The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is fortunate to have a committed, dynamic Board of Directors. Each board member contributes a unique perspective, but all are united in their commitment to improving health for Alaskans living in the Valley. Members serve three-year terms, and may serve up to three consecutive terms.

LEBRON MCPHAIL
Chair, Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors
Lebron was elected to the MSHF board of directors in June, 2016. During his 29-year career with the Mat-Su Borough School District, Lebron served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal and executive director of instruction with an enrollment approaching 18,000 students. Since his retirement in 2013, he has worked for the school district part-time, overseeing students who are on long term suspensions. He also serves as a commissioner for Serve Alaska and has volunteered with a number of non-profit organizations, including the Alaska Family Services Board. He has been involved in the Community Justice Coalition and the Mat-Su Judo Club, where he served as president for five years, and has coached football, basketball, wrestling, gymnastics and track and field. Lebron holds a Bachelor of Arts from Eastern New Mexico University and a master’s degree from the United States Sports Academy.

LISA WADE
VICE-CHAIR, MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lisa is the health, education, and social services division director for Chickaloon Village Traditional Council. She is a steering committee member of the Alaska Resilience Coalition and of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su. She is a member of Benteh/Nuutah Valley Native Primary Care Center’s Joint Operating Board and an advisory committee member of the Ahtnahwt’aene’ Nay’dini’aa den (Life House Clinic Community Health Center). Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Metropolitan State University. She studied counseling psychology at the master’s level at Saint Mary’s University and completed coursework in a PhD program in clinical and community psychology with a rural indigenous emphasis at the University of Alaska.

TERI NAMTVEDT
SECRETARY-TREASURER, MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Teri was selected to rejoin the MSHF board of directors in 2015. She previously served on the MSHF board from June, 2006 – May, 2011, including a term as board chair in 2010. Teri also serves on the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center Category A board of directors, a position she has held since September, 2009. Teri has owned Namtvedt and Company CPAs Inc. in Wasilla since 2006. Prior to that she served as chief financial officer at the Alaska Sea Life Center, as well as interim chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Mat-Su Heath Services. Teri has volunteered with the Anchorage Ski Club/Arctic Valley, various equestrian organizations and on a Catholic Social Services advisory group. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

TAMMY BRUCE
MEMBER, MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tammy Bruce joined the MSHF Board of Directors in June 2021. Born and raised in Alaska, she brings with her more than 10 years of experience working in finance with Edward Jones, as well as a history of working in marketing with the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau. Tammy previously served as the president and has been a member of the Palmer Rotary Club for 20 years. In addition, she was the lieutenant governor for District 5010, as well as served on the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for three years and the MTA Board of Directors for four years in the past. She graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1998.

MARISA CHUD
MEMBER, MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Marisa Chud joined the MSHF board in June 2021. She not only has experience working in the nonprofit realm with the YWCA in Cambridge and Navah KC, but also has 6 years of professional experience working in the legal field in various capacities. Marisa began as a law clerk at the Palmer Superior Courthouse and presently works as an attorney with Denali Law Group. She serves on committees at Northgate Alaska, and has previously volunteered with Triumphant Mercy, a center for refugees in Beirut, Lebanon, as well as Catholic Social Services. Marisa graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from the University of Missouri Kansas City in 2008 and earned her Juris Doctor from New England Law Boston in 2013.

RAELYNN DANIELOWSKI
Member, Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors
Raelynn joined the MSHF board in June, 2020. She is a lifelong Alaskan with 23 years in the Mat-Su. Raelynn has a wealth of finance experience in the energy sector and currently works as the assistant financial controller at Matanuska Telephone Association (MTA). She is a current committee member of the MTA Investment Committee. She graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance.

DR. BARB DOTY
MEMBER, MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Barb Doty is a board certified family physician who has completed fellowships in Medical Education and Faculty Development, Acupuncture, Integrative Medicine and Rural Health. She joined the MSHF board in June 2021. Barb has more than 40 years of experience studying, contributing to and working in healthcare. She is presently a WWAMI-Alaska assistant clinical dean with the University of Washington School of Medicine. Barb is currently a member of the Mat-Su College Advisory Board and has served different groups in many capacities in the past including as Board Chair for Mat-Su Behavioral Health, assembly member for the Mat-Su Borough and as a federal appointee on the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Washington State University in 1977 and has since attended many educational programs at a range of institutions including the University of Washington, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of Colorado and the University of Arizona.

GREG JONES
Member, Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors
Greg joined the MSHF board in June, 2020. His work experience has ranged across entrepreneurship, organization building, management of both large and small organizations, and public policy. Greg served as the interim CEO for the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and was subsequently appointed a trustee. He is a member of the Connect Mat-Su Steering Committee and has previously served on the boards of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission, Anchorage Board of Examiners and Appeals, Special Olympics of Alaska, Alaska Academic Decathlon, Anchorage Home Builders Association, Great Land Trust and the Covenant House Site Selection Committee. He attended the University of Alaska and graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1970.

KEITH KEHOE
Member, Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors
Keith has been a physician assistant in the Upper Mat-Su for almost 20 years. Keith has also worked as a physician assistant in several other Alaska communities, as well as overseas. His previous board experience includes eight years with the Alaska Primary Care Association from 1998-2005, the Jessica Stevens Foundation since its inception in 2007, and with Talkeetna’s local community radio station, KTNA. He also serves as vice president with the Parent Teacher Student Association at Susitna Valley Junior/Senior High School. Keith earned his physician assistant certification from the University of Washington, a Master of Arts from Lesley College, and a Bachelor of Science from Illinois Benedictine College. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army.

PHILIP LICHT
Member, Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors
Philip joined the MSHF board in June, 2020. He is a lifelong Mat-Su resident who has devoted his life and skills toward improving the health and wellness within the community for the past 20 years and presently works as the executive director of Set Free Alaska. Licht currently serves on the steering committee for ROCK Mat-Su, as well as the board of Recover Alaska and Governor Dunleavy’s Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. In the past, he has served on the boards of Thrive Mat-Su, Mat-Su Agency Partnership, Northgate Alaska and Mat-Su Health and Social Services. He holds a Six Sigma Black Belt certification from Villanova University, and is a licensed and ordained minister.

SAMMYE POKRYFKI
Member, Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors
Sammye joined the MSHF board in June, 2019. She is a lifelong Alaskan who has lived in the Mat-Su Borough for more than 36 years. She was senior vice president at the Rasmuson Foundation until 2017, where she worked for 12 years. Currently she works as a consultant and adjunct faculty member in the University of Alaska Anchorage Honors College. Previously, Pokryfki was executive director of United Way Mat-Su and Denali KidCare rural outreach coordinator for Chugiak Children’s Service. She has also served as a volunteer leader on nonprofit boards, government boards and commissions, blue ribbon committees, and in soup kitchens, domestic violence shelters, faith communities, mentoring programs, recreational events, and as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). Pokryfki holds a master’s degree in social work and two bachelor’s degrees, one in social work and one in English literature, all from University of Alaska Anchorage.

RICHARD PORTER
Member, Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors
Richard joined the MSHF board in 2014. He is executive director of the Knik Tribe in Wasilla, and he has spent the last 20 years in the areas of environmental health and tribal work. He worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a senior tribal coordinator, and Department of Defense (DOD) as a program manager mitigating environmental impacts on lands due to the DOD. Richard also serves on the Alaska Forum on the Environment, Mat-Su Council on Aging, Alaska Native Brother Hood Camp 89, Yak-tat Kwaan and South Central Foundation’s Valley Native Primary Care Center Joint Operating Board. He graduated from Yakutat High School 1992, earned several certificates in the area of environmental health and attended the University of Arizona to study environmental sciences.

LISA SMAYDA
Member, Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors
Lisa joined the MSHF board in June, 2020. She has lived in Alaska since 1978 and became a resident of the Mat-Su in 1991. The majority of her 44-year career was spent working in the medical field as a registered nurse in the Mat-Su and rural Alaska. Lisa is on the Mat-Su Senior Services Board of Directors and previously served on the board for the Denali Kid Care pilot program, as well as on the advisory boards for Holy Family Catholic Church and Saint Michael’s Catholic Church. Lisa earned a nursing diploma in 1976 from the Charity Hospital School of Nursing in New Orleans and went on to complete a Pastoral Leadership Program at Gonzaga University in 1997.
Mat-Su Regional Medical Center “Category A”
Five seats on the 10-seat Mat-Su Regional Medical Center (MSRMC) Board of Directors are filled by Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) representatives. These “Category A” Board Members help set the mission, vision and values of the hospital. They look critically at what services are needed for the Borough’s fast-growing population and ensure that public education programs and charity care levels match community need. The MSHF seats on the MSRMC board are held by MSHF President/CEO Elizabeth Ripley, Ken Kincaid and MSHF board members Dr. Barb Doty, Greg Jones, and Teri Namtvedt.

DR. BARB DOTY
MEMBER, MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Barb Doty is a board certified family physician who has completed fellowships in Medical Education and Faculty Development, Acupuncture, Integrative Medicine and Rural Health. She joined the MSHF board in June 2021. Barb has more than 40 years of experience studying, contributing to and working in healthcare. She is presently a WWAMI-Alaska assistant clinical dean with the University of Washington School of Medicine. Barb is currently a member of the Mat-Su College Advisory Board and has served different groups in many capacities in the past including as Board Chair for Mat-Su Behavioral Health, assembly member for the Mat-Su Borough and as a federal appointee on the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Washington State University in 1977 and has since attended many educational programs at a range of institutions including the University of Washington, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of Colorado and the University of Arizona.

GREG JONES
Member, Mat-Su Health Foundation Board of Directors
Greg joined the MSHF board in June, 2020. His work experience has ranged across entrepreneurship, organization building, management of both large and small organizations, and public policy. Greg served as the interim CEO for the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and was subsequently appointed a trustee. He is a member of the Connect Mat-Su Steering Committee and has previously served on the boards of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission, Anchorage Board of Examiners and Appeals, Special Olympics of Alaska, Alaska Academic Decathlon, Anchorage Home Builders Association, Great Land Trust and the Covenant House Site Selection Committee. He attended the University of Alaska and graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1970.

KEN KINCAID
BOARD MEMBER, MAT-SU REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
Ken joined the MSHF board in June, 2012. He has an extensive business background, having spent many years at a successful commercial real estate appraisal company. Ken has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Northgate Alaska Elder Board, the Mat-Su Borough Board of Equalization, the Alaska Board of Real Estate Appraisers and the board of Matanuska Susitna Christian School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at California State University, Chico. He also serves on the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center (MSRMC) board.

TERI NAMTVEDT
SECRETARY-TREASURER, MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Teri was selected to rejoin the MSHF board of directors in 2015. She previously served on the MSHF board from June, 2006 – May, 2011, including a term as board chair in 2010. Teri also serves on the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center Category A board of directors, a position she has held since September, 2009. Teri has owned Namtvedt and Company CPAs Inc. in Wasilla since 2006. Prior to that she served as chief financial officer at the Alaska Sea Life Center, as well as interim chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Mat-Su Heath Services. Teri has volunteered with the Anchorage Ski Club/Arctic Valley, various equestrian organizations and on a Catholic Social Services advisory group. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

ELIZABETH RIPLEY
PRESIDENT AND CEO, MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION
Elizabeth Ripley arrived in Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna Borough with a vision to build upon its community strengths and make it a healthier place to live. Today, as President and CEO of the Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF), she leads initiatives to do just that. The MSHF has developed a comprehensive, asset-based strategy to improve health outcomes, focusing on the areas of greatest concern to the community itself. In a unique structure, MSHF co-owns the for-profit Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. Under Elizabeth’s leadership, the foundation is strategically combining hospital governance with philanthropy and advocacy to create lasting, systemic change. Previously Elizabeth held positions in the healthcare industry, including hospice, volunteer management, marketing, hospital foundation development, and hospital administration. She has served on the board of directors of The Foraker Group, Philanthropy Northwest, and Grantmakers in Health. Elizabeth earned a Master of Arts degree in religion from Yale Divinity School and a bachelor’s degree in English and communications from Western Maryland College.