ART GELVIN
Art is employed by the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, working on a wide variety of projects throughout Alaska. He holds a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from UAF and is working on a master’s degree in remote sensing. He has also worked in retail, including the produce and bakery departments at Fred Meyers, and knows that grocery is a tough business. He enjoys cooking, browsing the cookbooks in bookstores and perusing the shelves in small, out-of-the-way grocery stores.
BRIAN KASSOF
Brian loves the co-op because it makes Fairbanks a better place to live and provides access to healthy, sustainable, ethically sourced food. He has experience working in self-governance as a board member at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fairbanks and has participated in governance at UAF. He credits his academic training in history with helping him develop strong analytical and communication skills, as well as an eye for detail.
PATRICE LEE
ANDUIN McELROY
Anduin has served on the board for six years, most recently serving as chair. Currently a stay-at-home mom, she has worked as a planner and technical writer and has pursued graduate work in Earth System Science and Policy, specializing in renewable energy and land use policy. She previously served on several boards, including the Southwest Oklahoma Literacy Council and the Greater Grand Forks (ND) Community Theatre.
RICHARD SEIFERT
A Co-op Market Owner since 2008, Richard has served as the board treasurer for many years. A retired professor at UAF, Rich is a consultant/teacher in energy efficiency, solar design and indoor air quality. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from West Chester (PA) State University and a master’s in engineering physics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
HILARY SHOOK
Hillary is a deputy center manager of the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, collaborating to ensure the efficient response to emergency incidents. In her work, she instructs dispatch courses and serves on local and national committees. She coordinates the Feds Feed Families food drive at Alaska Fire Service.
Hillary was an Americorps Volunteer and program coordinator at Hoosier Hills Food Bank in Bloomington, Indiana, where she worked closely with donors, agencies and volunteers to distribute food to at-risk families. She later served as an assistant manager of perishable foods at Bloomingfoods Cooperative, where she purchased local meats, dairy and breads and coordinated local farm tours.
BRIANA WALTERS
Briana Walters is a first-generation Alaskan with a lifelong history in the Fairbanks area. She is the director of the Office of Management & Budget at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from UAF and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Alaska Southeast. She enjoys searching for new recipes to feed her husband and three sons and believes the Co-op is the best, first choice for local produce, meats and dairy. A board member since 2022, she is interested in expanding the Co-op’s reach within Fairbanks and the surrounding communities, and welcoming new owners and shoppers.
