Daily Sitka Sentinel

Honoring Women Gala on Saturday to Support SAFV

Four women will be honored at the 20th Annual Honoring Women Gala 6 p.m. April 21 at Centennial Hall. The event is held to honor women and raise money for the organization.

Dionne Brady-Howard, Jan Straley, Julia Smith and Traci Gale are this year’s women of the year.

Dionne Brady-Howard

Jan Straley

Julia Smith

Traci Gale

Live music with Debby LeVeck and Jim Shepard, a dance performance from Sitka Studio of Dance, dinner catered by Ludvig’s Bistro, no-host bar, slide shows of the honorees, award ceremony and a silent auction are planned.

Proceeds benefit SAFV clients’ needs not otherwise funded, such as fresh food, children’s program’s supplies, and bus passes. Tickets are on sale at Old Harbor Books and SAFV for $60. Call Martina at 747-3370 for more information.

Bios of the four women follow.

Dionne Brady-Howard

Dionne Brady-Howard, Yeidikook’áa of the Kiks.ádi clan’s X’aaka Hít (Point House), grew up in Sitka. She was raised by her maternal grandparents, the late Bill and Isabella Brady; her paternal grandparents are Glenn and Liz Howard. Her parents are Louise Brady and Glenn Howard. She is the child of the Teikweidí clan and the grandchild of the Kaagwaantaan clan.

Brady-Howard has dedicated her professional life to the development of young citizens. Though her curriculum as a social studies teacher requires her to provide instruction in topics such as world history, Alaska history, and the structures of various forms of government (tribal, municipal, state and federal), her true mission is to grow children into adults through lessons on civil behavior, relationship building, and responsibility. She has cultivated a network of more than three generations of Alaskans who have attended Mt. Edgecumbe High School as her classmates and students, using that network to motivate and support her current students as they mature.

In the community of Sheet’ká (Sitka), Brady-Howard has been recognized as a leader both culturally and politically. She was blessed to grow up with examples of women who had strong inclinations toward service and leadership. It is largely because of these examples that she has followed suit and assumed various positions as a culture-bearer, from leading the Sheet’ká Kwaan Dancers and serving as the dance show coordinator for the Naa Kahídi Dancers, to also serving as the caretaker for the clan songs of the Kiks.ádi. In this capacity, she has led her dance groups at multiple culture events in the community and region, ranging from STA and school events to various health awareness events. 

As an educator, she has volunteered for numerous positions at school and for the teachers union. As an independent educator, she has facilitated the cultural considerations trainings hosted by Sitkans Against Family Violence for volunteers in the community, as well as a training for Sitka Police Department, Sitka Fire Department and S.E. Regional EMS. She has also been given the honor of being asked to deliver addresses ranging from Mt. Edgecumbe High School commencement speeches to keynotes on Elizabeth Peratrovich Day and Indigenous People’s Day.

In more recent years, she was appointed and then elected to the Sitka School Board, where, alongside the other members of the board, she has sought to mindfully make the difficult decisions Sitkans are facing regarding education funding challenges in the community. 

Brady-Howard is biological mother to Isabella “Izzy” Jackson, who is preparing for high school while also taking on the mantle as a member of the fourth generation of Brady women to be leaders within the Kiks.ádi clan. In addition to Izzy, Brady-Howard has been a mother to untold numbers of young men and women, most particularly her cousin Vanessa, her stepdaughter Tyler, and Louisa. Though her partner, Larry Garrity, will never let her forget that he knew her when she was in diapers, he still delights in pampering her after a long day of work and volunteering.

When she isn’t at work or engaged in one of her numerous volunteer commitments, Brady-Howard loves to sing, dance, watch ‘‘Lord of the Rings,’’ ‘‘Star Trek’’ and ‘‘Star Wars,’’ and drink grande double buzzsaws with way too much cream. 

Good luck, and keep on dancing!

Traci Gale

Traci Gale was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a doctor of pharmacy degree. In 1991, she joined the U.S. Public Health Service as a commissioned officer and moved to Oregon to work for the Indian Health Service at the Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center as a staff pharmacist. While in Oregon, she met her husband Chris and had two wonderful children, Cooper and Ruby. While there she learned to love the outdoors and got to try many new activities like river rafting, rock climbing, skiing and backpacking.

In 1995, Gale volunteered to help the SEARHC Medical Clinic in Juneau when they needed a temporary pharmacist and brought up the family for an Alaska adventure. She visited Sitka and fell in love with the town. She dropped off a resume at Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital in the hopes that there might be a job opening. A couple of months later, she moved to Sitka and never looked back. Gale started as a staff pharmacist at the hospital and today is the director of pharmacy for SEARHC. She manages the hospital pharmacy, five outpatient clinic pharmacies, and is responsible for drug distribution to several rural clinics throughout Southeast Alaska. She is a captain on the Public Health Service and has served close to 27 years of active duty. 

Gale deployed to Texas during Hurricane Katrina. There she worked with other medical professionals to set up shelters for displaced people with special needs. In 2006, she was appointed by the governor to serve on the Alaska State Medicaid Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee and served for six years.

Gale has also worked with the city,  State of Alaska, and other local public health organizations to coordinate several citywide flu clinics. She oversaw the vaccine procurement, storage and distribution. She has installed WedSafe’s at all SEARHC pharmacies so that community members can safely dispose of unused or expired medications, thus keeping them off the streets. Gale is working with Project Hope, which seeks to provide Narcan to Alaskan communities affected by the opioid crisis. She has trained staff in four Southeast communities on how to recognize symptoms of overdose and train community members to administer Narcan to those affected. These efforts are all in the hope that lives can be saved by education and treatment of those suffering from addiction. 

Over the years, Gale has volunteered for the numerous school and social activities that her children were involved in. These include fundraising for soccer, band and jazz band; costuming and make-up for numerous plays and dance recitals; assistant coaching; judging drama and debate meets; housing numerous students; and chaperoning for school trips. Gale is not one to sit idle, and despite all her time serving her community, her workplace, and her family, she still finds time to take care of herself and engage in healthy and fun activities that benefit the community as well.

Gale has volunteered for Girls on the Run, Only Fools Run at Midnight, and Raven Radio. She played community league softball and volleyball and danced with the New Archangel Dancers for about 10 years.

Gale trained for and received a certificate to teach body combat, which she has done at Refresh Fitness since 2013. In 2015, Gale joined the Sitka Sound Slayers Roller Derby and served on the board of directors as treasurer from September 2015 through June 2017. On most days you can catch her walking across the bridge on her lunch hour to stay healthy, both mentally and physically.

Julia Smith

At the age of 3, Julia Ann Hoffman Smith found she loved singing when she had a solo in the Christmas program at the Methodist Church where her father, Rev. Edward L. Hoffman, was pastor and her mother, Vivian O. Hoffman, lead music. Smith was the eldest of four siblings, Larry, Drew and Leigh. When Smith was 9 her mother died after a long illness. Her father married Ellen W. Hoffman. Smith graduated from South High School in Worcester, Massachusetts, continued on to get an associates degree from Worcester Junior College. She married Richard Smith, and they settled in Sutton, Massachusetts, where they built their first home.

After her daughter Lauren was born, Smith became a stay at home mom. She sang with the Worcester Chorus and her church in the choir. Also at church she lead the youth group, and joined United Methodist Women. She became a Blue Bird Leader for Lauren and her friends.

Joshua was born five years after Lauren. While Lauren was in school, she and Joshua would deliver Meals on Wheels.

Smith continued her education, and went to school nights while caring for her family. She graduated from Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, Magna Cum Laude in 1978 with an emphasis in social work, gerontology and English. Eventually, she earned a master’s degree in health services administration at St. Joseph’s College in Maine.

In 1978 the family moved to Sitka. After a time of subbing for the Sitka School District and teaching pre-school at Betty Eliason Child Care Center, in 1980 she accepted the part-time job of social worker at the Sitka Pioneers Home.

With Lauren and Josh in school and a part-time job, Smith had some time to help in her church and in the community. At the United Methodist Church of Sitka, Smith sang in the choir and taught Sunday School. She was also active in the United Methodist Women on the local level as well as on the state level when she took the position of social action coordinator. In the community she sang in a community choir, became a Girl Scout leader, and helped with Little League, swimming and Boy Scouts. She also became a member of the board of directors of the Betty Eliason Child Care Center during the time the current location was built.

In 1990 Smith was appointed administrator of the Sitka Pioneers Home. Through her work she was able with the help of the staff to begin the Eden Alternative. She arranged for Brave Heart and Mt. Edgecumbe Pre-school to find permanent homes on the Pioneers Home campus. Smith was appointed to the City of Sitka’s Strategic Planning and Economic Development Commission. And became a member of a local collaborative group, Turning Point Toward Health.

Today, as a retiree Smith continues to work in her church, singing in the choir and playing hand bells. She teaches Bible studies, and is the treasurer of United Methodist Women. She is also the lay leader and a certified lay speaker. She is involved in promoting Days For Girls, and with her daughter Lauren Allen, organizes the Giving Tree. She is dean of the Discovery Elementary Camp at Eagle River United Methodist Camp in Juneau. She has held the offices of spiritual growth and president in United Methodist Women on the state level, and currently is the legacy liaison. In the Western region was the vice president of United Methodist Women, which put her in charge of the program of a three-day conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In the community, Smith is the treasurer of the Pioneers Home Auxiliary; and president of the Sitka Outreach and Support: Lifeline Group, which is a collaborative group to help the poor in our community. As a part of SOS:Lifeline she is also a part of the HOPE Coalition and the Homeless Coalition. She volunteered with Community Schools teaching Kindermusik.

She volunteers with the AFS high school student exchange program; hosting four students from around the world, and is the support coordinator for Southeast Alaska.

She is a member of the strategic committee for Pick, Click, Give; Alaska Community Foundation. Smith sings with the Sacred Harp Group and at the Pioneers Home Thursday evening sing-a-long.

Smith loves to spend time with her family, Lauren and David Allen, Zaide and Zia Allen in Sitka, and Joshua and Jodi, Ben and Eli Smith in Eureka, Calif., as well as her siblings and her father, who is now 95. She continues to sew quilts and is a member of the Ocean Wave Quilters and loves to teach knitting at Knitting With Class. Travel is another joy as well as spending time with friends. Smith says that you can sum up her life by the phrase, “Faith, Family and Friends.”

Jan Straley

Moving to Alaska more than 40 years ago was a gamble for Jan and John Straley. They arrived with undergraduate degrees in fisheries and creative writing, respectively. Being young and naïve, and having moved to a place with boundless chances to follow paths of opportunity was sheer luck. Straley, who began her marine mammal research with a winter volunteer job on Admiralty Island and consistent support from John, has developed a program researching the behavior and population dynamics of large whales, including interactions with fisheries. Straley is a professor of marine biology at UAS-Sitka Campus and has received broad recognition for her research and efforts in science education with a focus on mentoring young women in science. 

Straley was a founder of Sitka WhaleFest in 1997 and the Sitka Sound Science Center in 2007. These organizations have provided a framework for developing science-focused programs for students from kindergartners to undergraduates interested in fisheries, marine science, aquaculture and other sciences. Younger students experience activities with scientists through a successful Scientist in the Schools program and learn that science is everywhere in their lives. Undergraduates experience a rare learning experience at Sitka WhaleFest, where scientific learning is relevant and accessible. These programs have changed the culture of science in the educational experience of Sitka’s students. Straley continues to study marine mammals and their interactions with human activities and has integrated the viewpoint of coastal community sustainability of resources and ocean health (leading to human health), into her research. 

Straley has had a productive career. She has been recognized for her research with an Ocean Leadership Award for Excellence in Marine Science from the Alaska SeaLife Center in 2012 and by the University of Alaska Board of Regents Meritorious Service Award in 2013. She has published more than 100 scientific articles.

In 2015, she compiled and published a book of essays about Ed Ricketts and how place shapes life. The book titled: ‘‘Ed Ricketts from Cannery Row to Sitka, Alaska: Science, History and Reflections along the Pacific Coast,’’ tells the story about Jack and Sasha Calvin bringing Ed Ricketts and Joseph Campbell to Sitka in 1932. In 2015, Straley secured a patent with Dr. Julie Haglin to use biologically-relevant chemical attractants for marine predators. 

Living in a place where you can study whales at your doorstep has helped immensely in her success. Balancing life and work has not been easy but following a passion is a family trait, captured by her son Finn, now a stand-up comic. For Straley a diagnosis of Parkinson’s nine years ago, has added additional challenges but with the support of family, friends and community she has worked (slowly) toward new adventures and accomplishments in her career.