UAS plans to recognize Honorary Degrees and Meritorious Service Award at 2022 Commencement
April 15, 2022
Three individuals have been selected to receive either honorary degrees or meritorious service awards from University of Alaska Southeast at the upcoming 2022 Spring Commencement Ceremony.
Learn more about the honorees below.
Juneau: Beth Kerttula, Honorary Doctor of Laws
Beth has lived in Alaska most of her life. Her family’s roots go back to 1935 and the settling of the Matanuska Valley. Her father, Jalmar (Jay) Kerttula served 34 years in the Alaska State Legislature, holding the distinguished positions of both House Speaker and Senate President. Beth grew up between the cities of Juneau (during the legislative session) and Palmer (when session was out), graduating from Juneau-Douglas High School in 1974.
She went on to Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, then to Santa Clara University School of Law for her Juris Doctor degree. Beth returned to Alaska as a young lawyer, beginning as a law clerk in the Alaska Court System. She was a public defender, counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and served eight years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Alaska Department of Law specializing in natural resource issues, including oil and gas. Beth eventually followed in her father’s footsteps and successfully ran for political office, representing Juneau in the Alaska House of Representatives from 1998 to 2014. She was House Minority Leader from 2007 to 2014.
In 2014, Beth left her legislative seat to accept a position at Stanford University as a Visiting Fellow with the Center for Ocean Solutions. A few months later she was appointed by the Obama Administration to run the newly created National Ocean Council Office, representing 27 federal agencies, state and tribal governments, as well as a host of other stakeholders. Again, she was known for her ability to work with diverse parties. In her time with the National Ocean Council, Beth implemented the National Ocean Plan and coordinated the nation’s first two regional marine plans (New England and Mid-Atlantic). As the National Ocean Council Director, she was presented with a U.S. Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest recognition the Commandant may bestow on a civilian. She was also given the Office of Science and Technology Policy Director’s Award for Excellence for helping coordinate the first visit to the Arctic by a sitting U.S. president.
In addition, Beth has been a Council of State Governments Toll Fellow, a Roosevelt Fellow, and a Center for Women’s Policy Studies Foreign Institute Fellow. Pieces of her work with the Department of Law and the Alaska Legislature are renowned, including Alaska’s cruise ship pollution legislation. She has been president of the Alaska Bar Association, and chair of the Legal Council of the Coastal States Organization. Beth is a member of the Alaska Native Sisterhood (Camp 2), and the Fil-Am and Filipino Communities of Juneau.
Ketchikan: David Kiffer, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
David Kiffer is a community leader in Ketchikan and an important figure in the arts and letters of Southeast Alaska. He has worn many hats in his lifetime including journalist, regional historian, teacher, poet, musician, and mayor.
He is currently the education coordinator at the Ketchikan Correctional Center and previously was the long-time executive director of Historic Ketchikan, a non-profit organization dedicated to historic preservation and sustainable historic tourism in Southeast Alaska. A noted columnist for local newspapers and websites, he has written hundreds of articles on regional history, exploring a wide range of topics and providing unparalleled documentation of many forgotten aspects of our history. He has written and published hundreds of poems.
Mr. Kiffer is a leading figure on Ketchikan’s music scene and leads his own popular jazz band as well performing with numerous other groups in the area. He also taught private woodwind lessons to Ketchikan youth and adults for more than 20 years. He has been an adjunct professor at UAS-Ketchikan for 25 years, most recently teaching a very successful course in music appreciation for UAS.
He is currently the Mayor of City of Ketchikan and has served on the City Council for the past eight years. He previously served as Mayor of Ketchikan Gateway Borough and as a member of the borough assembly. He has served statewide on the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Alaska Center for the Book and on the executive boards of the Alaska Municipal League and the Alaska Conference of Mayors.
Mr. Kiffer has worked as a journalist in Alaska, Los Angeles, Boston and Wyoming and has written articles for the Associated Press, the New York Times, the Seattle Times, and the Anchorage Daily News among many others. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism from Northeastern University in Boston and a Master’s Degree in poetry and Irish Studies from Poets’ House at Lancaster University in Donegal, Ireland.
UAS Chancellor Karen Carey remarked, “Mr. Kiffer is truly deserving of this award. Honorary doctorates recognize people in our communities who have gone above and beyond to contribute to the state of Alaska and beyond. From journalist to musician, Mr. Kiffer has done it all and this recognition exemplifies his concern for all Alaskans.”
Sitka: Dr. Elliot Bruhl, Meritorious Service Award
Dr. Elliot Bruhl is a well-respected medical doctor who has served Sitka for many years. He is currently Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) and has been a leader in COVID-19 planning and response throughout Southeast Alaska communities. As a member of the COVID response Sitka Unified Command Team, he has provided especially noteworthy service for the community of Sitka. Bruhl and many others have selflessly dedicated themselves to lessening the impact of the pandemic on Sitka and throughout Southeast Alaska.
Sitka has run its COVID response through the Unified Command Team, which includes leaders from EMS services, businesses, schools, city management, and other areas. As the medical doctor for the group, Dr. Bruhl has coordinated with and provided advice for all sectors of the community.
UAS Chancellor Karen Carey noted, “The pandemic hit all of us hard, but Dr. Bruhl didn’t let it stop him. He stepped up and did what needed to be done to keep Sitka and all Southeast communities safe. The Meritorious Service Award is presented to those individuals who go above and beyond in their communities, and Dr. Bruhl is most deserving of this award.”