start-ed in the late 1990’s as a student employee

at the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center at UAF. Advance-ment for Joshua through IT was achieved by earning his de-gree from UAF as well as technical certifications from estab-lished vendors. While at TCC, Joshua has been working on advocacy for the expansion of broadband in Alaska. This has included being a member of the FCC’s Native Nations Broad-band Task Force. Since being at TCC, Joshua has continued their efforts in getting microwave terrestrial broadband into TCC sub regional villages to connect the clinics for enhance-

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ment in the provisioning of healthcare. Joshua’s roots origi-nate from his childhood upbringing on the Yukon River in the village of Nulato, which Joshua still calls home.

TINA PIDGEONMs. Pidgeon is the General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Senior Vice Presi-dent Governmental Affairs, General for Com-munication, Inc. She is the strategic leader for legal and policy initiatives across GCI. GCI is the most experienced communications provider serving the U.S. Arctic and a com-

petitive success story. With a blend of innovation, ingenuity, and commitment to statewide service, GCI delivers broadband services utilizing a mix of technology platforms across Alaska. Whether it’s mobile data to residents of Kotzebue, pipeline safety monitoring services to the North Slope, or satellite based telehealth services in Barrow, Tina and the department she leads are key drivers of GCI’s success and laying the groundwork for future growth that will extend broadband ever deeper into the state. Tina received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame. She is a member of Women in Cable Telecommunications and an active participant in its mentoring program, as well as the Federal Communications Bar Association and Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers.

ELIZABETH PIERCEAs CEO of Quintillion Subsea Ms. Pierce has more than 35 years’ experience in technical operations and telecommunications in the Arctic. Pierce founded Quintillion with a se-lect group of partners from the telecommu-nications and finance industries with the goal of bringing fiber optic cable to Alaska’s

most rural and underserved communities. Under Pierce’s leadership, Quintillion’s northern route will provide a solu-tion to the global demand for redundancy and diverse fiber optic cable routes.

KRISTIINA PIETIKÄINENMrs. Kristiina Pietikäinen is a Director of Strategy and Policy Coordination in the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communi-cations. She is in charge of Arctic policy co-ordination in the ministry. She joined the ministry in 1995 and has held many positions in the Ministry linked to information society,

media, audio-visual policy and telecommunications. She has also worked for the European Commission (DG CNECT) and in the Finnish Permanent Representation for EU. She has wide international experience and has been, for example, the Chairperson of the Management Board of ENISA (European Network and Information Society Agency), as well as partici-pated actively in EU and Organisation for Economic Co-oper-ation and Development (OECD) work. Mrs. Pietikäinen has a Master’s degree in Political Sciences from the University of Helsinki where she majored in communications and sociology.

HARRI SAARNISAARIDr. Saarnisaari is adjunct professor at the Centre for Wireless Communications, Uni-versity of Oulu, Finland. He has been there since 1994. His research areas include cogni-tive radio systems, signal processing for communications and system level research including requirements analysis to identify

required research efforts and system description. He has been involved in many national, European and global projects in these subjects. He is the senior member of IEEE.

PATRICK SAVOKMr. Savok begin his career in information technology in 2002, working for the North-west Arctic Borough School District, Maniilaq Association, and the Northwest Arctic Bor-ough. He then worked at a national level with Akima,LLC, servicing their west coast operations. He has installed and maintained,

not only technology throughout Northwest Alaska, Mr. Savok also worked with the State of Alaska Department of Transpor-tation and Public Facilities as well building road infrastruc-ture. Mr. Savok now serves as the Chief of Staff for the Mayor of the Northwest Arctic Borough. He is a former Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly member as well as Kotzebue Electric Association board member. He is currently pursuing his Mas-ter’s degree in Business Administration.

CURTIS SHAWLocated in Whitehorse, Yukon, Mr. Shaw is the Vice President Consumer Markets at Northwestel, a subsidiary of Bell Canada. Curtis first joined Northwestel in Whitehorse in 1996, and has held various management roles, including Director of Marketing, Gen-eral Manager of Northwestel Cable, and Vice

President of Marketing. In his current position, Curtis is re-sponsible for the delivery of the end-to-end telecommunica-tions services to the residential market. He has accountabili-ty for call centers, field technicians, retail stores, marketing and public relations - a team of 300 employees across north-ern Canada. Curtis obtained his Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Science degrees from the University of Saskatche-wan, and has attended the Queen’s School of Business Execu-tive Development Program. He has been involved in several community organizations and boards across northern Canada, including Yukon Energy Corporation, the Yukon Hospital Foun-dation, Yukon Chamber of Commerce, the NWT Business De-velopment and Investment Corporation (BDIC), and the NWT Chamber of Commerce.

LEONARD STEINBERGMr. Steinberg serves as Senior Vice Presi-dent, Legal, Regulatory & Government Af-fairs for Alaska Communications (NASDAQ ALSK). Steinberg joined Alaska Communica-tions in 2000 and is responsible for the com-pany’s legal affairs and risk management functions. Steinberg’s legal responsibilities

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include compliance with SEC and NASDAQ rules, corporate or-ganization, compliance with all telecommunications laws, corporate transactions, and litigation. Steinberg’s risk man-agement duties include oversight of contract administration, real estate management, insurance coverage, safety pro-grams, OSHA/EPA compliance, and emergency planning. Steinberg holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California’s Hastings College of Law. He also holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University’s Ken-nedy School of Government, a Master of Business Administra-tion degree from U.C. Berkley’s Haas School of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of California at San-ta Cruz. Steinberg is an active member of the bar in both Alaska and California.

CHERYL QATTAQ STINECheryl Stine is the executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, and is responsi-ble for managing ASRC’s enterprise-wide efforts in community and economic devel-opment, including ASRC’s initiative to de-ploy broadband across the Arctic Slope.

Stine has a 30-year background in construction operations and management that includes expertise in the US Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program, government con-tract compliance, organizational development, program/policy development and strategic management. She recently served as the president and CEO of ASRC Construction Hold-ing Company. Stine also currently serves as chairwoman of Alaska Growth Capital, ASRC Federal Holding Company and ASRC Construction Holding Company. Stine earned a Bache-lor of Arts degree in rural development from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a master’s degree in business admin-istration from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Raised in Barrow, she has particular interest in building sustainable communities in the Arctic Slope region.

SENATOR DAN SULLIVANSenator Sullivan was sworn in as Alaska’s eighth United States Senator on January 6, 2015. Prior to his election to the U.S. Sen-ate, Sullivan served as Alaska’s Attorney General and Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Sullivan is one of a select number of Alaskan attor-

neys who has held judicial clerkships on both the highest federal and state courts in Alaska, serving as a judicial law clerk for Judge Andrew Kleinfeld of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Fairbanks, Alaska and for Chief Justice Warren Matthews of the Alaska Supreme Court in Anchorage, Alaska. Sullivan also served as a judicial law clerk/intern for Judge James L. Buckley on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Senator Sullivan is currently an infantry officer and Lieutenant Colo-nel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. He also served in the Administration of President George W. Bush as the U.S. Assis-tant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business under Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He served as a

Director in the International Economics Directorate of the National Security Council staff at the White House. Sullivan earned a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University in 1987 and a joint law and Masters of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1993.

TARA SWEENEYTara Sweeney is the Executive Vice Presi-dent of External Affairs for Arctic Slope Re-gional Corporation, and is responsible for all facets of the corporation’s media and gov-ernment relations and communications. Arctic Slope Regional Corporation is the largest locally-owned and operated business

in Alaska, with revenues in excess of $2 billion and more than 10,000 employees worldwide. Sweeney has been honored for her advocacy of Alaska Native rights and promoting local pro-grams that focus on cultural values, practices, and traditions. Tara was honored in 2008 as a “Top 40 Under 40” business leader by the Alaska Journal of Commerce, and has served on numerous business and non-profit boards, including the Alas-ka Federation of Natives.

LORRAINE THOMASLorraine started her Northern career teach-ing television in Nain, Labrador and Rankin Inlet, NWT (now Nunavut) for Inuit broad-casters in the late 1980s. She left TV pro-duction in the early 1990s in her first at-tempts to “connect the north”. During those dark days of low political and finan-

cial attention to this northern issue, she had the privilege of meeting many committed advocates for connectivity sprin-kled across the Canadian Arctic. Lorraine has recently joined SSi Micro to assist them in developing more advanced broad-band services to match the needs of the many organizations and businesses making a difference in the lives of Nunavum-miut. One of her goals is to use broadband itself to encour-age Nunavut businesses and organizations to share their in-novations on successful deployment of broadband tools in a satellite-served environment, sharing their ideas and solu-tions with others in Nunavut and beyond. She now lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba with her teenage sons Tom and William, and her husband Brian McLeod, co-owner of Imaituk Inc., a consulting firm specializing in mediation, organizational de-velopment and communications.

FRAN ULMERMs. Ulmer is chair of the U.S. Arctic Re-search Commission, where she has served since being appointed by President Obama in March 2011. In June 2010, President Obama appointed her to the National Com-mission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. From 2007 to

2011, Ms. Ulmer was chancellor of Alaska’s largest public university, the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). Before that, she was a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Public Pol-icy and Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Re-


search at UAA. She is a member of the Global Board of the Nature Conservancy and on the Board of the National Parks Conservation Association. Ms. Ulmer served as an elected of-ficial for 18 years as the mayor of Juneau, a state represen-tative, and as Lieutenant Governor of Alaska. She previously worked as legal counsel to the Alaska Legislature, legislative assistant to Governor Jay Hammond, and Director of Policy Development for the state. In addition, she was the first Chair of the Alaska Coastal Policy Council and served for more than 10 years on the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission. She has served on numerous local, state, and federal advisory com-mittees and boards. Ulmer earned a J.D. cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School, and has been a Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government.

PIPS VEAZEYPips Veazey is the Associate Project Direc-tor for the Alaska Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, a state-wide research program funded by the Na-tional Science Foundation and the State of Alaska aimed at increasing research ca-pacity. She also serves as the director of

Decision Theater North, a high-resolution visual environ-ment designed to promote conversations about complex problems, develop creative solutions through design think-ing and enhance team development. Her research interests include developing and supporting interdisciplinary re-

search teams, examining the interaction between teams and technology, and finding new ways of creating partner-ships among groups with common goals.

KRISTINA WILCOXKristina Wilcox, Senior Vice President, first joined Capitol Hill Consulting Group in 2007 and represents corporations, Native American Tribes, municipalities, trade as-sociations and private companies on mat-ters including technology, Arctic issues, higher education, financial services, veter-

an’s affairs and natural resources. In January of 2016, Kris-tina was named Executive Director of the Women’s High Tech Coalition, a 501(c)(3) organization focused on promot-ing the exchange of ideas among female leaders in both the public and private sector whose focus is technology and in-novation. Kristina has spoken on technology issues at the Arctic Economic Council’s Broadband Summit in Barrow, Alaska, at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas and at numerous events in Washington, DC. Kristina holds her Doctorate in Liberal Studies from Georgetown Universi-ty’s School of Continuing Studies in Business and Labor Poli-cy, her M.A. in American Government from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in History from Binghamton University. Last year, she was nominated for an Excellence in Advocacy Award at the Professional Women in Advocacy’s annual awards conference.

Office of Information TechnologyUniversity of AlaskaP.O. Box 755320Fairbanks, AK 99775-5320907-450-8385Visit us online at www.alaska.edu/oit

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