Our Team

The Alutiiq Museum's professional staff includes administrators, archaeologists, museum professionals, educators, language specialists, and technicians. In addition to nine permanent positions, the museum funds temporary positions with grants, hosts interns, and maintains a large corps of volunteers. 

Sven Haakanson, Jr., Ph.D., Executive Director

Sven joined the Alutiiq Museum staff as Executive Director in 2000 after completing his Ph.D. in Anthropology at Harvard University. He is the museum's lead spokesperson and fundraiser. He works with the Alutiiq Heritage Foundation board to enhance charitable giving, increase collaboration with Kodiak's Alutiiq villages, manage the museum staff, and represent the museum at public functions and professional meetings. For his outstanding work at the Alutiiq Museum, Sven was awarded a 2007 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.  486-7004, x 27

Sven will be on sabbatical from August 28, 2010 through January 2, 2011. Please contact another member of the museum's staff for assistance.

Amy Steffian, Deputy Director

Amy assists with the museum's administrative and academic functions. She supervises exhibit production and collections care projects, leads archaeological field work, develops museum publications, designs educational programs, writes grants and maintains the museum website.  Please contract Amy with project proposals or for assistance with this website. Amy is a registered professional archaeologist (RPA). 907-321-5633

Carol Austerman, Business Manager

Carol is the museum's financial officer.  She oversees business operations, manages the museum's human resources program and facilities, assist the Executive Director with fund raising, participates in public relations, and coordinates Alutiiq Heritage Foundation Board meetings. Contact Carol for financial or facilities information or with correspondence for the Alutiiq Heritage Foundation Board of Directors.  486-7004, x 28

Katie St. John, Grants Administrator

Katie assists with museum administration, and develops and oversees grants.  Contact Katie with questions about a museum grant, to consult the museum's annual calendar, or to make an appointment with Executive Director Sven Haakanson, Jr. 486-7004, x29

Sarah Kennedy, Museum Store Manager

Sarah welcomes visitors to the museum. She staffs the front desk, manages the museum store, and answers the phone. Contact Sarah if you would like to order products from the Museum Store, join the on line artist gallery, or sell Alutiiq themed artwork through the store. 486-7004, x 21

April Laktonen Counceller, Alutiiq Language Manager

April develops educational programs and materials on the Alutiiq language. She oversees the Museum's language learning programs and works to enhance knowledge and documentation of the Alutiiq language. Contact April if you have an Alutiiq language question, or would like to learn more about Alutiiq language resources or programs. 486-7003, FAX 486-7009

Sara Squartsoff, Education Coordinator

Sara develops educational materials and programs to support the museum’s exhibitions, publications, research activities, and language initiatives. She works with other staff members to coordinate presentations, museum tours, requests for information, events, and outreach opportunities. Contact Sara if you would like to reserve one of the museum's traveling educational boxes, schedule a group visit to the museum, or organize an event in our gallery or with our staff. 486-7004, x 22.

Patrick Saltonstall, Curator

Patrick oversees the care and use of museum's collections. He participates in collections documentation, assists researchers in accessing the collections, leads our volunteer Collections Advisory Committee, and participates in educational outreach. He also leads archaeological fieldwork for the museum. Please contact Patrick for appointments to work with collections, to access collections information, and for assistance with questions about Alutiiq heritage. He can also provide information on fieldwork opportunities and contract archaeology services. Patrick is a registered professional archaeologist (RPA). 486-7004, x 23

Marnie Leist, Registrar

Marnie oversees the documentation and organization of the museum's collections - maintaining the records associated with each donation and loan. She also develops the museum’s electronic collections database, organizes the storage of objects in the museum care, and assists with exhibition work.  Please contact Marnie with questions about our collections storage services, to make a donation or a loan to our holdings, or to request a loan from our collection. 486-7004, x 24

Sandy Belinki, Photographic Collections Assistant

Sandy works with the museum's curatorial staff to care for , organize, and describe photographic collections as part of Picturing the Past.  Sandy's position, and this year long collections project, are funded by a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.  Please contact Sandy if you would like to help identify the people and place in the museum's historic photos.  486-7004