Spruce Root

05/02/2026

Spruce Root is hiring a Finance Director to guide financial strategy in support of our work creating a sustainable future for Southeast Alaska’s people, communities and environment.

This leadership role partners with the Executive Director and Board to ensure long-term organizational health while supporting impactful programs across the region.

This position is based in Juneau, or remote in Southeast Alaska (preferred). Apply by May 22, 2026!

Learn more at spruceroot.org/careers

04/30/2026

Congrats to Kerin Crews, the new owner of Strictly Local in Craig, Alaska!

Our team has been working with Kerin over the past few months—primarily through a loan and business coaching—and it’s great to see her reach her goal of taking ownership of Strictly Local just in time for the summer season.

Strictly Local is known for showcasing local artwork, and while Kerin intends to keep that focus, she’s also excited to help fill a gap on Prince of Wales—the limited clothing retail options—by adding a consignment section:

“I’m adding a little resale boutique, with high-end consignment of women’s clothes and kids clothes. And so I’ll change the store just a little bit, but the main focus of the store will stay local products from local makers.”

With strong community support, Kerin shared that stepping into ownership has been a smooth transition. She shared that Spruce Root has played a significant role in that, and that she’s especially appreciated how approachable the team is:

“You know, everybody that I’ve worked with so far at Spruce Root has been really personable and they haven’t been intimidating. And I think that when you’re doing something like this, it’s so important that you feel supported and not intimidated by the people that are helping you get your future.”

Kerin received business coaching from Andrew Jylkka, who supports small business owners across Southeast. She shared that on a day she felt ready to quit, Andrew met the moment with exactly what she needed—a pep talk:

“He was like, ‘great, let’s get this out of the way now. You’re gonna do this. You’re doing really hard work. You’re doing really good. You’ve persevered every day.’ And so he really gave me a good pep talk. He’s a great coach.”

Great work, Kerin! We’re here for you anytime.

04/27/2026

Our wealth is not measured by what we have, but what we are able to give away.

This Financial Literacy Month we’re asking Spruce Root parents about the money lessons they teach their kids (and how they might apply to us as adults, too!)

Ashley Snookes is Spruce Root’s Senior Credit Officer. She shares that last December, her daughter Aya had big dreams about crafting a lemonade stand in their neighborhood. After the initial plan didn’t bring in the cash she was hoping for, Aya and her mom had a conversation about what other ventures might be more profitable. Aya ended up pivoting to selling hot chocolate on a neighborhood playground.

“She was a lot more successful with the hot chocolate (and ended up learning a helpful lesson about target markets!)” Ashley shares. While Aya has saved up from similar pursuits in the past to buy things for herself, the hot chocolate earnings were for a different purpose. “The reason she wanted to make money in the first place was to be able to buy people Christmas gifts,” says Ashley. Aya’s story reminds us that growing financial literacy skills isn’t only to our own benefit, but for the loved ones and communities who we share our money with.

04/22/2026

Hey Sitka friends! Join us this Saturday, April 25th, at the Sitka Public Library for a 2-hour Financial Wellness workshop.

This mini-workshop is designed to build your confidence with navigating credit and debt and will cover common credit products, the basics of debt, and how to use credit and debt as a tool for your financial future. All are welcome!

Learn more and register: https://spruceroot.org/etn/understanding-credit-financial-wellness-at-the-sitka-public-library/

04/20/2026

April is Financial Literacy Month and we’re asking Spruce Root parents about the lessons they teach their kids about money, and how they might apply to us as adults, too. 

Today we share lesson 2: saving during times of abundance pays off during slower seasons

Our CDFI team’s Abbey Janes shares that she and her partner have helped their kids open Roth IRA accounts.

Watching their compound interest grow from even a smaller amount of money has let them see the impact that small saving habits can have over time,” Abbey says. “I hope this will encourage them to continue investing over time and see how starting to save this money early on can pay off in the long run.”

Abbey says that this lesson about scaling up in your investments also applies to other aspects of her kids’ lives. “Our son Thalen bought a used snow machine a few years ago and, after spending time learning about it and fixing it up, decided he wanted to upgrade it. He’s been working hard at an outboard shop in town during the summer seasons, which has allowed him to save enough money to buy a newer snow machine for his winter hobbies this year.

04/18/2026

In this transformational virtual workshop, we blend artistry with modern economic understanding and provide you with the knowledge and tools necessary to thrive in today’s market.

We understand the unique challenges faced by Southeast Alaska artists, and our curriculum addresses these concerns head-on and prepares you to transform your artistic skills into a full-grown business venture.

Our team of expert instructors will guide you every step of the way, providing invaluable insights and personalized support.

You will learn strategies and tools for:
• Marketing & Pricing Your Art
• Branding & Customer Discovery
• Business Planning
• Financial Projections
• Grant-writing
• Business Licensing & Accounting

Join us for this virtual workshop to shape your prosperous future as an artist.

Apply today: https://wkf.ms/40KDNuF

04/16/2026

Storytelling is a powerful tool that has guided this region since time immemorial.

Today, that tradition continues through Future Scenarios—four stories created by 40 diverse Southeast Alaskans imagining what our region’s future could hold. Future Scenarios is an engaging tool to spark dialogue, planning, and new possibilities within Tribes, organizations, businesses, and communities.

Are you curious about how Future Scenarios can guide dialogue and planning within your work?

We’ve created free resources and a hands-on facilitation toolkit to help you get started: https://spruceroot.org/resources/futurescenarios/

For more information and to explore how scenarios can support your work, organization, or community, please contact Val Massie at valerie@spruceroot.org

1 like. "Future Scenarios for Southeast Alaska"

04/13/2026

As kids, our relationship to money is shaped by the adults in our lives. The lessons our caretakers teach us (both intentionally and not) stick with us into adulthood, and are often passed onto our next generation.
 
April is Financial Literacy Month and we asked Spruce Root parents how they are teaching their kids about money. We’ve compiled some lessons to share with you here (many of which don’t apply only to the littles in our lives, but to us adults, too!)

Lesson 1: Know where your money goes

Our Client Services Coordinator, Ashley G., shares: “We use Greenlight for our kids! It’s a debit card designed for kids that comes with an app. They do weekly chores/odd jobs to earn money and we can instantly transfer funds to them while also tracking/monitoring their expenses. It’s been really handy in teaching them the basics of using a debit card or having a bank account.”

Cash can be hard to track. Ashley says that having a bank account allows her kids to see where money is being earned and spent. Being able to see their bank accounts has led them to become more aware of their spending habits and make changes when they want to save up.

These are habits Ashley hopes her kids will take into adulthood as they continue to make decisions about where their money goes.

04/10/2026

Congrats to Path to Prosperity Business Competition winner Maranda Hamme-Myers!

Maranda is the co-owner of Shinaku Shellfish Co., a family-owned oyster farm rebuilt from the ocean surface up near Klawock on Prince of Wales Island.
Over the past four years, Shinaku has transformed a neglected site into a thriving farm that produces well-loved oysters, creates seasonal jobs, and puts local kids on the water—working the farm and learning through hands-on experience.

The Path to Prosperity award will fund remaining critical infrastructure needed to safely host interns, staff, and visitors, allowing Shinaku to expand beyond oyster farming into workforce development and broader community opportunities.

Shinaku Shellfish Co. is building something their community can be proud of, supporting the next generation—all while growing pretty dang good oysters, too.

04/10/2026

Speed of Trust: A Story of Healing, Collaboration, and Systems Change in Southeast Alaska is out now — the second volume following the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, a dynamic collective impact network across the region.

Written by SSP Communications Catalyst Shaelene Grace Moler, this story is told through the eyes of a young Indigenous woman shaped by and working within the Partnership. Over 15 years, SSP has united diverse skills and perspectives to strengthen cultural, ecological, and economic prosperity through a vision of self-determined communities inspired by Indigenous values.

Building on Peter Forbes’ 2018 Finding Balance at the Speed of Trust, this new volume chronicles eight years of growth, challenge, and systems change in one of the world’s most ecologically significant coastal temperate rainforests.

Read the full story here: https://issuu.com/sprucerootalaska/docs/speed_of_trust_a_story_of_collaboration_healing_

04/09/2026

Congrats to Path to Prosperity Business Competition winner Robert Miller! 

Robert is the owner and founder of Sea Fur Sewing, a Sitka-based business rooted in cultural knowledge, subsistence practices, and craftsmanship.

Through Sea Fur Sewing, he creates heirloom-quality products from sustainably harvested materials like seal and sea otter, while also teaching workshops that pass down knowledge of harvesting, processing, and sewing to the next generation.

Robert plans to use part of the Path to Prosperity award to expand these trainings – helping hunters produce premium pelts and creating more opportunity for local communities.

04/04/2026

Our Program Manager for Small Business, Andrew Jylkka, just returned from the Mariculture Conference of Alaska.

Andrew is working to support SE AK entrepreneurs build thriving mariculture businesses, and he came back with some fresh insights and resources that will be featured in next week’s Spruce Tips newsletter. Sign up for Spruce Tips to get plugged in to small business and personal finance resources from across our region!

Spruce Tips sign up: https://mailchi.mp/08c3518b78e0/spruce-tips-sign-up

Photos courtesy of Andrew Jylkka and Marc Wheeler