Executive Director - Center for Safe Alaskans

Executive Director | Center for Safe Alaskans | Anchorage, Alaska

The Position: Executive Director

Center for Safe Alaskans seeks its next Executive Director to carry forward a legacy of evidence-based public health work, injury prevention, and youth development across Alaska. Following the planned retirement of its longtime Executive Director, Safe Alaskans is well positioned for this transition: financially stable, trusted by partners across Alaska and beyond, and home to a committed team that is widely regarded as the organization's greatest strength. The next Executive Director will build on this strong foundation, deepening the organization's impact while diversifying its funding base and growing its partnerships.

The ideal candidate will bring leadership experience in public health, community health, or a related mission-driven field and genuine connections to Alaska. This is a role for someone who leads with curiosity, takes time to understand what is working, and builds from there.

About Center for Safe Alaskans

The core purposes of the Center for Safe Alaskans are to prevent injuries, promote wellbeing, and improve safety for all Alaskans. Founded in 1998 as the Alaska Injury Prevention Center through a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "Safe Communities America" grant, the organization has grown into a statewide, national, and international leader in evidence-based public health programming, community engagement, and youth development.

In 2015, the Anchorage Youth Development Coalition (AYDC) became a part of the Alaska Injury Prevention Center, broadening the organization's work to include wellbeing promotion and positive youth development alongside injury prevention. The organization rebranded as the Center for Safe Alaskans to reflect this expanded purpose. AYDC is housed at Safe Alaskans with its own mission, leadership team, and strategic plan. AYDC is not a separate legal entity; it

operates as a coalition within Safe Alaskans, with its leadership team providing guidance and supporting the coalition's work. The Safe Alaskans Executive Director provides organizational oversight and decision-making authority. The next Executive Director will need to understand and steward this unique relationship, supporting AYDC's distinct mission and collaborative leadership structure while ensuring alignment with Safe Alaskans' overall strategic plan, core purpose, and values.

Safe Alaskans has an annual budget of approximately $2.0 million, a staff of nine full-time and 5 to 10 temporary employees, and a board of up to 15 directors. The organization is funded primarily through state and federal grants and contracts, supplemented by grants, donations, and other private support. Safe Alaskans is guided by five core values: Innovative, Collaborative, Inclusive and Respectful, Data-Driven, and Strength-Based, and uses a public health approach grounded in the Shared Risk and Protective Factors framework. Based in Anchorage, Safe Alaskans works locally and statewide, with partnerships and initiatives that extend nationally and internationally.

For more information on specific programs and services, please visit: https://safealaskans.org/

Services and Programs

Statewide Leadership and Partnerships

Safe Alaskans has a long history of bringing partners together to advance innovative approaches to safety, health, and wellbeing. The organization holds leadership roles in statewide initiatives, task forces, committees, and partnerships, including Healthy Alaskans 2030, often bringing an important nonprofit and community perspective to the table. This work is grounded in the Shared Risk and Protective Factors framework, recognizing the connections across health and safety outcomes and the value of working across programs, populations, and sectors. The Executive Director plays an important role in this work, representing Safe Alaskans and building and maintaining trusted relationships throughout the state. A strong connection to Alaska, an understanding of its communities, and exceptional relationship-building skills will be essential to continuing this work.

Injury Prevention

Safe Alaskans delivers statewide injury prevention and transportation safety programming across the lifespan, including child passenger, young driver, older driver, bicycle, and pedestrian safety. The organization conducts car seat checks and provides certification training throughout Alaska and distributes tens of thousands of reflective safety materials each year to help protect vulnerable road users during Alaska's long, dark winters. Safe Alaskans also develops and shares evidence-informed tools and resources and collaborates with partners across Alaska, nationally, and internationally to advance injury prevention and promote wellbeing.

Anchorage Youth Development Coalition (AYDC)

AYDC convenes community partners around youth development through monthly coalition meetings, youth grant programs, a leadership training series, and professional development opportunities for youth-serving professionals. Youth grants fund youth-led projects across Anchorage pairing young people with trained project advisors who support them in designing and carrying out work that matters to their communities. Young people help shape what gets funded and how the work happens. AYDC partners with schools and community organizations across Anchorage to embed strength-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive approaches in youth-serving settings. AYDC participates in local coalitions in collaboration with partners focused on strengthening the prevention landscape, influencing policy, and investing in Anchorage youth.

Data and Innovation

Safe Alaskans is also recognized for its work in public health data science, partnering with the Alaska Division of Public Health and other organizations to develop predictive models, interactive dashboards, and applied data tools. This work has contributed to new funding and positions Safe Alaskans at the intersection of research and practice.

Evaluation

Evaluation is also an important part of Safe Alaskans' work. The organization provides evaluation guidance to programs and partners and uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to measure impact, strengthen programs, and inform future strategies. The Executive Director should understand evaluation principles and methods and be able to guide this work or identify and engage appropriate evaluation expertise when needed.

Strategic Priorities

The new Executive Director will focus on the strategic plan priorities. The Board reviews, refines, and approves the plan and provides ongoing guidance as it is implemented.

Long-term Organizational Priorities

Advocate for Safe Alaskans' mission throughout the state, including engagement with policymakers and public health partners.

Grow and retain board and staff to strengthen operational stability and mission impact.

Expand the reach of Safe Alaskans' programming across Alaska.

Build organizational financial resilience through diversified funding and strengthened reserves.

Increase Safe Alaskans' visibility and impact through strategic communications.

Continue to pursue innovative approaches and be prepared and responsive to new opportunities across local, statewide, and national contexts.

Twelve-to-Eighteen Month Priorities

Build relationships and listen first. Spend time learning about the organization, its people, its partnerships, and the landscape in which it operates.

Retain and invest in staff. Continue fostering a people-first culture where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to do their best work. Support staff development through training, credentialing, and other professional growth opportunities.

Learn and steward the AYDC relationship. Develop a working understanding of the shared structure and work of the Coalition.

Diversify and strengthen funding. Continue to broaden the organization's funding base, which may include philanthropy, major g