Stephanie Holthaus has been named the 2020-2021 Walter J. Hickel Endowed Professor in Strategic Leadership and Entrepreneurship at Alaska Pacific University (APU).
Established in 2011 under the university’s Institute of Business & Public Policy, the Hickel Endowed Professorship is named for the former two-term Alaska governor and U.S. Secretary of the Interior. In her role, Holthaus will engage with the public through community events focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. Her interests lie in social enterprises with a positive community impact and highlighting nontraditional forms of strategic leadership.
Holthaus is the Climate Action Advisor for the Nature Conservancy in Alaska, where she leads the Alaska Climate Action program and the national initiative Women on Climate. She previously served as the Nature Conservancy’s Director of External and Corporate Affairs in Alaska. Stephanie acts as a volunteer coach to social entrepreneurs around the world and has also held leadership positions with several Alaska transportation companies including: Vice President Operations, Totem Ocean Trailer Express; President, Alta Air Logistics; and Vice President, Cargo, Northern Air Cargo. She earned an M.B.A. from Alaska Pacific University.
“We are excited to have Stephanie join us as the Hickel Endowed Professor,” said Yaso Thiru, director of the Institute of Business & Public Policy at APU. “She is a leader in climate advocacy and a champion of diversity in leadership, both of which align with our curriculum at APU. She also brings to the role career experience in leadership, innovation, philanthropy, government relations, and strategy design. We look forward to her public engagement throughout the academic year.”
