Welcome to our Women Police of Alaska webpage! As we enter the second half of summer, I hope yours has been a good one! Speaking of summer, our annual WPA summer picnic is Saturday, July 23, 2011 at Rae Arno’s Wildwood Farm in Wasilla. See the “Meetings and Events” link for details. Thank you to Rae and Susan for sharing your home with us once again.
We had a great turnout at our Annual General Membership meeting at the Glacier Brewhouse during the 2011 Alaska Peace Officers Association Crime Conference in Anchorage on May 16. If you were unable to make to the General Membership meeting, the minutes from the meeting are posted under the “Minutes” link. Because of the geographical distances between our members, if you cannot be present at meetings, it is my hope this website becomes a regular way for all of us to keep up with the activities of our association.
The results of the biennial elections held this past spring were announced at the annual meeting and are as follows: President – Michele Logan (that would be me), Detective in the Financial Crimes Unit of the Anchorage Police Department; Vice President – Kris Sell, Lieutenant with the Juneau Police Department; Secretary – Sherrie Daigle, the Chief Investigator for the State of Alaska Workers’ Compensation Fraud investigation Section; and Treasurer – Rae Arno, retired from the Alaska State Troopers and the Treasurer for WPA since inception in 1997.
The four board members elected at large are Maxine Andrews, background investigator for the Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police; Andrea Jacobson, Investigator in the Financial Crimes Unit of the Alaska Bureau of Investigation (AST); Angella Long, Investigator with the Office of Professional Standards (DPS); and Tara Tippett, recently retired Lieutenant from the Fairbanks Police Department.
Speaking of retirements, in other member news, our Past-President, Laurie Burkmire, also recently retired from chief of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport Police and Fire Department. As well, Kelly Alzaharna, has taken a position with the Alaska Peace Standards Council after retiring as chief of the North Slope Borough Police Department. She is currently the acting Executive Director filling the spot vacated by WPA member Terry Vrabec, who was recently appointed to Deputy Commissioner of the State of Alaska Department of Public Safety. Congratulations to all. If I have missed any news, be sure to send it to me at michele.logan@womenpoliceofalaska.org.
In other news, the 2011 UAA Women in Law Enforcement recruitment fair has been set for Wednesday, October 5, 2011 in the Student Union at University of Alaska Anchorage. This will be our third year to sponsor the recruitment fair with the Alaska State Troopers. Also, WPA Board member Andrea Jacobson and I continue to work on the application for a gaming permit for WPA to increase our options for fund-raising and opportunities to fund more programs, including scholarships. More details will be coming soon.
In the meantime, I hope to see you at the July picnic. Enjoy the rest of the summer and stay safe!
Your President
Michele Logan