Meet Our Team at AWP
Our Team is Committed to Helping Alaskans Build a Better Future!
Our Team at Alaska Works Partnership helps you connect to training, education, apprenticeship, and careers in Alaska’s construction industry!
Alexis Cowell
Executive Director
I began my journey with Alaska Works Partnership in 2002 as an Administrative Assistant. Over the years, I advanced through several roles—including Accounts Payable, Rural Apprenticeship Outreach, and Program Manager for Women in the Trades and Helmets to Hardhats. With the mentorship and guidance of Mike Andrews, I continued to grow within the organization, and in 2015, I was honored to become the Executive Director.
Working closely with our partners in the Alaska Building Trades and Alaska’s Department of Labor, I’m passionate about creating opportunities, helping people build fulfilling careers in the construction industry, and contributing to the strength and resilience of Alaska’s communities.
Melody Austin
Office Manager
I have been with Alaska Works since 2004, when I started working in the Fairbanks office. I moved to the Anchorage office a few years later and am still here today! It has been a great experience to grow with Alaska Works throughout the years and to continue to be a part of the growth for the present and future.
Keri Jones
Operations Coordinator / Supervisor
I joined Alaska Works Partnership in 2015 after 15 years in the construction industry as an office manager for an elevator contractor. I love what I do because I get to help people discover new opportunities and build rewarding, good-paying careers in construction.
I'm especially passionate about helping transitioning Military and Veterans turn their skills into new career opportunities - and encouraging more women to take the leap into the construction industry. Watching people succeed is the best part of my job!
When I'm not working, you'll find me enjoying baseball and cheering on my Seattle Mariners!
Tiffany Caudle
Training Coordinator
Hello and welcome! I have been part of the Alaska Works Partnership (AWP) family since September 2009 and I truly enjoy my career here. My background is in teaching and I have a passion for educating youth and adults and informing them about opportunities that can better their lives. It is extremely rewarding to be part of an organization that helps so many Alaskans find successful careers in construction through our training programs that lead them to apprenticeships, road-tripping and other avenues. I like helping youth and adults figure out which construction career path they will enjoy the most and succeed at.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and daughter doing outdoor activities with our 3 dogs such as hiking, road tripping, and camping.
Mark Nasbaum
Administration
I joined the team at Alaska Works Partnership in 2016 and cannot imagine working anywhere else. The humble satisfaction that comes from being in a position that allows me to help others better their lives is second to none. The synergy that is found in working with all of our partners, and how the Alaska Works staff works so well together for positive outcomes is what I enjoy the most.
When I am not in the office, I can most likely be found outside with my wife and our dogs, exploring our great state and all it has to offer.
Derek Homme
Instructor
I am so excited to be a part of the Alaska Works Partnership team! I started with AWP in early 2023 as their Mat-Su Valley Representative and Instructor. I am a journeyman carpenter with 13 years of experience and also have extensive experience as a workforce development professional working for the State of Alaska, Department of Labor& Workforce Development. I graduated from UAA in 2017 with an Associate of Applied Sciences in General Business.
I am a musician in two heavy metal bands as a vocalist and guitar player. I am a lifelong Palmer resident and live there with my wife and two girls.
I am very appreciative to be part of the Alaska Works Partnership team and am committed to bringing our representation to the Mat-Su Valley. Please contact me if I can assist you with any of our trainings!
William Andrew
Instructor
While going to college I got a part-time job as a laborer on a roofing project. Once the project was completed, I knew what I wanted to do; I wanted to build! After starting my apprenticeship in 1995 and completing it in 1999, I then went on to become a part-time instructor for Southern Alaska Carpenter’s Training Center. In 2008 I traded in my tools for a classroom and shop with Alaska Works Partnership. I now build careers! The sense of accomplishment can't be described when I see former students graduate from their respective apprenticeships.
Jason Wall
Helmets to Hardhats Case Manager
I was born and raised in Portland Oregon. I enlisted in the Marine Corps from 2007 through 2015 and then enlisted in the Army from 2016 until September 2021. While in the Army I was stationed in JBER and fell in love with Alaska and all it has to offer so I decided to make it my permanent home. I received a BAS in Business Administration from Wayland Baptist University in 2023 and my MBA from UAA in 2025. I am passionate about helping Veterans and Servicemembers by providing a pathway to a lucrative and worthwhile career in construction.
Gena Bolton
Fairbanks Office Administrator
As a lifelong Alaskan, I joined Alaska Works Partnership after many years working in administrative support for a school district. With a personal connection to the construction industry, I have seen firsthand the opportunities that apprenticeship and a career in the trades can provide.
Today, I focus on outreach and building community connections while helping Alaskans learn about training and career pathways in the construction trades. I enjoy connecting people with opportunities that can lead to valuable skills, competitive wages and benefits, and rewarding careers.
Jason Breding
Instructor
(907) 569-4711 | jasonb@alaskaworks.org
I began my career as a U.S. Navy sailor before attending two years of carpentry technical college and working for a contractor building custom homes. After moving to Wasilla in 2000, I joined Carpenters Local 1281 as an apprentice in 2002 and earned my journeyman card in 2005; from there, I was consistently paired with apprentices on some of Alaska's largest projects, where I found great satisfaction in watching my teammates grow in knowledge, skill, and confidence.
In 2020, I became a full-time instructor at the Carpenters Training Center, teaching apprenticeship and journeyman upgrade classes while giving back to the system that had provided me with a rewarding career and livelihood. In 2024, I accepted an instructor position with Alaska Works Partnership, where I help people explore the trades, build on their interests, and connect with apprenticeship opportunities and career paths they may not have known existed. I continue to enjoy training and preparing the next generation to become skilled, dependable, and highly sought-after professionals in the trades.
Wade Stark
Instructor
(907) 457-3762 | wstark@alaskaworks.org
In 1988, I joined the Local 1243 Carpenters Apprenticeship in Fairbanks. In 1992, I became a Journeyman Carpenter. From there, I was a Journeyman, Foreman, Instructor, and then the Training Coordinator for Local 1243. In 2008, I was hired by Alaska Works to be an Instructor. What I enjoy most about my job is giving others the same opportunity I had; a great career in the construction industry.
In my spare time, I like to hike, travel, and watch football and motor sports.
Alexis Cowell
Executive Director
Hello and welcome! I have been part of the Alaska Works Partnership (AWP) family since September 2009 and I truly enjoy my career here. My background is in teaching and I have a passion for educating youth and adults and informing them about opportunities that can better their lives. It is extremely rewarding to be part of an organization that helps so many Alaskans find successful careers in construction through our training programs that lead them to apprenticeships, road-tripping and other avenues. I like helping youth and adults figure out which construction career path they will enjoy the most and succeed at. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and daughter doing outdoor activities with our 3 dogs such as hiking, road tripping, and camping.
Melody Austin
Office Manager
I have been with Alaska Works since 2004, when I started working in the Fairbanks office. I moved to the Anchorage office a few years later and am still here today! It has been a great experience to grow with Alaska Works throughout the years and to continue to be a part of the growth for the present and future.
Keri Jones
Operations Coordinator / Supervisor
(907) 569-4729 | keri@alaskaworks.org
I started work with Alaska Works Partnership in 2015, after spending 15 years in the construction industry working as an office manager for an Elevator contractor. I am the contact for all Women in the Trades and Helmets to Hardhats classes and outreach. I enjoy my job because I like to help people and I get really excited when I see our participants get into good-paying careers in the construction industry. I also enjoy assisting transitioning Military and Veterans to discover new job opportunities and providing training to enhance their search for careers outside of the military. Also, my goal is to see more women accept the challenge of a career in the construction industry and embark on their journey into a nontraditional good paying career.