The AKPIRG Advocate, May 2025
We have a new Executive Director!
Julia's first week reflections, and parting thoughts from Veri
You've heard the news -- Julia Hnilicka joined Team AKPIRG this month as our new Executive Director! The past few weeks, the entire team has been getting to know Julia, introducing her to our work, and giving her a warm AKPIRG welcome.
While we’re excited for this new chapter with Julia at the helm, it is with immense gratitude that we say goodbye to Veri di Suvero, who has served as AKPIRG’s Executive Director for nearly seven years. Veri has been thoughtfully preparing to pass the baton on June 5, sharing knowledge and insights to ensure Julia is set up for success.
As we mark this leadership transition, we wanted to share a few words from both of them. Here are Veri's parting thoughts, and Juila's reflections on her first weeks at AKPIRG.
It's hard to say goodbye – a good thing, quitting while I'm ahead, but incredibly tough when it means leaving amazing people and powerful work. "God is change" Octavia Butler wrote, and I'm operating on this belief: that networks of people fighting and dreaming together are stronger when we keep moving.
I’ve learned so much in this role and can’t fully express how proud I am of what we’ve accomplished. Together, we’ve championed fair districts in the 2020 redistricting process, modeled ethical protocols for Alaska Native language translation, and held elected officials accountable through ethics complaints and policy. Our advocacy is rooted in community and accountability, and our wins – from payday loan rate caps to community solar to the Alaska on-line checkbook – reflect that. And that doesn’t even begin to capture our regulatory victories, education efforts, or research impact.
This role is not easy – on a good day, that's part of the excitement – and that's part of why I'm so grateful and inspired by Julia's excitement and rigor in taking on the Executive Director role. In just the few weeks we've had together to transfer knowledge, I have been continually impressed by her commitment to this work, to Alaska, and to ethical stewardship – of people, of our mission, and never taking our eyes off the ball to make Alaska into the dream we believe it can one day be.
As I pass off the baton, I've promised not to ditch (or to hover) but I plan to continue supporting AKPIRG however I can, far into the future. I'm not sure what's next for me, but I'm looking forward to new challenges, and continuing to build a better world, together.
Best,
Veri di Suvero
Outgoing Executive Director
AKPIRG
It is very humbling to learn a job as vast and comprehensive as the Executive Director of AKPIRG. Running in Veri’s footsteps, I often find myself saying, “I’m learning and growing every day.” Their leadership in the development of this incredible team, network, and powerful body of work is inspiring, and it is truly an honor to help lead the mission forward.
In my first weeks at AKPIRG, I’ve appreciated not only the wins – like the passage of SB 39 limiting predatory payday lending (please voice your support for this bill to Governor Dunleavy!) – but also the way the team embraces new ideas and acts quickly on new information. Always ready to take on meaningful, complex work that benefits Alaskans across our vast state. Their creativity and collaboration are truly energizing.
Right now, in a time of instability across our economic and civic landscapes, nonprofits are being directly challenged. External threats, shrinking funding, and growing distrust are straining the resources and support available to organizations like AKPIRG. But I’m not afraid – because this team is meeting the moment. They’re weaving a stronger web of support across Alaska and doing the work that protects our rights, while strengthening a future rooted in care and accountability.
The other day I ran across this thought – “What a blessing it is to be tired in the pursuit of a challenge of your own choosing.” (Yes, from Instagram.) I’m deeply grateful to be in a space that aligns with my values, gives me room to grow, and surrounds me with such passionate people.
Onward,
Julia Hnilicka
Incoming Executive Director
AKPIRG
This transition marks an exciting new chapter, and your support keeps our momentum going. Help us keep up the fight for a fairer, more accountable Alaska by making a donation to AKPIRG:
Rural Energy Resilience: Kotlik's Shift to Renewables⚡
In Alaska’s remote communities, dependence on diesel fuel for electricity is not only expensive but also poses serious environmental and public health risks. The Village of Kotlik is taking bold steps to change that.
Led by Richard Oaks Bender - Yup'ik name Pilaarilria, meaning “he will do as he says” and “he will get it started” - and the Kongnikilnomuit Yuita Corporation, Kotlik is shifting toward the renewable energy sources of battery storage, solar, and wind. This transition, supported by several federal funding programs, is part of a larger movement toward local, place-based energy solutions that reduce costs, improve air quality, and protect Alaska’s fragile environment from diesel spills and pollution.
The move toward energy sovereignty allows Indigenous communities like Kotlik to take control of their energy future. Bender hopes Kotlik’s progress will inspire other rural communities to pursue energy independence, improve public health, and build long-term climate resilience across Alaska.
Many thanks to everyone who helped make this story possible:
Richard Oakes Bender, Pilaarilria - Kongnikilnomuit Yuita Corporation
Akela Space (video production)
Resource Rural
The Alaska Center
Alaska Public Interest Research Group
AKPIRG’s Legislative Session Recap
The first year of Alaska’s two-year legislative session just wrapped, and it was a big one. With lots of new legislators and major movement on bills we care about, it’s been a busy few months. Education was front and center – huge shoutout to the advocates who showed up and helped make real progress for students, teachers, and communities across Alaska.
AKPIRG’s team worked across all five of our issue areas, traveling to Juneau multiple times to advocate for Alaskans, including a coordinated fly-in with our legislative team and impromptu Capitol visits whenever staff were in town. As bills moved through committees and hearings, AKPIRG gave public testimony dozens of times, and we were even invited to testify four times – making sure the public interest was heard every step of the way.
We have one BIG win to celebrate: SB 39, the payday lending reform bill that caps interest rates at 36%, passed the legislature! If signed into law, it’ll be the first successful payday reform in a state with similar political leadership in over a decade. That’s huge – and it wouldn’t have happened without years of advocacy and coalition organizing. AKPIRG is grateful to everyone who helped get SB 39 across the finish line, and we’re urging the Governor to support the bill’s passage.
If you support the end to predatory lending laws, give Governor Dunleavy a call to urge him to sign SB 39 into law: (907) 465-3500
We also tracked other key bills – from campaign finance and renewable energy to medical debt and wage transparency. Some advanced, some stalled, but we’re in a strong position heading into next year.
Policy work is a marathon, not a sprint. Progress takes time, and it’s easy to feel discouraged by delays. But your continued support helps us keep up the pressure, build momentum, and lay the groundwork for real change.
Your donation helps us keep showing up, testifying, and pushing for policies that put Alaskans first. Donate support AKPIRG’s policy work here:
🎙 AKPIRG on Air: Community Solar in Alaska 🌞
Local Energy Rules
What does community solar really look like in Alaska?
How can it help us respond to soaring gas prices and an overburdened grid? And why is now the moment for local, shared energy solutions to take off?
AKPIRG’s Energy Lead Natalie Kiley-Bergen joins the Local Energy Rules podcast to talk about what’s changing, what’s possible, and why community solar could be a game-changer for Alaska’s energy future. 🌞
🎧 Listen to the full podcast here!
Veri di Suvero wins Our Home, Our Future Award from The Alaska Center 🌟
Veri di Suvero (right) accepts the Our Home, Our Future Award, presented by Jenny Marie Stryker (left) at The Alaska Center auction and celebration on May 11, 2025.
At The Alaska Center’s annual auction and celebration this month, AKPIRG’s outgoing Executive Director, Veri di Suvero, was honored with the Our Home, Our Future Award! Presented each year, this award celebrates members of our community who share The Alaska Center's vision for a more thriving, just, and sustainable future. It recognizes activism rooted in community, humble leadership that uplifts others, and a deep love of people and place.
We can’t imagine a more fitting recipient than Veri.
As AKPIRG’s Executive Director for nearly seven years, Veri has contributed to the strength and resilience of communities across Alaska in countless ways. They’ve led efforts to secure fair redistricting maps, to support the translation of the census into Alaska Native languages for the first time, to demand transparency from the largest oil and gas companies in the state, and so much more.
And as anyone doing this work knows, the real victories are often earned in quiet, everyday moments -- the behind-the-scenes leadership that keeps an organization like AKPIRG moving forward. All of us at AKPIRG have had the privilege of witnessing Veri’s outstanding leadership firsthand. In the face of setbacks and uncertainty, Veri has been a thought partner, a friend, and a steady reminder of why this work matters. They’ve made it a priority to celebrate bright spots (no matter how small) and to bring humor and joy to our work. They've kept our team grounded in the values of levity and connection, even amid challenges. They’ve led with heart, humility, and an unwavering focus on community.
We're thrilled to celebrate Veri for this well-deserved recognition and can’t wait to see all they’ll continue to accomplish in the years ahead.
Join Anchorage Housing Club! 🏡
Are you interested in advocating for more access to housing in Anchorage, and for neighborhood and transportation infrastructure that truly supports the needs of our communities?
At AKPIRG, we’re committed to supporting abundant, affordable housing across Alaska. That includes our partnership with Housing Club, a community-led mutual aid and advocacy group focused on housing justice in Anchorage. Housing Club creates space for neighbors to learn together, share ideas, and build grassroots power around the issues shaping where and how we live.
The group meets every 4th Thursday of the month to discuss how we can use our voices to shape a future where housing and infrastructure work for everyone. Whether you’re just curious or ready to get involved, there’s a place for you in the conversation.
Want to learn more? Reach out to nithya@akpirg.org.
