Brenda is a lifelong Alaskan who graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a B.A. in Anthropology, with a focus on the historic archaeology of Alaska. Brenda was the founding Executive Director of the Fairbanks Children’s Museum and later served as the Executive Director of the United Way of the Tanana Valley. Her experience in the nonprofit sector also includes serving on local and statewide nonprofit boards, founding the Golden Heart Women Who Care, a local philanthropy group, and providing consulting services in financial management, grant writing, and organizational development.