WILLOW RESIDENT KIM SCHLOSSER RECOGNIZED WITH BERT HALL AWARD

Wasilla, Alaska – Executive Director of Sunshine Transit, Kim Schlosser, has been recognized with the Mat-Su Health Foundation’s Bert Hall Award for Commitment to the Health of the Community. The “Bertie” is an annual award presented to an individual who consistently exemplifies commitment to working at the systems level to improve the health and wellness of Mat-Su residents. Schlosser was chosen for this honor because of her work to leverage transportation services in the Upper Su region of Mat-Su, resulting in improvements to health and wellbeing of community members.

“We are proud to honor Kim Schlosser and her incredible dedication to keeping inclusivity and equity at the forefront of her work in the Mat-Su,” said Mat-Su Health Foundation CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “Under her leadership there has been significant expansion in Sunshine Transit’s services, leading to improved access to healthcare, afterschool programs, food security, senior services, social connections, and other safety net services.”

Schlosser has been an active participant in the Mat-Su Central Dispatch pilot project with an interest in not only increasing efficiency, but also providing the best possible experience for riders. Routes are now aligned so that Upper Su residents can seamlessly use public transportation to access services in Mat-Su’s core area and Anchorage, and the transit is a certified Medicaid route provider. Schlosser has also led Sunshine Transit to assist nonprofits with safe shuttle options during vital fundraisers, accommodate delivery of groceries and supplies to residents sheltering in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, and temporarily repurpose its fleet of vehicles to transport first responder hotshot crews to wildfires.

Prior to working with Sunshine Transit, Schlosser’s varied background included time in the veterinary, machine and tool, and aerospace industries. She earned associate degrees at Northcentral Technical College and Argosy University and has completed The Foraker Group’s Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Catalyst for Nonprofit Excellence courses, as well as the Triple Impact Leadership program. She serves on the board of directors of Upper Susitna Seniors, Inc.

The Bert Hall Award is named in honor of Mat-Su resident Bert Hall, who helped put together the Valley Hospital Foundation Board of Directors and has been a Mat-Su Regional Medical Center Trustee. Bert has also served Alaska in many other capacities, including as a Mat-Su Regional Medical Center board member, associate director of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Human Services, director of Health and Social Services for the Municipality of Anchorage, and as the Alaska liaison to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Bert has been president of the Alaska Public Health Association, represented Alaska on the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association, and served on the Alaska Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

Previous Bert Hall Award recipients include Lt. Tom Dunn (2019), Rachel Greenberg (2018), Bill Hogan (2017), Herman Thompson (2016), Margaret Volz (2015), Craig Thorn (2014), and Bert Hall himself (2013).

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Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services. More information is available at healthymatsu.org.

 

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