Board of Directors/Staff

Originally from California and Nevada, Dr. Brad Cruz came to Alaska in 1992 with his California-born wife and two daughters. He and his family discovered Nordic skiing here, and soon it replaced running as his primary sport. Dr. Cruz wants every Alaskan to have the chance to enjoy Nordic skiing and the many health benefits of quiet outdoor physical activity in our state’s beautiful landscape. He also enjoys learning about the people and life in rural Alaska. Dr. Cruz has been a volunteer Skiku coach each year in Gambell and Savoonga since 2015.

Dr. Cruz worked as a Radiologist at Alaska Regional Hospital and Mat-Su Regional Hospital, serving on various committees and a few terms as the Chairman of the Radiology/Pathology Department, and 11 years as a Officer and Board Member of Anchorage Project Access. Over those years, he was also active in competitive running, skiing, and biking and volunteered at various sports events in Anchorage, including the Run For Women, Lost Lake Race, and the Gold Nugget Triathlon. Now retired from his Radiology group, he volunteers his time teaching Anatomy and Medical Imaging in the WWAMI Medical School system and working for Skiku as a Board member and President, volunteer ski coach, and working on fundraising, recruitment of coaches, and the development of a Cross Country Ski Coaching Manual and on-line resources for ski instruction for use by the physical education teachers and ski team coaches in rural Alaskan Villages.

Dr. Molly Southworth is passionate about promoting active, healthy lifestyles among the youth of Alaska. She has been a recreational cross-country skier since her childhood in northern Minnesota and dreamed of moving to Alaska as a child.  Inspired by a medical student rotation in Kotzebue, she spent her first year of medical practice in Utiqiaġvik (then Barrow), eventually transitioning to Alaska Native Medical Center. Dr. Southworth served patients throughout the Alaska Tribal Health System for most of her career and continues to work to improve health and health care for the Alaska Native people. She sees activities such as learning to ski as key to enhancing health and wellness in rural Alaska.

As a faculty member of the University of Washington WWAMI Rural Medical Education Program and UAA/WWAMI, Dr. Southworth has been very involved in teaching Alaskan medical students and encourages them to return to Alaska following their training. She is eager to see more Alaska Native youth choose careers in medical fields, serving their people close to home.

Dr. Southworth’s three children grew up skiing; two attended Alaska Pacific University and have served as Skiku coaches.  Through her children’s training with the APU Nordic Ski Team plus a little training of her own, Dr. Southworth has become more familiar with formal cross-country ski technique and continues to love to ski for fun.  She and her husband Bret Haering especially enjoy spending time outdoors and hope to visit more remote areas of Alaska in the future.  Dr. Southworth is delighted to be part of the Skiku team!

Shane McHale’s love for Alaska, its people, nature, skiing and passion to share it with others inspired him to join Skiku as Board Secretary and ski coach. Anchorage born and raised Shane’s family originates from Northwest Alaska. His late grandmother and grandfather are from Shishmeraf whom later settled in Teller. Shane has been Nordic skiing for 20 years, learning the passion of skiing from dear friend -James Oksoktaruk, a high school national champion from the small northwest village of White Mountain. Shane’s other enjoyments are moose hunting, fishing, hiking, and boating.

Shane is currently a sightseeing guide who takes guests on tours of scenic landscapes, wildlife, glaciers, along the Seward Highway. Shane has also served as an Executive Director assistant of the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council, an international indigenous environmental non-profit that represents 73 First Nations and Tribes. Alaska Federation of Natives Conference Planner, which is Alaska’s largest statewide native organization. Shane is excited to be part of the Skiku family and continue to inspire the upcoming generation of kids.

Dirk Sisson moved to Anchorage with his family in 1966 and has been an avid Nordic skier ever since. A graduate of West Anchorage High School, he returned to Alaska as an engineer in 1983. From 1986-1991, he coached for the Anchorage Junior Nordic League, then served as AJNL’s Director from 1991-1996. As Director, he implemented a coaching curriculum and expanded the program from its original Kincaid Park location to the Hillside. After founding the Anchorage Great Harvest Bread Co. in 1994, he inaugurated AJNL’s annual “Cookie Tour,” which continues to this day. From 1996-1998, he served as president of the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage. Over the years, Sisson has been an enthusiastic advocate for trails, parks and open space.

Sisson joined the Skiku board in 2017. He has coached with Skiku in Aniak (2017, 2018), Chuathbaluk (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), Dillingham (2018), Buckland (2018), Manokotak (2019), and Atqasuk (2019). Dirk has found spending time in nature with energetic kids on skis to be joy. Skiku has introduced him to vibrant communities and cultures, fostered enriching friendships, and given him an opportunity to serve Alaska’s youth through a sport that he loves.

Paul Lincoln has contributed to Skiku for several years, first as a volunteer coach in Ambler, then as an advocate for the value of skiing for rural Alaskans. Lincoln is Iñupiaq from White Mountain, a 200-person village located 60 miles from Nome, Alaska. Skiing for Lincoln begin in the early 1970s when a teacher/coach, John Miles, came to the village and measured each child for his own pair of cross country skis. Lincoln became a champion in the Bering Strait region and was also competitive against urban-based skiers, qualifying to represent Alaska at Arctic Winter Games and Junior Nationals. Lincoln skied for two years on the Dartmouth College varsity team and then became a member of the US Biathlon Team. In 1988, he joined the National Guard. He had a 20-year biathlon career with the Guard, training and competing all over the world—Bulgaria, Argentina, Minnesota, West Yellowstone, Scandinavian countries.

Lincoln now lives in Anchorage and owns Jade Electric, an electrical contracting company. He works with the Bering Straits School District in the fall and winter, flying from school to school making sure the schools and coaches are ready for the ski season. Lincoln is a community leader for White Mountain and sits on the Traditional Council Board of Directors.

Steve Lindbeck, 67, has spent the past 40 years in journalism, public affairs and community service. Now “retired,” he works with the Foraker Group as a consultant to non-profit organizations.

Along the way, he served as CEO/General Manager for Alaska Public Media, Vice Chancellor for Advancement at UAA, Associate Editor of the Anchorage Daily News, and Executive Director of the Alaska Humanities Forum.

His cross-country skiing career began on plywood Army-surplus skis at Central Junior High in Anchorage. He raced all the way through college, then spent 20 years teaching skiing in a program through the Municipal Parks & Rec department.

He has held many volunteer roles, including with Alaska Common Ground, Progress Alaska, Alaska World Affairs Council, Rogers Park Community Council, Anchorage Museum, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and United Way. For several years he was Honorary Consul for Sweden in Alaska. In 2016 he ran for Congress and learned a lot.

An Anchorage resident since 1968, he is a graduate of West Anchorage High School and Stanford University. In 2018 he completed a Master of Science in Organization Development through Pepperdine University.

He is married to Patty Ginsburg, a former journalist and communications consultant. He and Patty were recipients of the 2015 Shining Lights Award for service to Alaska. Nowadays they spend their summers on a boat in Prince William Sound.

Bio coming soon!