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Oil patch insider: New faces at ARE include Birch, Gooden, Ferguson and Erickson
Kay Cashman Petroleum News
Alaska Resource Education, whose mission is to teach students and their teachers about the state’s resources, has recently added two board members, a new STEM educator and a new office manager: Clayton Gooden, Logan Birch, Taylor Ferguson, and Laura Erickson, respectively.
Gooden is a director of natural resources for NANA Regional Corp., coordinating programs related to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act mineral and hydrocarbon resource exploration and development. He provides project leadership, technical oversight and financial analysis of natural resource projects in the NANA region. In addition, he helps build an education pipeline to ensure there will be a talent base within the region to replace the current and next generation of leaders - a good fit with ARE’s mission.
Gooden completed his Master of Business Administration from Alaska Pacific University in 2017 following a decade of engineering and construction project work outside Alaska in five different countries, focusing on both the job at hand and training and mentoring local employees.
Birch is currently chief financial officer at ASRC Energy Services and has served in the Arctic Slope Regional Corp. family of companies since 2012, with prior roles as president and CEO of Alaska Growth Capital and director of treasury operations for ASRC.
Prior to ASRC, Birch worked for Wells Fargo for nine years in various commercial lending roles supporting Alaska companies of all sizes.
He attended the University of Washington, graduating with an Economics degree. During college, Birch spent his summers working in the Prudhoe Bay oil field, commercial fishing in Bristol Bay, and working air cargo operations at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
He has served on several civic organizations during his career, including 15 years on the Junior Achievement of Alaska board.
Gooden and Birch join other ARE board members from companies such as Usibelli Coal Mine, ConocoPhillips, Hilcorp. Stantec, Marathon Petroleum, Judy Patrick Photography, Alaska Airlines, Hawk Consulting, Perkins Coie, Alaska Railroad, Ice Services, Crowley and Saltchuk.
STEM: science, technology, engineering, mathematics Ferguson, ARE’s new STEM educator, is a Connecticut-born Alaska transplant who, like so many others, moved to Alaska for the pursuit of adventure and opportunity.
She graduated with an Ecology and Biology degree from the University of Connecticut in 2013 and worked as a science educator at a children’s museum until she made the big move in 2015.
Since then, she has worked for various nonprofits around Anchorage, including Bear Valley Community Association as a science coordinator and program staff, Renewable Energy Alaska Project, or REAP, as a STEM educator.
Ferguson is also currently working on her Master of Science in STEM Education from the University of Iowa.
STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines - science, technology, engineering and mathematics - in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. ARE offers a range of STEM programs including STEM nights at schools, Girls in Science nights, a Girls Scout patch series and field trips.
Through outreach efforts ARE looks to spark an interest in resources to inspire future scientists, geologists and engineers. The nonprofit organization, which was founded in 1982, educates youth about the vast resources and possibilities within Alaska, in hopes they will pursue careers and leadership roles at home.
ARE also provides Alaska educators with Alaska Resource Kits that include hands-on activities and lesson plans to cultivate curious minds. The materials are fueled by donations.
Speaking of which, ARE is holding the Roger Burggraf Auction Fundraiser at the biennial Fairbanks Alaska Miners Association Spring Convention on April 2. Check it out at ARE’s website at www.akresource.org/rogerauction
Erickson new office manager Erickson, whose career includes years with Petroleum News as special projects director, is ARE’s new office manager.
She has a variety of skills and years of experience in administration, logistics and operations in both oil companies and nonprofits in Alaska, her most recent position with the prestigious Rasmuson Foundation, whose mission is to promote a better life for Alaskans.
One of Erickson’s most notable projects at Petroleum News was overseeing the publication of Dispelling the Alaska Fear Factor. Her duties included everything from budgeting and securing printing and shipping services to distribution and promotion.
Erickson moved to Alaska in 1994 from Texas.
- KAY CASHMAN
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