Who We Are

Mary Hakala, STEM Education Coordinator
mhakala@gospringboard.org ♦ (907) 523-2336
Mary Hakala, a 50-year resident of Juneau and a Juneau Douglas High School graduate, is the K-12 education coordinator for SpringBoard. She has had several roles with state government, including special assistant to the commissioner of the Department of Education and a staffer for the Alaska State Legislature. She is founder of Alaska Kids Count!, a statewide advocacy network for K-12 school improvements, and the Juneau Community Charter Schools. Hakala has a B.A. in American Civilization from Williams College. She, her husband and family have had a commercial fishing business since 1990.

Robert Vieth, STEM Education Specialist
rvieth@jedc.org ♦ (907) 523-2342
Bob Vieth moved to Juneau from Connecticut in January 2010. He spent the first 25 years of his career at the University of Connecticut, first as a research biochemist, moving on to applied biochemical engineering, and then pursuing a graduate degree in Gifted and Talented Science Education. After leaving the University, Bob worked as a Science Education Specialist for a nonprofit firm and also ran his own consulting business specializing in science curriculum development and teacher professional training. Bob is a strong advocate for science and engineering education starting with children at the kindergarten level and continuing on through adulthood. His many interests include hiking, fishing, cooking, and racquetball.

Rebecca Parks, STEM Education Specialist
rparks@jedc.org ♦ (907) 523-2334
Rebecca joined the Juneau Economic Development in February 2007. She brings four years of classroom experience teaching middle-school science at an inner-city public school and has also worked in a variety of nonprofit organizations. She has an MA in Secondary Science Education and BA in Environmental Science from Columbia University. She has a passion for community involvement in education that creates real-world opportunities for students to engage in learning. Rebecca plays both soccer and ice hockey and is an avid FIRST Lego League enthusiast.