January 2025 - NABIP Alaska Monthly Meeting

About our Speaker:

Senator Cathy Giessel is a lifelong Alaskan, born and raised in Fairbanks.

She graduated from Lathrop High School, earned her bachelor's in nursing at the University of Michigan and her master’s in nursing from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She built her professional career here in Alaska, working as an advanced nurse practitioner, delivering healthcare at hospitals and clients in the Anchorage area, as well as in small communities in the North Slope Borough. She has been on the Alaska Board of Nursing, including serving five years as its chair, and served on the Alaska Healthcare Strategy Planning Council.

Cathy is married to Richard Giessel, has 3 grown children and 7 grandchildren.

Senator Giessel was first elected to the Alaska Senate in 2010 and will begin her 13^th year of elected service when the 34^th Alaska Legislature convenes in Juneau on January 21^st.  She served as Senate President from 2019-2020.

Giessel represents Senate District E (comprised of Anchorage House Districts 9 & 10) which includes South Anchorage (Oceanview/Klatt/Dimond Center), the hillside (Huffman/O’Malley/ Basher/Rabbit Creek/Glen Alps/Golden View/Stuckagain/Bear Valley/Potter Valley) as well the communities along the Turnagain Arm - Bird Creek, Indian, Girdwood, Whitter and Portage.

Sen Giessel currently serves as the Senate Majority Leader, Co-Chair of the Senate Resources Committee and as a member of the Health & Social Services, Judiciary, and Community & Regional Affairs Committees.

This January, she will once again return to Juneau as the Senate Majority Leader, as sole Chair of the Resources Committee and as a member of the Health & Social Services Committee.