AKPIRG

This summer, we welcomed Gratia Rowell to our team as the Energy Policy Analyst! 🎉

Gratia was born and raised on Abenaki lands in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Gratia holds a B.A. in Political Science from Simmons University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Alaska. Previously, her work at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power as a research assistant included conducting policy research on possible impacts of the Power Cost Equalization program on renewable energy deployment in rural Arctic villages and a program evaluation of the Renewable Energy Fund. Gratia enjoys hiking, biking, and reading in her free time.

We are so excited to have Gratia on our team. Please join us in welcoming her to AKPIRG!

To learn more about Gratia and other AKPIRG staff, visit akpirg.org/team 🌟

Earlier this week we shared the final installment of our American Community Survey (ACS) Alaska Native Languages Toolkit. This project was years in the making, and we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible team behind it.

The project was led by Rochelle Adams, AKPIRG's Language Access Director, with support from Erin Willahan, Jaylein Kriska, and Brittany Woods-Orrison. Together, they helped connect panelists from across Alaska with information about the American Community Survey and why reporting Alaska Native languages matters. When Alaska Native languages are counted in the ACS, they become more visible to government agencies, helping unlock language access resources, translated materials, and other investments that support language revitalization efforts.

We're also deeply grateful to Chloey Cavanaugh of Black & White Raven Co., whose thoughtful design work gave the project its visual identity. Chloey worked closely with our panelists to transform their ideas, experiences, and cultural knowledge into beautiful, accessible, and printable posters that can be shared by communities across Alaska.

Most importantly, we hope you’ll join us in thanking our language panelists, who generously shared their time, expertise, creativity, and vision for the future of Alaska Native languages. This toolkit reflects the priorities, strengths, and knowledge of communities across Alaska, and would not exist without their leadership.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this project possible!

Mahsì’ choo! Tsin’aen! Chin’an! Quyanaqpak! Enaa baasee’! Gunalchéesh! Qaĝaasakung! Quyana! Háw’aa!

Housing advocates and community members across the city agree: Anchorage needs better access to housing. 🏘️

Tonight, the Anchorage Assembly is set to introduce the Missing Middle Housing Opportunity Overlay (MMHOP), a proposal that would make it easier to build more housing along transit corridors and help address the city's growing housing shortage.

By increasing the supply of middle-income housing, MMHOP aims to make homeownership more attainable and help bring down housing costs for Anchorage residents.

Anchorage Housing Club and AKPIRG strongly support this ordinance. Stay tuned for more ways to get involved as part of Housing Action Summer. ☀️😎