ASHRAB Member Biographies

Dean Dawson, State Archivist

Dawson accepted the position of Alaska State Archivist on July 1, 2010. Prior to his appointment, he served as Acting State Archivist for eight months.

Dawson has been a state employee for more than 26 years. He became a records analyst in 1994 and administered the Records & Information Management Program for several years. He also accessioned, processed, and researched archival holdings as a reference associate for five years. He attained a certified records manager credential in 2002 and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls.

Judy Bittner, Deputy Coordinator

I have served as Chief of the Alaska Office History and Archaeology, (Department of Natural Resources) and as State Historic Preservation Officer since 1984. As Historic Preservation Officer, I serve as an ex-officio member and Deputy Coordinator of the AHRAB. I am also a board member or ex-officio board member of the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, Cook Inlet Historical Society, Alaska Association of Historic Preservation and Alaska Historical Society. My family first came to Alaska during the Gold Rush, and I grew up in Anchorage where my father’s family settled in 1915. I received a BA in Anthropology from the University of Arizona and an MA in Anthropology from University of Wisconsin.

Zachary R. Jones

Zachary R. Jones was born in Logan, Utah. He obtained a BA in History from Utah State University in 2006, a MA in Comparative History from the College of William & Mary, Virginia in 2008, and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Archives & Records Administration from University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 2009. In 2007 Jones became Head of the Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Special Collections Research Center Library, which collects Alaska Native historical records. Jones also teaches evening classes on history and archival science at UAS as an Adjunct Instructor of History.

Gladi Kulp

Gladi Kulp of Juneau, retired as Head of the Historical Collections, Alaska State Library and Acting Archivist of the State of Alaska. She currently serves on the board of the Alaska Historical Society and was a member of the Native Advisory Board of the Alaska Digital Project. She received a B.A. in English from Kings College, Briarcliff, NY, an M.Ed. from Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, and an MLIS, with an emphasis in archival studies, from the University of California, Berkeley. Her wish is to inspire others to appreciate and value our state and local history.

Teresa Fahning

Teresa was appointed as City Clerk for the City of Soldotna in 2003. Her previous positions include Assistant City Clerk for the City of Sacramento, California, Central Records Supervisor for the Sacramento Medical Foundation, and Deputy Borough Clerk for the Kenai Peninsula Borough. Teresa attained her certification as a Municipal Clerk in 1994, and is a member of ARMA International, a non-profit association for records and information management professionals, the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators, the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, the Alaska Association of Municipal Clerks, and the National Association of Parliamentarians.

Peter Caffall-Davis

Peter Caffall-Davis, of Hyder, is president and founder of LMI Alaska Inc., a real estate title service company. He has been founder, operator and manager of several legal support and litigation service organizations in Seattle and Salt Lake City. Caffall-Davis established the Hyder Archives, a repository of historical information related to the community of Hyder. He was appointed to a public seat. Peter first came to Alaska in 1979. Later leaving and living outside for several years he returned in 2000 and currently lives in Hyder with his wife Libby. Peter is semi-retired and working on indexing all of Hyder's history.

Margaret Asbury

Margaret Asbury was appointed Archivist for the Alaska & Polar Regions Collections (APR) in September of 2011 after serving as Acting Archivist since April 2010. She served as Associate Archivist for APR from January 1998 to April 2010. Prior to attending library school, Margaret served as a Research Associate and indexer for the Native Studies Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a library assistant in APR’s Oral History Program, and a library technician in APR. She holds a BA in Sociology from Old Dominion University, an MA in Anthropology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and an MLIS from the University of Texas at Austin.

Bruce Parham

Bruce Parham of Anchorage, retired as Director of the National Archives at Anchorage in 2011, after 22 years of federal service with the National Archives & Records Administration. He currently serves on the board of the Cook Inlet Historical Society. He received a BA in History from Western State College, Gunnison, CO, an MA in Library Science with an emphasis in archives-manuscripts administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MA in History from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He also holds a Certified Archivist certificate (emeritus) from the Academy of Certified Archivists. He is a member of the Society of American Archivists, Northwest Archivists, Cook Inlet Historical Society, and the Alaska Historical Society.