Refer to the AKOTA Bylaws for Board of Director responsibilities.
Board of Directors
vacant
Director interior/north
Contact a board member to volunteer for this position!
chelsea phelps
director southcentral
Chelsea is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist in Anchorage, currently practicing at Providence Anchorage Medical Center. She also serves as a Special Faculty member, teaching Pediatric Lab for the Creighton University OTD program-Alaska Pathway on UAA campus. She is originally from Detroit, Michigan where she began her undergraduate studies at Oakland University before moving on to her MsOT at Baker College, Flint. Since beginning her OT career in 2016, Chelsea has had the opportunity to work in a wide range of settings from ICU, acute care, inpatient rehab, school-based, rural health, and pediatrics. Chelsea has practiced Occupational Therapy in Michigan, Hawaii, and Alaska. In her free time, Chelsea enjoys traveling, volunteering with Autism on the Seas, exploring the outdoors of Alaska, and spending time with family and friends. She is a proud sister of a Special Olympics, Michigan athlete.
Term End Date: February 2026
Erin Brennan
Director southeast
Hi, I’m Erin and I have had the privilege of being Cordova’s sole Occupational Therapist (OT) since 2021. I graduated from Philadelphia University with my Masters in December 2016 and after my first full-time job started travel therapy with my now wife, a Physical Therapist Assistant.
We worked in 4 states from 2019-2021 in an array of different settings but we turned our temporary status into full time after living in Cordova for 6 months.
Over the past 2 ½ years, I have learned to embrace the challenges of being an Alaskan OT for all its quirks and grown in ways to best help my community: I created and hold a monthly LGBTQ+ support group, I assisted our Native Village of Eyak in forming and running a Neurodiverse Parental Support group, and I completed a fellowship (22-23) with UAA’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) Program. During my year of LEND, I rediscovered my passion for activism and the change we can make when our voices are heard; I look forward to embracing this role as a volunteer for AKOTA’s Board of Directors!
Term End Date: February 2026
Hilary Sauder
Director Southeast
Stay tuned for photo and bio!
Term End Date: February 2026