Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sean Parnell yesterday announced recent appointments to the Board of Examiners in Optometry, Board of Chiropractic Examiners, Education Commission of the States, Water and Wastewater Works Advisory Board, Historical Records Advisory Board, and the Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute Advisory Board.

Board of Examiners in Optometry

Governor Parnell appointed Immanuel Lewis to the Optometry Board. The board works to regulate and control the practice of optometry and issues applications, licenses, and permits.

Lewis, of Anchorage, is a government account manager with AT&T Alascom, where he has worked in a variety of positions. Active in his community, Lewis is a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and has been a Junior Achievement job shadow mentor. Lewis was a nominee for 2008 Mentor of the Year, an award given by the U.S. Dream Academy. He is appointed to a seat reserved for a member of the public.

Board of Chiropractic Examiners

Governor Parnell appointed Dr. Edward Barrington to the Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The board regulates and controls applications, licenses, and permits of the chiropractic profession.

Barrington, of Anchorage, is a lifelong Alaskan and the owner of Barrington Chiropractic. He also worked as a practicing doctor and partner with Community Chiropractic Clinic for more than a decade. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alaska, and received his professional degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic. Barrington was Alaska Chiropractor of the Year in 1993 and 1994. He is appointed to a seat reserved for a chiropractor.

Education Commission of the States

Governor Parnell appointed Nancy Norman to the Education Commission of the States. The commission works to help states develop effective policy and practice for public education by providing data, research, analysis and leadership, and by facilitating collaboration, exchange of ideas among the states, and long-range strategic thinking.

Norman, of Juneau, is a former teacher with more than 30 years of classroom experience in both regular and special education. She has taught in all grades, mostly in Alaskan communities. She currently works as a private education consultant, helping superintendents, principals, and teachers improve student learning. Norman served as a senior presenter for the Alaska Staff Development Network; conducted professional development for school districts throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, and overseas; taught at the university level; and presented at numerous state and national conferences. Norman is the recipient of several national and state awards including Alaska’s Teacher of the Year, the U.S. Department of Education Christa McAuliffe Fellowship, the Milken National Educator Award, and the Alaska PTA Outstanding Educator Award. She is also the author of a math resource book for teachers, and is appointed to an at-large seat.

Water and Wastewater Works Advisory Board

Governor Parnell reappointed Michael Pollen and appointed William Justice and Richard Steckel to the Water and Wastewater Works Advisory Board. The board advises and assists the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation in preparing certification exams and reviewing applications; develops regulations governing water and wastewater operator certification; classifies treatment systems; and serves as a semi-final authority in settling disputes between operators and the department.

Pollen, of Fairbanks, is the president and owner of NTL Alaska, a water and wastewater consulting firm. He has worked with Dames and Moore Consultants and in various field engineering roles during the construction of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. He is the former president of the Alaska Water Management Association, the past chairman of the Alaska Section of the American Water Works Association, and past president of the Water Environment Federation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Pollen is reappointed to an at-large seat.

Justice, of Fairbanks, is the director of environmental health at the Tanana Chiefs Conference. He has served in various environmental health roles with the Indian Health Service throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, including Dillingham, Anchorage, and Bellingham, Washington. Justice holds a master’s degree in public health from Tulane University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental health from Western Carolina University. He has received numerous awards for his years of service, including the U.S. Army Achievement Medal for Operation Arctic Care. Justice is appointed to an at-large seat.

Steckel, of Eagle River, is the director of the treatment division at the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility. He has worked at the utility since 1983, serving in a variety of roles. Steckel is appointed to an at-large seat.

Historical Records Advisory Board

Governor Parnell reappointed Robert Parham and appointed Megan Friedel and LaRue Barnes to the Historical Records Advisory Board. The board reviews project requests and grant applications, and reviews and plans for statewide needs relating to records management and historical documents.

Parham, of Anchorage, retired as the director of regional archives for the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration in 2011. During his more than 30 year career as an archivist, he worked with the National Archives at Anchorage, the Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Boulder Historical Society, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and many others. Parham has received the President’s Award from the Alaska Historical Society, and an award from the Alaska Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. He is a member of the National History Day in Alaska State Committee, and has been a member of the Alaska Historical Society, the Cook Inlet Historical Society Board of Directors, and the board of directors of Northwest Archivists, Inc. Parham earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Western State College, a master’s degree in library science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a master’s degree in history from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is reappointed to a seat reserved for a member of the public with professional experience in administration of historical records.

Friedel, of Anchorage, is an archivist at the Archives and Special Collections Unit at the Consortium Library of the University of Alaska Anchorage. She has worked with a variety of archives throughout the country, including collections in Oregon and Massachusetts. She holds master’s degrees in history and library science from Simmons College, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Amherst College. She has been involved in several records keeping organizations, including the Northwest Archivists Board of Directors, Society of American Archivists, Oregon State Historical Records Advisory Board, Northwest Digital Archives, and New England Archivists. Friedel is appointed to a seat reserved for a member of the public with professional experience in administration of historical records.

Barnes, of Cordova, is the director of the Native Village of Eyak Cultural Center. She has been a tribal government improvement planner, a visiting professional at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, and an assistant coordinator with the Prince William Sound Infant Learning Program. Barnes is an ordained minister who attended Bethel Temple Bible School. She has been actively involved in historical records keeping as a member of the Museums of Alaska Board of Directors, Western Museums Program Committee, Alaska State Library Archives and Museums Committee, and Foraker Group Operations Board. Barnes is appointed to a seat reserved for a member of the public with professional experience in administration of historical records.

Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute Advisory Board

Governor Parnell reappointed Angela Totemoff to the Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute Advisory Board. The institute was established by federal law in 1990 after the Exxon Valdez oil spill to identify and develop the best available techniques, equipment and materials to deal with cold water marine oil spills, and to help federal and state officials document and assess the long-term effects of such spills.

Totemoff, of Eagle River, has worked for The Tatitlek Corporation for the past two years as a participant in their Shareholder Management Development Program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and an executive MBA in information and communication technology from Alaska Pacific University. Currently she is pursuing a master’s degree in project management from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She was born and raised in Tatitlek, Alaska, and is reappointed to a seat reserved for an Alaska Native who represents an entity in Prince William Sound that was affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill.