AUUF Podcasts

Bill Sherwonit is a free-lance nature writer who lives in Anchorage. He’s authored more than a dozen books on topics ranging from the Iditarod to Denali National Park. His most recent books include "Animal Stories: Encounters with Alaska's Wildlife" and "Living with Wildness: An Alaskan Odyssey." A former columnist for The Anchorage Times, Bill has contributed stories and photos to a wide variety of national publications, including Orion, National Wildlife, and Backpacker. His essays have appeared in several anthologies, including Best American Science and Nature Writing, Best Travel Writing, and The Last New Land: Stories of Alaska Past and Present. Bill is a member of our Fellowship.

Gary Holthaus has served as the called minister for our Fellowship since 2012.

David Ramseur reported on politics and government for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Times from 1979 through 1986. Then for nearly 30 years, he served as press secretary, communications director, chief of staff, and foreign policy advisor to Alaska Governors Steve Cowper and Tony Knowles and to Anchorage Mayor and U.S. Senator Mark Begich. His book, Melting the Ice Curtain, was published by University of Alaska Press in June 2017. Ramseur has visited the Soviet Union and Russia more than a dozen times. He holds a bachelor’s in political science from University of North Carolina Asheville, a master’s in journalism from the University of Missouri, and is a visiting scholar in public policy at the UAA’s ISER. He is married to Anchorage attorney Susan Wibker.

Labor day presentation

Labor Day presentation

Gary has been the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship's Called Minister since 2012.

Andy Holleman is a longtime educator, part-time activist, outspoken advocate, and new school board member. During his tenure in classrooms, he taught science, technology, engineering, and math in classrooms at Dimond High School and Goldenview Middle School. Andy became involved with policy and funding issues for education at the local and state levels and advocated for public education as a cornerstone of our democracy. He served as president of the Anchorage Education Association for four years. Holleman acknowledges the tough fiscal times for education. Edicts from the federal Department of Education could pursue voucher programs and reinvigorate calls to dump Alaska’s constitutional provision mandating a wall between public funding and private education.

As First Lady of Anchorage, Mara Kimmel continues to be inspired by neighbors who come from all walks of life. She has practiced law in Alaska since 1996 and co-founded the Alaska Institute for Justice - Alaska’s only non-profit agency providing low-cost immigration legal services, language access services and research and policy analysis on human rights in Alaska. Mara has served on the faculty of both Alaska Pacific University and the University of Alaska Anchorage. Just recently she completed her Ph.D. with research on local governance and community well-being. Mara loves exploring Alaska and the world with her family and is excited to see what the future brings next for our community.

Gary has been the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship's Called Minister since 2012.

Heather Flynn is a longtime Anchorage civic leader and local philanthropist. A former school teacher, she arrived in Alaska in 1968, helped write the city charter in the early '70s, worked on the city's first comprehensive plan, served two terms on the Anchorage School Board, 10 years on the Anchorage Assembly and ran for mayor in 1994. She is the former director of the AWAIC shelter for abused women, and in 2010 received the lifetime Achievement Award presented by the ATHENA Society of Anchorage.