Youth & Teen Recreation Coordinator: Lisa Larson
Lisa Larson was born in Petersburg, Alaska, and raised in the neighboring Tlingit village, Kake. Her parents infused her formative years with puppet shows, all forms of art, music, and service.
Lisa earned her Bachelor of Education, K-8. She completed her student teaching and graduated from the University of Alaska, Southeast in 1996, just as her first son turned one. Four more children followed in the next 7 years.
Focusing on her young family, Lisa’s work life followed her children. She owned a licensed 12-space daycare while they were preschoolers, and managed licensed school-age programs for school districts and recreation facilities during their school-age years. As her children moved through junior and high school, she owned two retail shops (Skate of Gear, a roller-skate shop, and Love & Matter, a floral, gift, and learning studio). Her children often worked for her or skated in the junior roller derby league she coached.
She has also served as the Fire Chief of the Tenakee Volunteer Fire Department, owned a live-crab exporting company, and a residential cleaning business, and held a commercial lines insurance license. Her expertise is in developing, coordinating, and teaching recreation, art, and cultural programs for children, youth, and adults.
Her children all grown, and Lisa made the choice to “head west”, as soon as she arrived on this island, she felt she was home. She finds everything she loves thrives here, the family dogs, her living cultures (kefir, kombucha, kraut), and her growing plant collection.