STATE OFFICERS
Casey Steinau - Party Chair
Casey Steinau enjoys life in Big Lake with her partner Tim Dickman and 2 very spoiled cats. Casey has had a successful 20-year career in real estate sales and investing. She is proud of her contributions to her community as a small business owner and a long-time community volunteer for a variety of causes from garbage clean-up to the fight against homelessness. She is currently a member of the Mat-Su MLK Jr. Foundation, advisory board member of the Mat-Su Food Bank, and board member of the Big Lake Community Council. Electing Democrats up and down the ticket is her top priority.
Mike Wenstrup - 1st Vice- Chair
Mike Wenstrup lives in Fairbanks with his wife and two children. Originally from the Midwest, he moved to Fairbanks on a whim in 2005. He quickly fell in love with Fairbanks and his wife Annie (who initially agreed to speak with him because she liked the Alaska Democrats bumper sticker on his truck) and decided to make Fairbanks his home. He opened his own law practice, specializing in criminal defense, workers’ compensation, and elder law. In addition to private case work, half of the practice was dedicated to court-appointed work representing individuals in Nome, Kotzebue, Utqiagvik, Fairbanks, and surrounding areas. In 2015, he closed his practice and joined NEA-Alaska as a full-time union representative and organizer.
In addition to his work as a father, lawyer, and union representative, Mike is a past chair of both the Interior Democrats, and the Alaska Democratic Party. A proud “Double-Domer,” he holds a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Katherine Pfeiffer - Secretary
Katherine Pfeiffer was born in Fairbanks and has worked in the political non-profit arena, legislative, ballot measures, as a candidate consultant and manager, and union organizer.
She loves working to promote and elect candidates who reflect Alaska Democrats shared values, while getting to know new folks who come through the doors. Working together does not just make the Alaska Democratic Party party stronger, but helps neighborhoods, communities, regions, and cultures thrive. She is a graduate of Portland State University.
Felisa Wilson - Treasurer
Dr. Felisa Wilson retired as a Major from the US Air Force in April of 2019 with over 20 years of active military service. She graduated from the University of Houston with a B.S. in Biology- Pre-Med with a Minor in Chemistry in 1993. Felisa earned her Master of Public Administration (MPA), in Healthcare Administration from Troy State University at the National Capital Area regional campus in Washington, DC. In 2001. She received the Air Force Health Professions Scholarship to medical school in 2005 and earned her Medical Doctorate (MD) from Texas Tech University School of Medicine in 2009. She attended Family Medicine Residency program t the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She deployed to Kyrgyzstan as part of clinic staff at Manas Training Center and to Afghanistan as part of a Medical Embedded Training Team mentoring medical personnel of the Afghan National Army in a US. Coalition hospital. Upon returning from Afghanistan, Major Wilson received a special assignment to work for the Commandant at Medical Education Training Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. From there she arrived at her final duty station, the 673d Medical Group hospital at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Brenda Knapp - DNC Committee Woman
Brenda is currently the Southeast Regional Vice Chair and is a longtime officer of the Tongass Democrats in Juneau (3-term Chair, 3-term Vice Chair, Treasurer, and State Central Committee member). She also served as a Democratic National Convention delegate in 2012. She served 3 times on the Party Plan of Organization Committee, and has received the Queen Bess and ADP Lifetime achievement awards.
She had a 40+ year career in human services and community development working for non-profits, tribal organizations, the University of Alaska and State of Alaska, and retired in 2014 as DHSS Statewide Administrator of Community Behavioral Health Services.
Charles 'Chuck' Degnan - DNC Committee Man
Charles “Chuck” Degnan is a self-employed Bering Sea commercial fisherman. He is also retired from the State of Alaska after working many years as the Bering Strait Coastal Resource Service Area manager. Chuck earned a B.Ed. from the University of Alaska (1966) and an M.Ed. from Texas A&M Commerce (1987).
STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
The State Central Committee, composed of volunteers from across Alaska, is the governing body of the Alaska Democratic Party. To view a full list of Central Committee members, click here.
All of the above information was gathered from the AK Dems website