Partnerships

Partnership & Public Engagement

Working together, caring for the land and serving people.

What is the Office of Partnership and Public Engagement? 

Working together is how Team Alaska is successful in caring for the land and serving people. The Office of Partnership and Public Engagement (OPPE) combines several program areas into one collaborative team with expertise in partnership coordination, public engagement, recruitment and retention, and grants and agreements. 

Alaska Region Partnership Focus Areas

  • Partnerships

    youth from the Village of Kake improving a trail on Grave Island

    Partnering to make a greater environmental impact!  

  • Volunteer

    a culvert replaced to improve fish passage and flood resilience on the Chugach National Forest

    Volunteer and make a difference!  

  • Secure Rural Schools

    beach project at PWS

    Join a RAC or submit proposals!

  • Recruitment & Retention

    Courtney James of Kake YCC/TRAYLS recording her grandmother Emily's headstone at Grave Island, Kake, Alaska.

    Join us at achieving conservation goals! 

  • Public Engagement

    agreement signing ceremony supporting the creation of the Indigenous Guardians Program for Southeast Alaska

    Let us know what you think. 

  • Grants & Agreements

    agreement signing ceremony supporting the creation of the Indigenous Guardians Program for Southeast Alaska

    The partnership process! 

Key Contacts

OPPE Biographies

Kathy Holm
Director of Office of Partnerships & Public Engagement
kathy.holm@usda.gov

Nikki Olsen
Partnerships Program Lead
907-419-6887
nicole.olsen2@usda.gov

Jason Steele
Recruitment & Retention Specialist
Jason.Steele3@usda.gov

Aubree Benson 
Lead Grants Management Specialist
aubree.benson@usda.gov

Mallory Munz
Lead Grants Management Specialist
mallory.munz@usda.gov

Darrin Kelly
Public Engagement Coordinator
darrin.kelly@usda.gov