Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom awarded Sally Russell Cox with the annual Shirley Demientieff award Friday at the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Convention.

Sally Russell Cox has been working with the Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs (DCRA) for nearly two decades. She manages DCRA’s Community Resilience Programs, that includes serving as the State of Alaska’s Risk MAP Coordinator, a FEMA program focused on increasing community resilience through data collection, risk assessments and community planning. Cox has worked directly with the communities of Newtok, Kivalina, Shaktoolik and Shishmaref to develop community resilience plans.

“Shirley Demientieff was not only a trailblazer, but a beacon of strength, resilience and compassion. It’s my honor to present the Shirley Demientieff Award to Sally Russell Cox,” said Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom. “The work that Sally has done for Alaska is the epitome of what this award stands for.”

Cox earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and planning and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning. Cox leads the State for the Community Assistance Support Function for FEMA’s Interagency Recovery Coordination effort for Typhoon Merbok, and partnered with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium on a report titled, “The Unmet Needs of Environmentally Threatened Alaska Native Villages: Assessment and Recommendations.”

Cox is the state lead for the Alaska Silver Jackets Team focusing on natural hazard risk reduction in Alaska.

To learn more, watch the award ceremony here.

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