Seward Community FoundationAn Affiliate of The Alaska Community Foundation
]Connecting people who care with causes that matter
Our Leadership
Advisory Board
The Seward Community Foundation is locally advised by community members who volunteer their time, experience, and knowledge to help guide our grantmaking, outreach, and community partnerships.
Our Advisory Board represents both Seward and Moose Pass and brings a wide range of experience and perspectives to SCF’s work.
2026 Advisory Board
Jen Boyle, Board Chair
A Moose Pass resident, local small business owner, and active community volunteer, Jennifer is passionate about strengthening the communities of Seward and Moose Pass.
Jennifer is a proud resident of Moose Pass and an active community member. She is deeply committed to improving the lives of those around her, and her involvement in various local organizations is a testament to that.
In addition to her community involvement, Jennifer is a local small business owner. When she is not working or volunteering, she loves spending time in the great outdoors with her husband and daughter.
Moose Pass and Seward truly special places, surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, and she feels grateful daily to call this area home. Jen says, “In the time I have lived in Moose Pass, I have been overwhelmingly impressed with how so many people are willing to help each other and our community. By serving on the Board of the Seward Community Foundation, I am excited to have the opportunity to represent this core value of our town. I love what our community is today, and I want to make it even better for tomorrow.” She believes that together, we can make a difference in the lives of those around us and is proud to be a part of such a dedicated and passionate group of individuals.
Sadie Ulman, Vice Chair & Grants Team Lead
A longtime Seward resident and wildlife biologist, Sadie brings a strong commitment to community service and supporting local nonprofit organizations.
Sadie first moved to Seward with her husband Sean in 2007 from Wisconsin after getting a job working in Alaska on nesting birds. A master’s degree and a couple stints with the Alaska Sea Life Center later and Sadie finds herself well settled in Seward with a job studying tundra nesting birds with the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
“I love the supportive, small town community of Seward. The mountains and ocean provide unlimited adventures,” says Sadie. She and Sean have two children whom they “love the idea of raising our kids in a place with so much depth.”
Sadie has lived in Seward long enough to be well ingrained in Seward’s community and we are lucky to have her volunteer her time with the Foundation. Sadie comes from a small town in Wisconsin where she also volunteered and was involved in her community. She says, “I wanted to join the SCF board to help give back and to work towards continuing to improve our local communities.”
The SCF is unique in that we work on a broad range of projects, helping to fund our nonprofits that support our Seward and Moose Pass communities. While Sadie loves “seeing those projects continue to expand over the years,” we are fortunate to have her sense of community service with the SCF for the next several years.
Jewel Williams, Treasurer
With more than 30 years of professional experience and deep roots in Seward, Jewel brings a strong commitment to giving back to the Seward and Moose Pass area.
Jewel moved to Alaska in 1987 with her parents and three siblings after growing up on the coasts of Oregon and California. Since then, she has made Seward her home, graduating from Seward High in 1989. She raised two sons in Seward; her oldest graduated from Seward High in 2011 and her youngest is set to graduate from Seward High in 2026. Jewel comes from a wrestling family, a tradition that started with her dad who wrestled collegiately and founded the Marathon Wrestling Club in Seward in the early ’90s. After his passing, her husband took over coaching the club as well as coaching wrestling at both Seward Middle School and Seward High School.
In 1993, Jewel began her career at the Seward Military Resort as a front desk clerk. Over the years, she held various positions, from lead desk clerk to administrative assistant and then assistant manager, a role she maintained for over 15 years. In March 2022, she was promoted to Business Manager, and is extremely proud of her 30+ years’ service to our military.
Jewel loves to travel—whether it’s road trips, cruises, or visiting new countries, she embraces any adventure she can afford. She has visited most of the U.S. states, three continents, and the Panama Canal. It’s on her bucket list to explore all 50 states and all seven continents. Additionally, she is an avid reader, enjoying everything from thrillers to western sagas.
Jewel wanted to join SCF to give something back to the organization that has helped so many in the Seward and Moose Pass areas.
Jenn DesErmia, Secretary
A Seward resident since 2003, Jenn brings extensive experience in small business, education, nonprofit work, and community advocacy to the SCF Advisory Board.
Jenn DesErmia, originally from Kentucky, has been a resident of Seward, Alaska since 2003. She and her husband, Kirk, “came here for a summer” and decided it felt like home. Since then, she has built deep roots in Seward and a strong commitment to her community.
Over the years, Jenn has been a small business owner, National Park Service employee, Culinary Arts graduate, and facilitator in the nonprofit sector. As a mother of two, Jenn has spent the past two decades actively supporting local youth and schools through volunteerism, advocacy, and leadership. Her involvement includes serving with the Seward Seahawks Athletic Booster Club, Seward PTA, and the Seward Schools Site-Based Council, as well as working as a tutor and substitute teacher.
Passionate about education, she has been a tireless advocate for public schools and deeply engaged in her children’s educational journeys, ensuring that students and families alike have a voice and support.
Beyond her work in education and community service, Jenn is an avid hiker, gym enthusiast, world traveler, arts supporter, and dedicated dog mom. Her energetic, hands-on approach to life is reflected in the way she contributes to every endeavor—bringing dedication, resilience, and heart.
As a board member, she is committed to fostering equity, opportunity, and sustainable growth in the community she loves. Her lived experience, grassroots involvement, and genuine passion for service make her a thoughtful and dynamic contributor to the Foundation’s mission.
Sarah Spanos
With decades of work and volunteer experience in Seward, Sarah is dedicated to helping others and supporting the community she calls home.
Sarah came up to Seward to work summers at Seward Fisheries during college. After graduating, she continued working for Icicle Seafoods as a quality assurance manager onboard a crab processor near the Pribilof Islands and eventually transferred to Seward Fisheries full-time.
A cannery romance developed, and 30 years later, she and her husband, James, are still going strong with two grown sons. Connor is currently a D2 collegiate swimmer studying to become a physical therapist. Peter graduated from AVTEC as an Industrial Electric Apprentice and travels the world with his current employer.
Sarah has volunteered with various groups in Seward, including Seward Little League, Seward PTA, Providence Advisory Board, and Seward Schools Site-Based Council. She loved being a team mom for her boys’ sports teams, especially feeding swimmers, including hometown gold medalist Lydia Jacoby. Her favorite team mom experience was being called to the big league at the 2022 National Junior College Athletic Association swim meet in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Sarah currently works as the procurement coordinator for the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The majority of her work supports the research vessel Sikuliaq, and she loves it. Sarah is genuinely happiest helping others. Her philanthropic attitude and love for the community of Seward are apparent to everyone she knows.
Joel Williams
Born and raised in Seward, Joel is a local high school mathematics teacher who is deeply invested in Seward’s future and enjoys giving back to his hometown.
Joel was born and raised in Seward and is glad to still call this beautiful town home. He went to college at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he met his soon-to-be wife, Samra, on the debate team.
Returning to Seward after college, Joel now teaches mathematics and occasionally helps with theatre at Seward High School. Joel enjoys spending his free time grading papers, playing disc golf, and hiking Seward’s beautiful trails.
As a lifelong Sewardite, Joel is invested in Seward’s future and looks forward to working with SCF to give back to his community.
Cindy Clock
A former Chamber of Commerce executive director, small business owner, and active community volunteer, Cindy brings decades of local experience and a strong commitment to Seward.
Cindy was not born in Alaska but says she got here as soon as she could. Like many people who take a vacation to the Great Land, she found she didn’t want to leave. She met her true love and future husband, Eric, in Cordova. After trying on a couple different towns over a few years, they arrived in beautiful Seward along with children Ben, Anna, and William in 1996.
After 11 years operating a Bed & Breakfast, Cindy went to work for the Seward Chamber of Commerce, finding great satisfaction in her roles there, most especially as executive director. A previous stint as a SCF board member was rewarding as well, and she found herself back on the board in May 2024.
Additionally, Cindy is an election worker and a volunteer on the Seward Silver Salmon Derby Committee. For anyone wanting to give back to this amazing community, she suggests making the SCF the place to do so. Donation dollars are spent locally so that you always know where your money goes since you get to direct it.
These days you can find Cindy happily retired, playing with her grandsons Havi and Lemmy, gardening, berry picking, hiking, and occasionally catching a fish or two from her husband’s boat.
Sarah Gail
With a professional background in nonprofit development, volunteer coordination, and community programming, Sarah brings a strong passion for philanthropy and creating sustainable community change.
Sarah is a born and raised Oregonian. She first visited and fell in love with Alaska as a teenager while on a mission trip, and vowed one day to return. A year later, she met her husband Jeff while going to college in Washington state. He just happened to be from Alaska.
The two were married soon after and moved to Colorado while Jeff finished school. After the birth of their first son, Kamden, they moved to Palmer. They lived there for almost eight years and had two more sons, Carter and Cooper. While living in the valley, they always loved visiting Seward for long weekends.
Their long weekends turned into a permanent move when they got an unexpected opportunity to relocate to Seward in 2022.
Sarah’s professional background is in nonprofit development, volunteer coordination, and domestic violence education and programming. Currently she spends her days homeschooling her three sons, adventuring around Alaska, and traveling to warm and sunny locations with her family whenever she has the chance.
Sarah believes in the power of philanthropy and has a true passion for empowering communities by providing the tools necessary to create sustainable change. After visiting her first SCF board meeting, Sarah was reminded of the Margaret Mead quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Sarah is excited about joining SCF because of its successful approach to creating hands-on community initiatives that positively impact residents of Seward and surrounding areas.
Cassie Vachowski
Through her work in small business and years of volunteering with local organizations, Cassie brings a collaborative spirit and practical approach to strengthening the community.
Cassie has called Seward home for the past 20 years, where she has worked, recreated, and raised her three children. “I love where I live and the life we lead, albeit labor intensive!” she shares. Her connection to the community and desire to give back inspired her to join the SCF Advisory Board.
Cassie brings experience managing a small business and a strong history of volunteering with local organizations, including schools, Parks & Recreation, the Chamber of Commerce, and the National Park Service.
She values collaboration, creative problem-solving, and helping find solutions that strengthen the community. Cassie joined the board because she believes in SCF’s mission of improving lives through local grants and looks forward to helping support the Foundation’s continued growth.
Danny Meuninck
Seward’s Director of Community Development, Danny brings experience in planning, education, grant administration, and community engagement to SCF’s work.
Danny Meuninck serves as the Director of Community Development for the City of Seward, where he leads community planning initiatives and works to support the city’s long-term growth and vitality. Since moving to Seward in 2013, Danny has become actively involved in numerous local organizations, including the Seward Arts Council, Seward Chamber of Commerce, and Destination Stewardship Committee.
With a background in city planning, education, grant administration, and community engagement, Danny brings valuable experience in strategic thinking, collaboration, and evaluating projects that create lasting community impact.
He is passionate about giving back to Seward and helping ensure the community continues to thrive for future generations. Danny and his family are proud to call Seward home, and he looks forward to supporting the Seward Community Foundation’s mission of strengthening the community through local philanthropy.
Help Shape the Future of Our Community
Are you passionate about Seward and Moose Pass and interested in helping strengthen our local nonprofit community?
SCF periodically welcomes new Advisory Board members and would be happy to hear from community members interested in getting involved.