Rev. Matt Schultz graduated from Westminster College with a BA in Art in 1995. He is married to Rev. Elizabeth Schultz. Together, they attended Princeton Theological Seminary and are ordained as pastors in the Presbyterian Church (USA). They live in Anchorage, Alaska, where they go on wild adventures with their three beautiful children, two awesome dogs, and one average cat. Since 2013, Matt has been the pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage and also serves with Christians for Equality, the Homelessness Leadership Council, and other city and statewide service and advocacy groups.

Matt Gray's East Anchorage Book Club podcast with Rev. Matt Schultz - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/east-anchorage-book-club-with-andrew-gray/id1592614366?i=1000670170928

Tom Choate is a mountain climbing legend, former college biology professor with a Ph.D. from the University of Montana, who was a ski infantryman and served in a US Army intelligence and reconnaissance unit at Fort Richardson during the Korean War, and was the first ranger naturalist in Mt McKinley National Park (now Denali National Park). Before coming back to Alaska in the late ‘70s, Tom and his family lived in New Zealand; he spent four years doing Antarctic research on penguins and their predators and spent ten years in the former Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) teaching, enjoying climbs of Kilimanjaro and other outdoor activities in Africa, and launching expeditions from there to the Himalayas and the Andes. He has reached the peak of Denali multiple times, spanning five different decades, and was the oldest person to summit Denali at 78 in 2013.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mx7a8ecc4qxkhcozq1fjz/TomsSlides.pdf?rlkey=8bda99v8rew004gqkljnq3cdd&dl=0

James Morrison is a playwright, TV, film, stage actor, filmmaker, poet, singer-songwriter, and yoga teacher. He was raised in Anchorage, served his theatrical apprenticeship with the Alaska Repertory Theatre, and since has appeared at the La Jolla Playhouse, the Mark Taper Forum, Princeton's McCarter Theatre, the Pasadena Playhouse, the Salt Lake Acting Company, The Old Globe, L.A. Theatre Works, the Edinburgh Festival, and on London's West End. James has been nominated for a SAG Award, received the Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle Award, and three Drama-Logue Awards for performance. Film appearances include The Jazz Funeral, Catch Me If You Can, and Jarhead. On television, in addition to the Emmy-winning series 24, he was a regular on Those Who Kill and the cult sci-fi series Space: Above and Beyond, and has had other recurring roles and countless guest appearances in shows like Frasier, West Wing, Law & Order: SVU, Twin Peaks, Private Practice, Six Feet Under, and Revenge. He is in Anchorage to perform his one-man play, “Leave Your Fears Here,” exploring his journey after their young son was diagnosed with brain cancer. For more about James, you can check out his webpage: https://www.thejamesmorrison.com/ and IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0607175/

David Block is the Artistic Director of Midnight Sun Theatre. David has directed countless productions in Anchorage at almost every venue and company. He has appeared on stage or behind the scenes with productions in Anchorage, Juneau, Honolulu, Los Angeles, and at the Edinburgh Fringe. In addition, he has written more than 20 plays, including one commissioned by the Municipality and School District about the Anchorage Centennial. David was an educator in the Anchorage School District for over 25 years and received numerous awards, including MIT's Most Inspirational Teacher, AEA's Teacher of the Year, and Best Teacher in Anchorage by the Anchorage Press. The arts program that he helped develop at West Anchorage High School was recognized as the 2022 Performing Arts School of Excellence by the National Federation of High Schools and was selected as a Creative Ticket School of Excellence by the Kennedy Center.

Paul Brown has over forty-five years of experience in management, fundraising, marketing, and organizational development. He was a founder and producing director of Alaska Repertory Theatre, the first professional theatre in Alaska. He later transitioned from producing theatre to producing films, including documentaries about former Governor Wally Hickel and Senator Ted Stevens (research and pre-production). He chaired the commission for the design, development, and funding of the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. He helped establish the Alaska Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and plan the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Alaska's statehood. Paul has been deeply involved in national and international efforts to assist victims of depleted uranium, including American military veterans and indigenous and other local populations in combat zones. He is a member of Bridge Builders and Backbone and a board member of You Gotta Believe, a Brooklyn-based organization whose mission is to find permanent homes for foster children over ten. He is a parent with thirteen- and eight-year-old grandchildren.

Pics used in the presentation

James - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4hhffmjdsx1mr1ttjkhij/james.jpg?rlkey=rmjv6c580bhgn9xtkzu1qmhbl&dl=0
PlayBill - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rcx1owmfjbqxwqjn1p26w/lyfh.jpg?rlkey=xqhysye7qya6ag9fn08psblcr&