Staff Biographies

David van den Berg, Executive Director

David van den Berg came to Alaska in 1989 to help clean up oil spilled from the Exxon Valdez. He moved to Fairbanks later that year.  Before joining the Downtown Association of Fairbanks as its Executive Director in July of 2008, he was the Executive Director of the Northern Alaska Environmental Center.  Before that, he was president of Arctic Wild, a wilderness guiding company operating throughout Alaska’s Arctic.  An avid dog musher, he once traversed the North Slope by dog team from Wiseman via Anaktuvuk Pass to Umiat, onward to Nuiqsut, then by an easterly misadventure through the Prudhoe Bay oilfields to the Dalton Highway.  Perhaps surprisingly, he loves being downtown. David is married to Amy Cook; they have two children, Eleanor and Henri.  

Jerri Sapp, Operations Director

Jerri Sapp is a third-generation Alaskan, born and raised in Fairbanks. Inspired by her combined appreciation for uniquely Alaskan smart urban development and rural lifestyles, she earned a B.S. in Natural Resources Management at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. In 2006 she joined the Downtown Association of Fairbanks as an intern, just as Vision Fairbanks was launched, and soon became the Operations Director. She enjoys finding ways to improve the quality of life for those around her, particularly for those fulfilling their livelihoods in the heart of her own hometown.

Amy Geiger, Community Development Director

Amy Geiger has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Hawaii in Manoa, and a Master of Arts Degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Prior to joining DTA, she worked at the University of Alaska Museum of the North where she successfully directed the Visitor Services Department for 15 years. Amy’s other work experiences include managing the Malemute Saloon and teaching for Tanana Valley Community College and Upward Bound.  Amy has two wonderful children, Atticus and Rio, and a husband named Scot. A twenty-five year resident of Fairbanks, Amy says “I love Fairbanks and enjoy working with downtown businesses and residents in order to make our town an even better place to live, work and visit.” 

Kara Nash, Events & Marketing Coordinator

Kara Nash graduated from the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Art History. Expanding on her interest in events and marketing from Student Class Council, Kappa Delta Sorority and the University of Rochester Swim and Dive team she became the lead Student Marketing Representative for Zipcar, a car sharing company, at the Rochester Institute of Technology. After what was planned to be a summer vacation in Fairbanks, Alaska she became the Events and Marketing Coordinator for the Downtown Association of Fairbanks in Fall of 2008. When you do not find her living and working DOWNTOWN, you can find her in the pool coaching Springboard Diving for all the local High Schools and for her new club team Northbound Diving.