About Us

(joined 2019)
Markel Wallace, born in Ketchikan and raised in Saxman, Alaska, is an emerging young leader in the Ketchikan area. Markel experienced an early exposure to the arts at a young age with many days spent at the Edwin C. DeWitt Carving Center in Saxman. She offers hours of time in support of the arts in the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council with volunteerism cheer. Markel proudly adds an Alaska Native and American Indian heritage + background to the collective since 2019. Volunteerism occurs for Markel within other areas throughout the greater community. Ms. Wallace's interest for all to experience and create the arts aligns with the organization's aim. She appreciates even the art of preparing a good cup of joe to spark an artistic flow. Markel resides in Saxman.

Joined KAAHC Board of Directors in 2021
I was born in Manila, Philippines and immigrated to the deserts of southern Nevada when I was five years old. I then discovered the mountains while attending the University of Nevada, Reno and realized I enjoyed living in places with seasons (besides hot and really hot).

After completing my undergraduate degree in Mathematics, I moved to the northeast to obtain a Master of Public Health from Boston University. During graduate school, I worked as a project coordinator in clinical addiction research and education at one of Boston’s safety net hospitals. I learned about health care barriers faced by stigmatized populations and the importance of social justice in medicine. ​I moved back to Reno for medical school, where I got the chance to practice my skills in health policy and management through volunteer work with underserved patients. ​I fell in love with broad spectrum family medicine because of its utilitarian nature along with the opportunity to forge long-term relationships with patients. I am particularly interested in health policy to improve patient-centered health outcomes, rural and underserved medicine, and wilderness medicine. ​The Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana excelled in all of these realms, which made my move to Missoula, Montana a natural choice. The mountains, rivers, and impeccable access to outdoors weren't all too bad, either.

I now practice both inpatient and outpatient medicine in Ketchikan, Alaska. ​Outside of medicine, I love exploring the outdoors. I enjoy seeing the world, scuba diving, cycling, hiking, backpacking, camping, and running.

Joined KAAHC Board of Directors in 2012
Participation in the arts is an everyday experience for me and I believe it is for most of our residents …they just don’t realize it yet. Living in Ketchikan has afforded me the chance to expand my art skills and pass them on to many. By day, I am an insurance agent at Davies-Barry Insurance. The rest of the time, I enjoy volunteering among a lot of other things. My art is found in beading. I love those little pieces of glass that have glorious colors, have a wonderful tactile sensation, and can be constructed into little creations.

As a pretty well seasoned non-profit board member, I try to give back to my community in areas where I can help make life a little better for someone else. KAAHC is a perfect fit for me. My stance on the arts is that this community is rich with a wide variety of excellent art venues. Look around and you see, hear and feel it everywhere. As a community we should be proud and do what we can to promote everything that the arts can do for us. Sharing and incorporating art experiences in economic development and daily lives should be a top priority of us all.

Joined KAAHC Board in 2015
I moved to Alaska in the late 70’s after college in Memphis to work at KTKN-AM. I thought I’d be here a few years but Ketchikan has a way of seeping into your life and time passes. I have worked at KRBD-FM off and on for over 20 years and in almost every capacity; the last time in the late 80’s/early 90’s as Manager. Currently I share a volunteer radio show on Tuesday nights called Eclectic Ladyland. I also worked at UAS coordinating Vocational Education programs, as a bartender at the Arctic and was on the City Council for 15 years. I recently retired from my position at PeaceHealth Ketchikan as the Community Relations Specialist (write stuff and take photos), and now work retail at Chinook & Company.

While I was living my life I got married (Jim White), had two children (Billy White and Libby Howe) plus one that came with the marriage (Kelsey White). Now I have two teenage grandsons in Seattle with their mom (Trevor and Ethan) and another who lives here. Zander Howe will soon be three. I tried my hand doing a lot of different art: painting, sculpting, batik, drawing…and music: piano, drums but have no aptitude. Just an appreciator; I’m a good audience.

Joined KAAHC Board in 2020
I currently work for KIC’s Cultural Resources Dept. As the Cultural Heritage Specialist-Tasked to infuse culture in to all aspects of the Tribe and community. I worked for Cape Fox Corporation for fourteen years as the Repatriation Program Manager and Corporate Secretary, where I researched, organized and facilitated the largest repatriation in the country, repatriating nine totems, human remains, associated funerary objects and one clan house from various museums across the country. I interviewed elders on a day to day basis acquiring cultural knowledge which led to assembling 221 genealogical charts and some dating back to 1550. The charts are situated by clan house and organizes individuals by clan and clan house-matrilineally. I conducted research in every major archival repository in the country, including the Smithsonian, UC Berkley, Presbyterian Mission Archives, Library Congress, State Archives, Forest Service, BIA and the State of Alaska Dept. of Vital Statistics. I was Executive Director of Cape Fox Heritage Foundation, where I continued to do repatriation work, mostly research, facilitated Lingit language classes, established the Sacred Sites Guardian Council to protect sacred sites in the Ketchikan area and lastly curated and documented Cape Fox Corporations 1061 artifact collection. I served on KIC Health Board for one term and then chose to run for the Tribal Council and served the Tribe for 13 years and for 11 years I was the President and CEO, where I negotiated KICs IHS, BIA compacts and contracts. I served on the Chamber of Commerce Board for Ketchikan, a Board Member for the Peace Health Foundation, served on the Cape Fox Corporation Board for 15 years. I currently serve on Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council Board, and I’m Commissioner for the Ketchikan Historic Commission and committee member for the Repatriation Review Committee for Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. I have completed several training courses and received certificates of achievement and completion from the Smithsonian, State of Alaska-Suicide Prevention, Forest Service NEPA, Safe from Harm and various others. Lastly and most importantly, I’m a lifelong subsistence user, hunter, gatherer, fisherwoman and I’m a provider for my family.

Joined KAAHC Board in 2020
Scott Brandt-Erichsen was born in Anchorage and is a lifelong Alaskan. He worked as an Assistant Municipal Attorney in Anchorage form 1988 -1995 and was the Borough Attorney for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough from 1995 until 2018. He is now an attorney in private practice. Before law, he worked as a busboy, dishwasher, sign painter, fish processing and fishing, and scooping ice cream at Baskin Robbins.

Scott has been involved in community nonprofit arts and sports activities in Ketchikan since 1995 including coaching and refereeing soccer, appearing in plays, and serving on various boards from Ketchikan Theater Ballet, to Ketchikan Youth Soccer League, Ketchikan Running Club and Community Connections. He has been an active member of First City Rotary since 1995. Scott’s wife Beth is an elementary teacher, now librarian, at Fawn Mountain, and she and their three daughters participated as artists and models in the wearable art show for more than 10 years. Scott’s paternal grandparents were both professional artists, sculpture and painting, and their former house is now the museum in Solvang, California. Scott’s parents both were very active in plein air painting in Anchorage, and his mother continues to paint regularly. Scott enjoys supporting and appreciating art, but aside from theater, is not much for producing art himself.

Joined the KAAHC Board in 2013
Victoria Lord discovered her love of the arts early in life while attending Saturday morning classes at the Pasadena Art Museum (now the Norton Simon Museum) – a creative place of free expression, dance, painting and theatrics. That early experience with the arts has influenced her throughout her life and helped to define her career choices and lifelong learning experiences. Victoria brings to the KAAHC board a great deal of knowledge of nonprofit management, philanthropy and program development. Her work experience includes arts and culture program staff with Rasmuson Foundation (2004-2010), Ketchikan Museums senior curator of programs (1997 – 2004), and executive director of the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council (1986 – 1997). She currently works with various fine art galleries in Ketchikan and is enjoying being surrounded by art and artists everyday. Victoria is an active member of the Ketchikan community as a participant in many nonprofit advisory committees and fundraising activities.

Rain or shine, you may find Victoria wandering the beach in front of her home with her dog Olive, especially at low tide.

Martina joined KAAHC Board in November 2022. Recently moved to Ketchikan this Summer from Texas in support of USCG. I’m enjoying the Arts & Culture in Alaska. I come from a rich and colorful Mexican heritage. I learned at an early age, to appreciate Art in my Father’s Country of Mexico thru the architecture, use of color and texture/textiles, dance, music and food. Art is inspired everywhere and beauty can be found in anything.