About Green Star of Interior Alaska

 

Green Star of Interior Alaska is local nonprofit serving the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Interior Alaskans. Our programs encourage reuse of materials, reduction of unnecessary waste, and increasing recycling efforts in our community. 

We are a small organization who would not exist without generous contributions from local volunteers and donors. Our Board of Directors and your support make our work possible! We invite you to learn more about our organization and join us as a volunteer, a donor, an advocate, or to partner with us in other ways to help make our community a greener and more sustainable place. 

Mission

 
Green Star encourages and enables the Fairbanks community and Interior Alaska to reduce waste and increase recycling.

Core Values

  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Environmental Justice
  • Local Impact
  • Education 
  • Personal & Public Action
  • Collaboration 
  • Inspiration & Innovation

Vision Statement

We envision a vibrant culture of expanding recycling in the Fairbanks community and Interior Alaska, promoting ways to reduce total waste generated, and creating opportunities to repair and reuse electronics. 

Diversity and Inclusion

Nondiscrimination Statement:

Green Star of Interior Alaska actively recruits, engages and serves members of our community regardless of race, culture, ethnicity, age, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, or ability. Green Star does not discriminate in the provision of service or support in its policies or actions. 

Green Star’s Board of Directors will periodically compare the Board’s composition to the demographics of the region using census data to reflect the diversity of our local community. In keeping with Green Star’s values of diversity and inclusion and with applicable federal law, explicit statements that require the organization to embrace the broadest possible definition of inclusion and nondiscrimination shall be included in our bylaws, operating policies and procedures, and other relevant policy documents. 

We welcome the Fairbanks North Star Borough community at large through our recruitment, marketing, public education and outreach efforts. We strive to support and retain a diverse and inclusive Board of Directors and staff. 

 

Land Acknowledgement

Yukon River at Kaltag

At Green Star of Interior Alaska, we acknowledge and hold in our hearts and minds that our work occurs within the context of European and Russian colonization of Indigenous nations throughout the lands we today refer to as Alaska — the effects of which are far-reaching and ongoing.

Indigenous peoples have stewarded and subsisted on these lands for countless generations before ‘electronics’ were ever even conceived of (or the issues of electronic waste), and still do today. Green Star conducts our work in support and deep respect of Alaska Natives and their traditional expertise of stewarding these lands.

The Green Star of Interior Alaska warehouse stands along the Chena River (original Lower Tanana Dene name, Ch’eno’ meaning ‘river of something’ (likely game)), which were originally the hunting and fishing grounds of the Lower Tanana Dene (Athabascan) people prior to European settlement. Our Rural Backhaul work serves and connects us with descendants of Dene, Koyukon, Inupiat, Yu’pik, and Gwich’in peoples along the Tanana, Yukon, Koyukuk, and Kobuk Rivers.

Meet our Staff and Board

Green Star Staff

Lisa Pullock

Lisa Pullock

General Manager

Lisa has lived in Fairbanks for the past 30 years and worked for local nonprofits the past 10 years.  During COVID, she decided to invest in her nonprofit career by graduating with an MBA in Nonprofit Management from City Vision University, an online faith-based school that focuses on partnering with programs and nonprofits that serve the poor.  When not at work, she enjoys berry picking, making music, and sewing, crochet and knitting.

Sarah Marshall

Sarah Marshall

Business Manager

Sarah was born and raised in rural Minnesota but fell in love with Alaska on her first visit, as many do. She moved to the Fairbanks area in the summer of 2000 and it immediately felt like home. Green Star of Interior Alaska has linked Sarah’s passion for sustainability with her love for Interior Alaska. When she’s not recycling, Sarah is enjoying all Alaska has to offer with her partner and her dog.
Joe Torma

Joe Torma

Outreach Manager

Joe is an Air Force brat who has been in Fairbanks since leaving Dallas, TX in 2021.  He immediately fell in love with the people, the culture and the amazing state of Alaska.  Joe began volunteering with Green Star shortly after arriving in Fairbanks.

Joe has held a variety of positions in industry including leadership and management roles in sales, marketing, business development, fund raising and executive recruiting.  Joe also owned a professional photography company for a decade before moving to Alaska.  Joe has a passion for getting things done, continuous improvement and crafting win-win solutions to complex problems.

When Joe is not working or talking to his kids or grandkids he likes fishing, hunting, playing guitar and learning about technology.

Will Flanders

Will Flanders

ReUse IT Programs Manager

Will has spent most of his life in Alaska.  His family moved here when his dad got a job on the pipeline and stayed.  Will has over 25 years of experience teaching, tutoring and mentoring students from preschool age to adults at local organizations and from home.

Will has an Associate’s degree in information technology and systems (ITS) and years of hands-on experience with computer technology, from building computers on his own, for friends and at several IT companies. He has developed his expertise in building custom systems to suit his customers’ needs.

In his spare time, Will enjoys using his computer gaming experience to raise money through LAN parties for the Children’s Miracle Network (Extra Life), the local Food Bank (Gaming for Grub), and the Salvation Army (Consoles for Christmas).  He can also be found working on projects at home like his $400 project car, computers projects, and enjoying his lovely wife’s amazing cooking and playing with his Corgi Puppy.

Benjamin Hedges

Benjamin Hedges

Reuse Specialist

Benjamin is originally from South Texas and has been in Fairbanks for 11 years.  He came to Fairbanks with his family when he was in High School.  After graduating from Lathrop, he attended UAF where he received a BS in Molecular Biology from UAF in 2018.

Benjamin has always been interested in taking things apart and fixing them.  His interest in computers began during COVID.  That’s when Benjamin began volunteering with GSIA rebuilding laptops for what is now the Reboot IT program.

When not working, Benjamin dabbles in writing “B-tier Science Fiction” and enjoys LAN parties and online gaming.  His screen name is Tundra Fox.

Anthony Yuenger

Anthony Yuenger

Reuse Specialist

Anthony belongs to a military family.  The place he was born, Las Vegas, is the place he spent the least time.  He spent seven years in England before landing in Fairbanks three years ago, where he graduated from CyberLynx Homeschool program. Anthony is in his first year at UAF, pursuing a Computer Science degree.

Anthony works ten hours per week for Green Star managing our Reboot IT program.

Anthony enjoys video gaming, messing around with Linux and experimenting with computer programming.  Arch Linux Gamer is his screen name.

Dan Bates

Dan Bates

E-cycling Operations Coordinator

Dan is a lifelong Alaskan. He was born here in Fairbanks, grew up in Anchorage, and returned to his home town in 2007 to work for a gold exploration company and transfer to UAF to finish his degree in Geology. In 2008, he started recycling scrap metals on a small scale from local transfer sites to raise extra cash and help pay for school. With the knowledge gained from studying geology and experience with metals mining, it made perfect sense to Dan that recycling was the way to go versus mining new materials. He is happy to have found Green Star and be able to share his energy and passion for recycling with other like minded members of the community.

Marc Wahlgren

Marc Wahlgren

CRF Supervisor

Marc was born in Louisville, KY but traveled around with his military family growing up. He has lived in Fairbanks for 23 years. Marc worked at Chaz Autobody and Hoitt’s for several years before landing at the CRF. His terrific work ethic and outstanding customer service earned him a management position quickly. When Marc isn’t working he enjoys spending time with his mom.

Shem Gierhouser

Shem Gierhouser

CRF Lead

Shem came to Alaska from California.  In 2015, he began looking for work that would take him to new places.  In 2020, he found his way to Alaska working in the fish processing industry.  After a couple of seasons, he decided to explore more of Alaska and finally ended up in Fairbanks last year.

Shem has done many different jobs including carpentry, security, packaging and shipping, and warehouse work, but the work he enjoyed most was in homeless services.  Shem loved the process of helping people.  He has the same kind and humble spirit in serving customers and coworkers at the CRF.

When not at work, Shem enjoys video games, movies and martial arts.  He has trained in several different practices over the years and continues his practice today.

Jacob Hurst

Jacob Hurst

Warehouse Leader

Jacob Hurst came to Green Star from the borough’s Central Recycling Facility. He has helped to streamline Green Star’s operations and is excellent at organization. Jacob was born in Fairbanks and has family ties to Saint Lawrence Island, making him a local Alaskan with much regional knowledge. He has a background in auto mechanics and recycling and brings many valuable skills to the Green Star team.

Jay Mayer

Jay Mayer

Disassembly Specialist

Jay was born in Fairbanks and has lived here his whole life. He learned about Green Star when his brother began volunteering there for a school requirement. He thought it sounded interesting, and wanted to learn more about electronics and computers. Jay started volunteering at Green Star’s monthly electronics recycling collections and weekly Saturday workdays, taking apart computers and sorting electronics. He also volunteered with Green Star’s event recycling efforts at the Tanana Valley State Fair. Jay started working for Green Star in the summer of 2018 and is passionate about recycling in general. He earned his degree in Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2022.

Green Star Board of Directors

 

Tait Chandler

Tait Chandler

President

Rural Landfill Specialist at Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

Tait Chandler has a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a Minor in City & Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For his degree, he published research on various solid waste management strategies for remote islands in Thailand. After university, he worked for an engineering firm in their sustainability consulting arm and wrote a case study on reuse opportunities for Greater Metropolitan Area of Vancouver in Canada. Tait then worked for his alma mater, helping to launch their Zero Waste to Landfill Initiative, one of the first of its kind in the country. Arriving in Fairbanks in 2017, Tait briefly ran the recycling operation at the University of Alaska Fairbanks before taking over as Executive Director for the recycling non-profit Green Star of Interior Alaska. He is currently working for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s Solid Waste Program as a Rural Landfill Specialist, taking his experience and skills and applying them on the state level. He is happy to be bringing his new state-wide experience back to the Board of Green Star of Interior Alaska.

 

Natalie Mayer

Natalie Mayer

Vice President

Natalie Mayer, M.D Family Medicine

Originally from Pennsylvania, Natalie moved to Alaska in 1992 to work at Eielson AFB as a Family Medicine physician. After eight years of active duty, she worked in various clinics in Fairbanks until she and her husband John opened the Mayer Clinic in 2006. She has been a board member with the Breast Cancer Detection Center since 2015.

Natalie started volunteering with Green Star about seven years ago, joining her two kids who were doing community service for Monroe High School. In addition to Saturday volunteer days, Natalie has helped with special event recycling including the Midnight Sun Festival and the Tanana Valley State Fair. Her family has also recycles at home and they currently have two active compost bins that enrich their garden soil every summer. Having been a Fairbanks resident for 27 years, a small business owner for 13 years, and now serving as a Board Member, Natalie is a devoted community member who dedicates herself to the growth and success of Green Star.

Denny Michel

Denny Michel

Treasurer

President of the local business, Omni Logistics, Inc. and Finance and IT manager for American Mechanical Inc.

Dennis L. Michel II (Denny) served on the GSIA board of directors for four years from mid-2016 to 2020. He was raised in Fairbanks and is deeply invested in the interior as well as the local Alaska Native community. Mr. Michel holds a B.S. in Business Information Management from the University of Southern California and an MBA in Corporate Finance from the University of Denver. He is a highly skilled business professional with many beneficial relationships in Alaska.

 

 

Linda Unsicker

Linda Unsicker

Board Member

Linda grew up in Virginia and North Carolina where she was a radiology and orthopaedic tech for 20 years before moving west. She moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where she earner her bachelors degree in art, minoring in biology, from Westminster College. While in UT Linda also volunteered at the University of Utah Museum of Natural History for six years as a docent.

Next, Linda and her husband moved to Fairbanks (30 years ago) and quickly made Fairbanks their home. Linda continued museum work at the University of Alaska Museum, now Museum of the North, also attending UAF and earning a Masters in Museum Education.

In 2000 Linda and her husband started doing volunteer medical work in South Africa two to five months each year.  While in Africa she worked in a clinic located in a trash dump. During that time Linda and her husband began going to Tanzania each year, making it their primary focus, working with people in a hospital setting. After her husband passed away in 2011, she went to Morocco one month each year for four years, working as a caregiver with orphaned children who have severe physical challenges.

Here in Fairbanks Linda worked for several years as a greeter with Morris Thompson Visitor Center and with the Noel Wein Library as needed. Linda also volunteered with the Fairbanks Community Food Bank for 13 years until Covid caused a temporary stop to volunteering. She served 3 years on the Fairbanks Arts Association Board of Directors and has been on the FNSB Parks and Recreation Commission for 9 years. She also currently volunteers with Green Star sorting and taping batteries. Linda’s interests, in addition to her son and his family, are reading, hiking, snowshoeing, summer biking, river trips, and camping.

Mike Hull

Mike Hull

Board Member

Mike Hull moved to Fairbanks in 2022 as an assistant professor of physics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  He has a BS in nuclear engineering and a PhD in physics, specializing in physics education research.  He has 20+ years of teaching experience that range from teaching English in Japan to babies and their mothers to coaching future physics high school teachers in Austria on implementing research-based curriculum on quantum mechanics.

When Mike is not teaching, he enjoys eating and serving food to others in food banks and soup kitchens.  He is excited about helping to increase people’s awareness of currently available recycling options in Fairbanks and to help develop additional strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Programs