Category: ROCK Mat-Su

  • MSHF Promotes Jessica Clarkson to Director of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su

    MSHF Promotes Jessica Clarkson to Director of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su

    Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is proud to announce the promotion of Jessica Clarkson to Director of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su, a collective impact model organization comprised of local stakeholders who are committed to ending child abuse and neglect across the Mat-Su Borough.

    The Director of R.O.C.K. provides high-level leadership and direction and ensures alignment between the steering committee, staff, and community partners. Clarkson will provide structural support to the collective’s work toward shared goals and strengthen collaboration among partners.

    “Jessica has worked for over a decade to see that our local children and families have what they need to grow up healthy and happy,” said Vandana Ingle, MSHF’s Chief Community Impact Officer. “Her steady vision for improving family contact and passion for strengthening partnerships to meet the needs of local parents and caregivers are keystones for continued impact and improved outcomes for our children.”

    Previously serving as the Associate Director of R.O.C.K., Clarkson brings extensive experience in child and family services and has long been a part of the R.O.C.K. collective. Before joining the MSHF team, she worked as project coordinator for the Palmer Families with Infants and Toddlers (FIT) Court. She also worked as the coordinator for Valley Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program, children’s clinical therapist, and a school social worker. Alongside a dedicated R.O.C.K. workgroup, Jessica’s time at R.O.C.K. has focused on improving family contact, including approaches now widely used by child protective services to support case workers, parents, and children during family contact visits.

    “I am honored to step into this role with great excitement and hope,” Clarkson said. “Healthy families and children are the foundation for furthering the wellness of Mat-Su, and I am dedicated to strengthening the systems in which we all interact. Prevention is not the work of one organization—it is the shared responsibility of an entire community. Together we can collectively ensure all children and families thrive in the Mat-Su.”

    R.O.C.K. Mat-Su partners with over 70 local organizations and agencies to drive systems-level, upstream change through shared learning, social connections, and multiple initiatives focused on family health. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the MSHF program.

  • R.O.C.K. Mat-Su Honors Julie Hubbard with 2025 R.O.C.K. Star Award

    R.O.C.K. Mat-Su Honors Julie Hubbard with 2025 R.O.C.K. Star Award

    Pictured left to right: Nikki Maidl, Julie Hubbard, Mariah Johnson

    R.O.C.K. Mat-Su is proud to announce Julie Hubbard as the recipient of the 2025 R.O.C.K. Star Award, recognizing her dedication to improving the lives of children and families throughout the Mat-Su.

    A consistent champion of innovative ideas and meaningful community connections, Hubbard has been deeply involved in R.O.C.K. Mat-Su’s Community Baby Showers and Child Abuse Prevention Awareness efforts. Her leadership, creative insight, and ability to foster strong community relationships have strengthened these programs and expanded their reach across the region.

    Hubbard’s involvement within the R.O.C.K. Mat-Su collaborative network continues to grow through her active role in partner meetings, where she often serves as a trusted, effective co-host. Her steady presence and commitment to partnership have helped strengthen coordination among local organizations working to support children and families.

    Beyond her ongoing contributions, Hubbard has been a powerful advocate for addressing foster care placement challenges in the Mat-Su. Her efforts to raise awareness about the number of children placed outside the borough—due to a shortage of local foster homes—have drawn critical attention to an urgent community need. Through her advocacy, she continues to champion solutions that support the stability and well-being of the borough’s most vulnerable children.

    “We are honored to recognize Julie with this year’s R.O.C.K. Star Award,” said Jessica Clarkson, Associate Director for R.O.C.K. Mat-Su. “Her passion, commitment, and unwavering advocacy have made a meaningful difference in the lives of families across our community. We are grateful for all she has done, and continues to do, on behalf of Mat-Su children.”

    R.O.C.K. Mat-Su and the Mat-Su Health Foundation extend heartfelt congratulations to Julie Hubbard on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to the continued positive impact of her work in the community.

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    About R.O.C.K. Mat-Su: R.O.C.K. (Raising Our Children with Kindness) Mat-Su is cross-sector collaborative of organizations, individuals, funders, and state agencies that support healthy, resilient families in Mat-Su. Utilizing the Collective Impact Framework, R.O.C.K. Mat-Su works toward a vision where all Mat-Su children are safe, healthy, and thriving. Mat-Su Health Foundation serves as the backbone organization by providing dedicated staff and infrastructure to support the work of the collective. More information is available at rockmatsu.org.

    About Mat-Su Health Foundation: 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 www.healthymatsu.org.

     

  • Braided Stories Workshop Registration Now Open

    Wasilla, Alaska – The public is invited to register for three upcoming presentations of the Braided Stories: Building Equitable Communities for Alaska’s Children & Families workshop. Braided Stories aims to engage community members and social change leaders in an educational experience that will deepen their understanding of systemic racism by connecting to the history and setting of the Mat-Su Borough. Each workshop includes four sessions over four days with options available in September, October, and December. It is conducted over Zoom at no cost to participants. More details and registration information are available at braidedstories.com.

    “R.O.C.K. Mat-Su partners created Braided Stories for adult audiences because understanding and addressing historical and intergenerational trauma is critical to achieving the vison of reducing child abuse and increasing family resilience in the Mat-Su,” said R.O.C.K. Mat-Su Director Betsy Larson. “Braided Stories was intentionally designed to be reflective rather than instructive and to create a safe space for the exploration and transformation of racism in Mat-Su communities.”

    Braided Stories was developed in deep partnership with local residents who helped to build a curriculum that explores racial equity in the context of the Mat-Su community. This was accomplished through the dedication of a local workgroup, by using credible sources to build a timeline that includes Alaska and Mat-Su history, and by interviewing Mat-Su residents about their own experiences. In addition to community workgroup members, the work was guided by a design team composed of Agnew::Beck, Alaska Humanities Forum, COIO, and Bethel Public Media KYUK, with additional historical research provided by David Reamer.

    Since its founding in 2014, R.O.C.K. Mat-Su has grown to be a collaborative of over 60 cross-sector partners engaging in 16 strategies spanning the public health prevention spectrum.  R.O.C.K. Mat-Su strives to achieve its goals by changing the systems that influence the lives of children and families in the Mat-Su Borough. The collaborative embraces a spectrum of strategies that impact families both universally and through targeted interventions. Some highlights of the work of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su include developing the Palmer Families with Infants and Toddlers (FIT) Court and collaborating with the Office of Children’s Services to improve the experience of family contact for parents with children in foster care.

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    About Mat-Su Health Foundation: 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 www.healthymatsu.org .

    About R.O.C.K. Mat-Su: R.O.C.K. (Raising Our Children with Kindness) Mat-Su is a collaborative of community members joining together to promote family resilience and reduce child maltreatment. It was developed as a cross-sector partnership of Mat-Su agencies. The Mat-Su Health Foundation provides ongoing staff support to the collaborative. R.O.C.K. Mat-Su works to build social supports, eliminate silos, and influence systems that affect children and families throughout the borough, all in support of achieving the goal of ending child abuse in Mat-Su. R.O.C.K. Mat-Su strives to achieve its goals through the development of prevention strategies that run the gamut of impacting all families to targeting families with more specific experiences and challenges. More information is available at rockmatsu.org.

  • BETSY SMITH IS NEW DIRECTOR OF R.O.C.K. MAT-SU

    Wasilla, AK— Betsy Smith has been selected as the new director of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su (Raising Our Children with Kindness). R.O.C.K. Mat-Su is a collaborative of community members – including individuals and organizations – joining together to promote family resilience and reduce child maltreatment. It works to build social supports, eliminate silos, and influence systems that affect kids and families throughout the Mat-Su Borough, all in support of achieving the goal of ending child abuse in Mat-Su. The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) provides ongoing staff and financial support to the collaborative, and R.O.C.K. Mat-Su has also received additional funding from local, regional and national philanthropic organizations.

    “We’re thrilled to see Betsy Smith move up to the director role at R.O.C.K. Mat-Su,” said MSHF CEO Elizabeth Ripley. “After an extensive hiring process, a statewide search, and several rounds of competitive interviews, the R.O.C.K. Mat-Su Hiring Committee unanimously chose her as the best candidate. She brings experience, a dynamic leadership style, solid professional relationships, and the vision needed to lead R.O.C.K. Mat-Su into its next chapter of mission-critical work.”

    Since its founding in 2014, R.O.C.K. Mat-Su has grown to be a collaborative of over 30 cross-sector partners engaging in 18 strategies spanning the public health prevention spectrum.R.O.C.K. Mat-Su strives to achieve its goals by changing the systems that influence the lives of children and families in the Mat-Su Borough. The collaborative embraces a spectrum of strategies that impact families both universally and through targeted interventions. Some highlights of the work of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su include developing the Palmer Families with Infants and Toddlers (FIT) Court, partnering with the Mat-Su Borough School District to bring trauma-informed practices to 30 schools, and collaborating with the Office of Children’s Services to improve the experience of family contact for parents with children in foster care.

    Smith began her work with R.O.C.K. Mat-Su in 2017 and most recently has been serving in two part-time R.O.C.K. Mat-Su positions: Upper-Su Community Coordinator and Trauma Sensitive Schools Fellow. She served as executive director of Northern Susitna Institute from 2014-2018 and prior to that held a variety of positions in program management and environmental education. Smith earned a Master of Education degree in environmental education from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts in biology from College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University.

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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 www.healthymatsu.org.

  • MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES R.O.C.K. MAT-SU LEADERSHIP CHANGES

    Wasilla, Alaska — The Mat-Su Health Foundation has announced leadership changes for R.O.C.K. Mat-Su (Raising Our Children with Kindness). Kathryn Swartz will serve R.O.C.K. Mat-Su’s interim director for the next six months, and Lindsay Prunella has been promoted to the position of operations manager.

    R.O.C.K. Mat-Su is a collaborative of community members who have joined together to promote family resilience and reduce child maltreatment. R.O.C.K. Mat-Su works to build social supports, eliminate silos, and influence systems that affect kids and families throughout the borough, all in support of achieving the goal of ending child abuse in Mat-Su.

    In Kathryn’s temporary role with R.O.C.K. Mat-Su, she will lead the R.O.C.K. Mat-Su staff and work with steering committee members and community partners to keep the collaborative moving forward until a new director is hired. Kathryn comes to R.O.C.K. Mat-Su from her permanent position with the Mat-Su Health Foundation where she serves as special assistant to the CEO and board liaison. Kathryn was previously a consultant for the World Bank. She received a Ford Foundation Social Justice fellowship and worked for the Cultural Heritage and Education Institute in Fairbanks. She earned a Master of Arts degree in international development studies and anthropology from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology/anthropology and Spanish from Kalamazoo College.

    Lindsay Prunella has been with the R.O.C.K. Mat-Su staff since 2017 and was recently promoted to operations manager. In this role, Lindsay will help advance the mission of R.O.C.K. Mat-Su by working with the director to set strategic goals and make operational decisions, manage the Youth Leadership Board, support R.O.C.K. Mat-Su’s community partners, develop and implement communications strategies, and manage grant requirements. Lindsay was previously R.O.C.K. Mat-Su’s program coordinator. Prior to that she was employed as director of a community coalition and prevention specialist in Michigan. She was also a behavioral health clinician and coalition coordinator at Alaska Community Island Services in Wrangell, Alaska. Lindsay earned a Master of Social Work degree from Loyola University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University in interdisciplinary studies.

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    About Mat-Su Health Foundation: 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 and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution through board oversight.MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su.More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org/ .