MEET THE TEAM
ALYSSA RODRIGUES, Ph.D.
Director, The Alaska MEP
Dr. Alyssa Rodrigues has over a decade of experience with Alaska's economy as a research economist and economic developer. In her most recent role as the Development Manager for the State of Alaska, she managed the implementation of the Statewide Comprehensive Development Strategy. Dr. Rodrigues has a BA in Forest Management and a Masters in Forest Economics from Oregon State University and a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Economics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Dr. Rodrigues wants to be a resource for manufacturers to improve their businesses; whether that be decreasing costs, increasing sales or providing classes for manufacturers to work internally with a group to problem-solve and relate to one another. She is excited to partner across the state to tackle challenges and capitalize on opportunities in Alaska's manufacturing industry.
SAMI JO LEWIS
Communication and Outreach Manager
Born and raised in Palmer, Sami Jo graduated from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications and a double minor in journalism and criminal justice. After graduation, she honed her client management skills as an account coordinator for a local public relations agency before joining the Alaska MEP team.
Sami Jo plays a vital role in assisting local manufacturers to improve their business, decrease costs, increase sales, and build relationships to help advance Alaska’s manufacturing industry. She is eager to utilize her experience in strategic communications and public relations to assist in developing the MEP to grow and diversify Alaska’s economy.
Payton Bennett
Client Research Professional
Raised in Fairbanks, Payton completed her bachelor’s degree in Accounting at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She started at the Alaska MEP as a research assistant for a statewide manufacturing survey that aimed to assess the specific needs of manufacturers across the state and has remained on the team as a student intern.
With a passion for all things local and business, she is eager to assist Alaska’s manufacturers with any challenges they face. She accomplishes this by facilitating connections across the state, connecting manufacturers with specific Alaska MEP courses, and designing resource sheets to make their busy lives easier. Payton cares about the small business community in Alaska and aspires to make an impact by supporting the manufacturing community across the state.
Megan Militello
Supply Chain Optimization Manager, The Alaska MEP
Megan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in supply chain management and manufacturing optimization to the Alaska MEP team. Armed with a rich tapestry of experience from serving in the military as an Air Traffic Controller, founding and managing Elevated Oats, and more, she has a proven track record of elevating operational efficiencies and fostering business growth.
Megan's passion for supporting the Alaskan manufacturing community shines through her dedicated efforts to solve complex challenges and strengthen the connection of our National supply chain. Megan's strategic approach and collaborative spirit make her an invaluable asset to both the team and the broader manufacturing sector in Alaska.
PARTNERSHIPS
The Alaska MEP Center draws significant support from being housed within the UAA Business Enterprise Institute (BEI). This is a natural fit as the BEI was established specifically to link and align the business and economic development serving programs across the University of Alaska statewide system and carries a mission of growing and diversifying Alaska’s business economy. While Anchorage-based, the existing programs of the UAA BEI already serve all of Alaska with the UAA BEI having satellite offices in Fairbanks, Homer, Soldotna, Seward, Mat-Su, Juneau and Ketchikan via our Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) programs.
The BEI already serves over 100 of Alaska’s 586 manufacturers across the state via programs such as the Alaska Small Business Development Center, the Alaska Procurement Technical Assistance Center, the EDA University Center for Economic Development (CED), the Alaska Center for Rural Collaboration, and the Alaska Cooperative Development Center. This partnership enables Alaska MEP Center clients the ability to move more seamlessly among service providers, as well as leverage embedded BEI expertise with Agile Strategy deployment, Design Thinking, and Lean Startup Methodology. These tools will be an asset to manufacturers through a focus on iterative processes of improvement, strategy execution, and human-centered design.
The MEP National Network is a unique public-private partnership that delivers comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers, fueling growth and advancing U.S. manufacturing. Focused on helping small and mid-sized manufacturers generate business results and thrive in today’s technology-driven economy.
The MEP National Network comprises the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and its 1,300 trusted advisers and experts at nearly 600 MEP service locations, providing any U.S. manufacturer with access to resources they need to succeed.
Today, Northrim has matured from a small community bank with 21 employees, one branch, and $8 million in assets to an active, engaged community leader with well over 400 employees, branches from Fairbanks to Southeast Alaska, residential mortgage origination offices across the state, and more than $2 billion in assets.
For more than 25 years, Northrim Bank has embraced the community above all else, making strategic investments and meaningful contributions to the local economy. From school programs to community development and local nonprofit organizations, they dedicate their time, talent and dollars to improving economic vitality and quality of life in Alaska.
