After practicing as a lawyer for almost twenty years, when Beth Kerttula first became a state legislator, it felt like going home. That is because she had literally grown up in the halls of the capitol. Her parents, Jay and Joyce were dedicated public servants - Jay serving in the legislature for 34 years total, and Joyce working right with him the entire time, managing his office (as an unpaid volunteer). The Kerttulas were also dairy farmers and off session they lived on their farm near Palmer, where Jay’s family had been part of the 1935 Colony. Beth still loves animals and gardening, and maintains her family’s deep respect for the people and land of Alaska. Beth served 15 years in the Alaska State House of Representatives; seven as Minority Leader. She left to be a Fellow at Stanford University and then became Director of the National Ocean Council in the Executive Office of President Obama in Washington, DC, where she worked with Tribes, States, and Federal Agencies to implement the National Ocean Plan. Beth returned home in 2016 and has since focused on family, environmental work, and campaigning for other people. Beth and her husband Jim Powell live on the coast in Juneau with their exceptionally spoiled dog, Blue. (Beth’s first term ends in Fall 2026.)