Posted on January 11, 2009

2009 Rasmuson Foundation Sabbatical Recipients Announced

The Anchorage-based Rasmuson Foundation has selected eight nonprofit leaders in Alaska for the 2009 Rasmuson Foundation Sabbatical Program.

The program is designed to provide CEOs of health and human service organizations in the state time away from the office for personal growth and renewal. The awardees are Safe Harbor founder and project director Lynne Ballew; Sitkans Against Family Violence executive director Christine Bauman; Kenai Peninsula Community Care Center executive director Tammy Bidwell; Independent Living Center executive director Joyanna Geisler; Southcentral Foundation president and CEO Katherine Gottlieb; Bristol Bay Housing Authority executive director Dave McClure; Alaska Native Heritage Center president and CEO Jonathon Ross; and Cordova Family Resource Center executive director Nicole Songer.

"Nonprofit leaders often work long hours helping others or operating programs that benefit the public," said Rasmuson Foundation president Diane Kaplan. "They experience emotional as well as physical effects from their work. Taking a sabbatical offers them an opportunity to spend quality time with their family, step back to gain new perspective on their organization, and renew themselves."