Introducing our Arctic Energy Ambassadors: Meet Chan, Sean, Tyler, and Kathleen

Get to know four of our devoted Arctic Energy Ambassadors. The Arctic Energy Ambassadors are passionate, community-focused communicators from Alaska who have been selected for a two-year term, during which they will develop regional, place-based, and collaborative energy leadership in Alaska, along with resources and knowledge-sharing in alignment with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Arctic Strategy and the clean energy transition. You can read more about the program here. 

Each Ambassador has a different story and brings something unique to the team. We are so excited to work with them and to realize their goals for each of their regions. Here’s the stories of Chan Charoonsophonsak, Ambassador for North Slope, Sean Glasheen, Ambassador for the Calista region, Tyler Kornelis, Ambassador for Kodiak, and Kathleen Stuckey, Ambassador for the Interior. 

Born in Bangkok, Thailand, Chan’s family moved to Utqiaġvik when he was three years old. Chan loves how close the small community is and appreciates how every person is practically family. He also loves diversity of the community and how it contains people from all over the world. From a young age Chan knew he wanted to give back to his community, joining NREL after graduating at the University of Alaska Fairbanks so he could do just that. 

Chan applied to become an Ambassador to bring more energy-related projects to his region. As an Ambassador, Chan hopes to use his strong networking and communication skills to effectively relay the needs of North Slope villages to federal organizations. He wants to build a network of folks from the North Slope and bridge the gap between federal funders and the needs of communities in the North Slope. Chan looks forward to making connections with others and having the opportunity to work alongside the people he grew up with. 

Sean’s family moved to Bethel, Alaska when he was two years old. He loved the sense of home and freedom he got in his community through harvesting his own food and riding snow machines. He still lives in his hometown and believes that his region is the last kept secret of the west. There is so much to do and explore, and Sean wants to work to preserve his region’s beauty and enhance its resilience. 

Sean became an Ambassador because of his region’s need for projects and infrastructure. He wants to help his region get recognized by federal funding agencies and take projects from other regions to his community. Sean is especially interested in hands-on training so that his region can have access to a technical understanding of projects and their impacts. Sean looks forward to using his knowledge as a local and his ability to make connections to bring federal funders to his region. 

Tyler grew up in Washington state close to the Canadian border, moving to Alaska in 2013 to be close to his wife’s family. He appreciates Alaska’s slow-paced environment and its immediate access to the outdoors. He loves Kodiak’s people and small communities the most. To Tyler, the small communities are a refreshing experience compared to his prior life in busy Seattle. 

Since his time with KANA began, Tyler has been involved with several energy projects. He became an Ambassador because he believes the program is a good investment in Alaska and will allow for better energy project implementation than a state-wide approach. Tyler wants to positively impact all six village communities in the Kodiak region and reduce village dependence on diesel fuel through renewable energy integration/efficiency. Though he doesn’t describe himself as an energy expert, Tyler likes to think of himself as a connector who’s good at listening and understanding people. He hopes to use these skills to make connections with other Ambassadors and learn about the needs of his communities. 

Kathleen grew up in Kotzebue, Alaska, with her parents, five brothers, and two sisters. Growing up in rural Alaska had its fair share of benefits and struggles, but Kathleen is grateful to have been raised by a large and loving family who made life incredible. Her love for her region can be best summed up in a quote by past Alaska State Rep. Reggie Joule: “Iñupiat Ilitqusiat is not a program; it is a way of life, which we have defined as ours. What have been defined as "Iñupiat Values,” upon closer inspection, are really basic human values. It is what makes us different from other people; not more than someone else and not less than someone else, just different.” 

Kathleen wanted to become an Ambassador because of her ties to the land and its people. Communities in her region face many struggles including long winters, lack of infrastructure, and high transportation and energy costs. To help her region, Kathleen has three main goals: To advocate for her region’s energy needs, to share what her region has learned as they’ve implemented new technology, and to have a seat at the table to field opportunities. Kathleen has strengths in teamwork and strategic planning, and she looks forward to expanding her region’s relationships with others and developing energy strategies. 

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See the stories of the rest of Arctic Energy Ambassadors cohort here.