I was born into a proud 2nd generation Alaskan family and have lived in Delta Junction, Alaska my entire life. My career spans the construction trades across Alaska—from working in remote areas like Prudhoe Bay to scenic locales like Valdez—also as a Security Lead on the MDC (Fort Greely) under the maintenance contract. In addition along with my family owned and operated local sporting goods store Granite View Sports, where I proudly support our community by providing quality gear for outdoor adventures.
I’m a dedicated father, an enthusiastic hockey coach, and an engaged community member. When I’m not working or coaching, you’ll likely find me embracing Alaska’s wild nature through fishing and hunting and everything outdoors with my family.
Occupation: Criminal Justice Technician 2
Reason For Joining RAES: EMS is critical for any community and I am passionate about helping sustain long term viable ALS services for our community. Having a background in EMS Coordination, I felt I could share my knowledge to help the community. My family uses ALS services frequently per circumstances out of our control and know how crucial the service is for everyone.
Career Background:
2012 — Criminal Justice Technician 2 for Alaska State Trooper
2015-2018 Owner/Operator Arctic Monkey Garage
2010-2012 EMS Coordinator, City of Delta Junction
2005-2007 Medical Insurance Billing/ Safety Equipment Management
2001-2015 Medical Transcriptionist/ Owner
1997-2002 Certified Nursing Assistant
I am a Homegrown Delta Resident, not born but raised for most of my life where I call this home alongside my husband and three sons. Life has brought us a few medical challenges and I understand through my personal life and career how important medical services are. This community stands for everything you want to see in a small town, and I am proud to call Delta home!
Occupation: School Counselor
Reason for joining the RAES team: I joined RAES to support the startup mission of finding sustainable funding for an ambulance service in our town. After a tragic accident happened to me in a rural location, I realized how important it is in our community to have a qualified ALS service for our residents.
Career Background:
School Counselor for DGSD 2009-2017
High school softball coach
Virtual school counselor and academic readiness coach
Director of Adapting To Adversity non-profit
Community volunteer and organizer of various projects
Occupation: Bookkeeper
Reason for joining the RAES team: Having an EMS in Delta Junction is very important to me so it can continue to be a safe and wonderful place to raise our kids. I’m excited to join RAES as Treasurer to be able to show the community the transparency of the donations given to RAES and how they are spent to insure our community has the protection we need with EMS.
Career Background: I was raised in Delta Junction, AK and received a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Accounting from UAF. I’ve held several accounting positions over the years to include Assistant Director of Accounting at Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Once my husband and I started a family we moved home to Delta to raise our two boys and I now run my own bookkeeping business.
Occupation: Mechanical Engineer/Firefighter
Reason for joining the RAES team: Rural Alaskan communities need reliable EMS for their economies
and residents to thrive, so when DMT announced it would be ceasing ALS Ambulance Operations for the
Deltana area in January of 2024 it was obvious that someone needed to do something. I found I could not
sit by for “someone” to step up when I’ve had so many examples before me of people that rose to serve
their neighbors. A community cannot flourish without neighbors serving one another, and few people
know that like rural Alaskans.
Career Background: After working on aircraft in the Marine Corps and then four more years as a
civilian working on both military and civilian aircraft, I returned to school to earn my BS in Engineering,
Mechanical Concentration. From there I’ve designed tooling and test equipment, supported systems, dealt
with obsolescence, developed repair and test methods and procedures, and more. In 2021 I joined Rural
Deltana Volunteer Fire Department as a firefighter, and continue to serve on the department as a captain.
Occupation: Small business owner/project manager
Reason for joining the RAES team: If I could state one reason for serving on the RAES board, it’s because I believe in our community. I believe that we are still the kind of people who will work hard and come together to support one another, and to give out of our own pockets to make that happen. My family is now a fourth generation Delta family, and I firmly believe that we can – and will – build a stable, community-led structure to support Emergency Services in our area for years to come.
Career Background: I am a life-long Delta resident, growing up on a homestead along the Tanana River in a log cabin my parents built themselves. We learned early to work hard, live within our means, and take care of our friends and family, which I still see as the heart and guiding light of our Delta Jct/Deltana/Greely community. My mom, Carol Dufendach, volunteered with the Delta EMS service for years, and there were many mornings when my older sister fed us breakfast and got us to school because Mom was still out on a run. She is just one of many in Delta’s EMS world who have shown us what sacrifice and service look like, and it’s an honor to help carry the mission forward in these critical times.
As the years have gone by, my husband Michael and I have made our home here in Delta as well. Life is full keeping up with our three kids (and their sports!) and running our company which brings water and sanitation systems to rural Alaskan communities. I also serve on the Delta Greely School Board, the board of directors for the Association of Alaskan School Boards, and various positions related to our local Scout troops. In our free time, we love to escape to the mountains or up the Clearwater River.
Occupation: Currently retired
Reason for Joining RAES: I believe the need for continued, sustainable, EMS (ALS preferred) is crucial for the entire rural/urban population of Delta Junction. I wish to contribute and see this goal come to fruition.
Career Background: Studied Public Service at Iowa State; continued to Drake and DMACC; became certified Surgical Technologist/ First Assistant on Trauma Team 1 at Level 1 Regional Trauma Center in Iowa for 6 years prior to arriving in Alaska. I have worked as a Social Worker, Drug and Alcohol and Counselor, Public Information Officer and night Dispatch for Department of Forestry; served on Deltana Community Corporation (DCC) and Chair Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). Emergency Coordinator; Served on Joint Terrorism Task Force JTTF and Anti-Bioterrorism Task Force. Liaison for GMD at Fort Greely Base; Directorate Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security (DPTMS) Fort Greely Training Officer. Worked as a private contractor for State of Alaska counseling for DFYS and area families. My husband Dwight Phillips and I have three daughters and eleven grandchildren.
Occupation: Firefighter/Paramedic
Reason for joining the RAES team: As the challenges of dwindling EMS funding in Delta became more apparent, I joined forces with a group of like-minded individuals, bringing my medical and emergency services experience to the table, to work toward finding a sustainable solution for the community I’ve always called home.
Background: I’ve called Delta Junction home for most of my life. Thanks to the support of DMT and the opportunities they provided, I was able to build my career as both a paramedic and firefighter. I spent the majority of my career serving the Delta community, where I had the privilege of applying my experience as a medic to provide critical care to those in need. My journey then led me to transition to the Department of Defense, where I continue to draw on that same expertise. Even so, I remain deeply committed to Delta and continue to support the community through a mutual aid agreement with Fort Greely.
Occupation: Technology and Marketing/PR
Reason for joining the RAES team: I believe in contributing to this community and would love to bring a positive impact by helping the community reach its goals and dreams. We cannot survive without a fully funded and community-backed ALS EMS system. I am here to help make that mission a reality.
Short career history: I started as a software developer after completing my BS in Information Science and Technology, working on classified programs for Lockheed Martin. I received my MS in Information Science and Technology while working there. Microsoft hired as a field consultant implementing Microsoft technology for Fortune 500 companies on the East Coast for 10 years. I then expanded my horizons and got my MBA in Marketing, Strategy, and Leadership from NYU, transitioned to a technical marketing role within Microsoft, and relocated to Seattle to work in Redmond on marketing Microsoft technology products like Office 365, AI services, and VR. After leaving Microsoft, I worked at several startups, including the cybersecurity, VR, and blockchain/crypto/NFT areas. I have since focused on expanding my marketing consulting business, diving headfirst into farming, and building our fully self-sustaining farm.
Occupation: Production / Operations Manager
Reason for joining the RAES team: I believe that a sustainable ALS EMS is vital to Delta and the surrounding area. We all need to do our part to support the funding of this now and into the future, and I am committed to achieving that goal. My family and I moved to Delta in 2017. Prior to this we spent two years living on a remote salmon hatchery in southeast Alaska. There I saw firsthand what it’s like when you don’t have access to a ground ambulance service. I previously held an ETT qualification to help manage medical emergencies in remote situations.
Career Background: I have spent the past 27 years in fishery management in the UK, Washington state, and Alaska. I am the production manager of one of the state’s largest private non-profit hatchery organizations, tasked with providing salmon for all Alaska user groups. Skills I can bring to my role as a RAES board member include preparing and managing multi-million dollar budgets, working with state and federal agencies, problem solving and critical thinking and organization. I hold a Bachelors degree in marine biology.
Dale Varra is a retired criminal investigator with 28 years experience working for municipal, county and state organizations and serving in several specialized and management roles. Dale spent 9 years on the trans-Alaska pipeline, leaving as Security sergeant to take on a roll as CIO with a medical facility in Alaska. Dale currently holds a principal / CIO and title 9 investigator position with a K-12 public school. Dale has earned multiple degrees in criminal justice, IT and theology. Dale enjoys spending time with his family and grandchildren, is an avid woodworker and enjoys shooting and camping.