2021 Board of Directors Elections

 

Vice-President: 

Florence Daniel – Buffalo907

Stepping up from her role as a Member at Large with GeocacheAlaska!, where she has been especially effective in the Education and Advocacy roles, Florence will take on a broader responsibility in supporting the various missions of our organization. Caching since 2009 with more than 4700 finds, her adventures include dozens of finds in New Zealand, as well as all sorts of adventurous outings here in Southcentral in pursuit of caches off the paved pathways.

Treasurer: 

Valerie Manfull – Valerieseaker

Continuing her task of managing the financial aspects of our organization while also supporting the Education and Advocacy outreach efforts of GeocacheAlaska! Inc.  With finds across 13 countries and 31 states, Valerie is the local go-to person for learning about caching across Europe. Of particular interest to her is the Puzzle Cache category, and her efforts at showing others how to approach the art of solving puzzles (without just giving them the answers) have earned her much respect.  Her more than 60 cache hides include a sizeable number of puzzles, to keep us all scratching our heads in fun (and thought). 

Member-at-Large:

* Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.  You will select TWO (2) candidates from this list. 

Joanne Ackerman – meljo

Joanne has the unique privilege of being one of the few ‘charter members’ of GeocacheAlaska! found here in Alaska. Her more than 11,600 finds have been made across the last 20 years of the game, meaning she’s been in on the fun since it all began!  Her cache finds have been made across 24 states and 10 countries, with a special emphasis on Europe. Joanne’s smile and positive attitude are a central feature of many local events, as her record of 85 finds in this category can attest to! 

Tim Janneck – alaskatim 

Caching since 2016, Tim has more than 4,800 finds in 22 states and 13 countries.  He has started the process of returning the favor of all those hides by creating his own, and now has over 50 hides – mostly in the Anchorage area.  And – while there have been some bear sightings at his hides, there have been no known actual conflicts.  He is known for carrying a backpack to nearly every cache – a backpack that contains about 150% of all the tools imaginable.  People often wonder if he really needs a borescope at a park and grab? Tim has really enjoyed the camaraderie that seems to come so naturally with this hobby, and he marvels at the friends he has made and the help he has received along the way.  Without the help and mentoring – there was no way he could have found over 200 Jackcat hides!  His goal is to expand GeocacheAlaska’s outreach efforts in advocacy and education as a way of giving back to the game he enjoys so much.

Steven Palmer – Six Little Spookies 

I’ve been in Alaska since summer of 2018, and have found over 7400 caches across 49 states and 7 countries since I started geocaching in 2006. I love the thrill of the hunt! My favorite caches are Virtuals and Challenges, especially mapping challenges like DeLorme and county Challenges. I’ll go an hour out of my way to find a virtual, and plan a whole vacation around picking up a couple of new counties or map pages! I also greatly enjoy geocoins. I’ve participated in a number of group projects for them and had also had one of my own made in 2013.

Blake Stewart – jackcat14

With more than 320 cache hides to his credit, you’ve no doubt encountered a jackcat14 hide location somewhere… but did you actually find it on your first try? Known for his skill and craftsmanship in camouflage and placement, Blake is also known for his tireless efforts in supporting GeocacheAlaska! outreach efforts through participation in education activities. While often thought of as a challenging cache hider, he’s quite approachable and amenable to conversation – being a regular attendee at most local events over the past few years. 

Ray Wall – wallaska 

I got introduced to geocaching in 2016 teaching it to our Cub Scouts. They got an education and a fun adventure. And I got hooked. I really enjoy getting outside everyday and getting some exercise. And the challenges of finding caches all over. You go to so many places you didn’t know exist or wouldn’t have gone to otherwise. And I’ve learned about people, places and events that would have remained hidden too. I accepted the nomination for the Member at Large position so that I could give back to the caching community that has provided me so much adventure, education and enjoyment. Education and planning are my prime areas of interest for board service.