"Make it Monday" forum - Anchorage School Business Partnerships

Anchorage School Business Partnership will share a panel presentation to emphasize the significance of School Business Partnerships in our community. This panel presentation will highlight current partnerships within our schools and community, provide insight into a successful partnership, the benefits of being a partner, and share how to become involved. The panelists include Chris Wilson, Subway of Alaska, Kaladi Brothers Coffee Company, Laarni Power, Providence Alaska, and Kenneth Warren, student voice, Polaris K-12.

Additionally, Beth Talcott, Project SEARCH and Laarni Power will provide information about the Project SEARCH Program and the benefits of supporting these experiences for our youth and your business.

Please join us as the panel shares over 30 years of partnership in the Anchorage School District. 
 

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A business and management executive with 41 years of experience in the QSR industry, Chris Wilson is in his 30th year at Subway of Alaska as Vice President and also Co-Owner of Subway of Girdwood.

Wilson was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Orlando. Moved to Anchorage, Alaska in October of 1983 to help run a Burger King franchise who was having operational struggles at the time. In the summer of 1993 Wilson met Steve Adams who was just starting to develop Subway franchises in Alaska and was asked to come on board to help grow the business.

In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities running Subway of Alaska, he is involved with all facets of the business; operations, advertising/marketing, finance, distribution, development and maintenance. Along with those duties he works with Subway franchisees throughout the state to insure they are operating up to Subway standards as well as giving assistance so they can grow their business and be as profitable as possible. Subway of Alaska currently owns and operates 21 sandwich shops in Anchorage, Eagle River and Girdwood. Currently Subway has 50 restaurant locations in the state of Alaska, operating in 21 cities and communities.

Wilson has served on numerous boards and committees and continues to give his time to organizations throughout Anchorage and Alaska. Wilson was one of the co-founders of School Business Partnerships and currently serves on the Alaska Retailers & Hospitality Executive Board, YMCA Basketball Coach, Municipality of Anchorage – Food Safety and Sanitation Program Advisory Committee, to name a few.

Wilson earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from University of Central Florida in 1983.

He and his wife Victoria have been married for 38 years and have two adult children, Lauren and Kristin and four grandchildren. 
 

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Laarni Competente Power graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management. She has held a variety of HR roles in the hospitality, healthcare, higher education, and banking industries. Laarni began her employment with Providence Alaska in 1997 as a human resources employee relations advisor. Since 2005, she has been their community outreach liaison/partnerships coordinator, and focuses her energy on career exploration opportunities for inquiring minds. She is passionate about engaging individuals into the possibilities of healthcare careers. Laarni has also served on the Anchorage School Business Partnerships board since 2005, including in positions as treasurer and vice-chair. Laarni’s Providence role allows her the perfect opportunity to help advance SBP’s mission to “inspire youth toward a vibrant future.

Laarni’s interests include hiking, biking, nordic skiing, travel, and photography, especially when these activities involve her family. She and her husband have two sons in college who are graduates of the Anchorage School District.
 

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Beth Talcott received both her undergraduate degree in Secondary Education and graduate degree Special Education at Montana State University-Billings. Teaching a wide range of students from ages kindergarten through adulthood, she has found her calling working with young adults with disabilities as the Project SEARCH instructor, guiding students toward successful transitions into the workforce.

Beth has lived in Anchorage since 2012, first teaching at Bartlett High School for a year before joining the team at the ACT Program and has been with Project SEARCH since 2018. She believes teaching revolves around fostering inclusivity and providing tailored support for each student. Education is not just about imparting knowledge; it's about nurturing individual potential and facilitating meaningful transitions into adulthood. 

Beth enjoys all the Alaska things - fishing, hiking and exploring with her husband and three children. 
 

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Doug Griffin has worked for Kaladi Brothers Coffee for 15 years and wears many hats, including coffee purchasing, quality control, and customer relations. He is always happy to help bridge the connection between Kaladi's community-focused culture to students across the Anchorage School District. He strongly believes that coffee can be a catalyst for connection and community. 

With over 30 years in the coffee industry, Jared Mockli has spent time as a Barista, Roaster, Quality Control Manager, Consultant, Training Director, General Manager, Account Manager and Sales Director. Jared moved to Alaska in 2010 and has enjoyed being a part of Kaladi Brothers' community-centric approach to coffee ever since.
 

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