Kangas, Orchard land in Top Forty, Osborne accepts ATHENA honor
Three Alyeska employees were recently recognized with prestigious Alaska honors. Lisa Kangas, Environmental Coordinator (Pump Station 5-Fairbanks), and Erin Orchard, Development Manager, were both named to Alaska Journal of Commerce’s 2025 Top Forty Under 40 lineup, while Melanie Osborne, Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Compliance, was named a member of the Anchorage ATHENA Society’s Class of 2025.
Since 1998, Alaska’s Top Forty Under 40 program has recognized the state’s top professionals younger than 40 who have demonstrated excellence in their field and displayed a commitment to their community. Lisa and Erin will be recognized with the remaining Top Forty group at an awards ceremony on April 18.
Each year, the Anchorage ATHENA Society, in partnership with the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, honors remarkable women who have demonstrated leadership and excellence in business, community service, and mentoring other women to help them achieve their true potential. Melanie was welcomed to the group during a luncheon on March 17.
Top Forty Under 40
Lisa and Erin are both recognized in their Top Forty Under 40 nominations as standout professionals and respected leaders in their respective roles at Alyeska, as passionate and tireless volunteers and role models in their communities, and for their integrity, positive attitudes and fostering meaningful relationships in all that they do. (Melanie is also a Top Forty Under 40 alum, earning her honor in 2009.)
Lisa and Erin each said that they are humbled by the Top Forty honor and excited to share the spotlight with one another.
Lisa said, “Erin is top notch. I’ve worked with her on several training segments and productions that she led. Her passion for developing TAPS employees is clear. You know you’re well taken care of with her. We also ran the TAPS Klondike Road Relay together on our Pipeline Pacers team once, which was a great way to get to know her better. Very well deserved. Congrats, Erin!”
Erin added, “To also be on this list with Lisa is wonderful. I’ve worked with Lisa in various capacities during my nearly 10 years at TAPS. We’ve been together at remote sites for spill drills and even ran a team relay from Skagway to Whitehorse together! She has a heart of gold for people (and animals) and is such an asset on any team.”
Lisa Kangas
“I am happy to receive the Alaska Forty under 40 award. My heartfelt thanks to APSC for supporting my growth through a meaningful career and community involvement. I have shaped my life around my work (and vice versa) and I truly love what I do. The nomination letters from my TAPS family moved me deeply, and I am grateful to represent Alyeska at the award banquet in April!” – Lisa Kangas
For more than 13 years, Lisa has worked with Alyeska’s Environment team, and is known for her leadership, technical proficiency, innovation and personnel advocate in her role as an Environmental Coordinator. She is known across TAPS and in communities across Alaska as a steward focused on preserving natural resources, sustainable practices, and environmental responsibility and conservation.
Her manager, Jan Shifflett, noted, “Lisa is highly respected by her peers and is known for her mentorship and support of colleagues. … I have seen Lisa go above and beyond in her efforts to improve our pipeline professional community.”
Geneva L. Walters, Pump Station 9 Maintenance Supervisor, added, “As a pump station supervisor in the Arctic, I depended on Lisa to guide me through the environmental programs and the many regulations and policies. She was always one step ahead. She went well beyond the role of environmental coordinator and became an influencer and a teacher. … Lisa Kangas represents the best of Alaska. She has the grace and wisdom to teach, the grit to thrive in Alaska’s unique environment, and a deep reverence for the Great Land and all it affords us.”
Lisa is Koyukon Athabascan who was born and raised in Ruby. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Idaho. Lisa is also a graduate of many development programs, such as the Rural Alaska Honors Institute (RAHI), Doyon Leadership Academy, and Alyeska’s Building Foundations for Excellence Program (BFEP) and Alyeska University.
Paying it back, Lisa now mentors individuals in the BFEP program, attends American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) conferences to promote STEM career pathway awareness and advancement to Indigenous youth, and sits on Alyeska’s Alaska Native Program Advisory Board.
Lisa also volunteers with Alaska Resource Education, where she developed an educational video showcasing her environmental work, and supports Our 2 Cents, a Fairbanks-based non-profit focused on supporting local causes and the health of the community.
“Lisa’s work and dedication to environmental preservation are a beacon of hope and a call to action for others,” wrote Rachael Marie Kangas Madros, Dineega Corporation President. “Her dedication to environmental conservation, her leadership in her field, and her role as a community role model make her deserving of this honor.”
Erin Orchard
“Being recognized on this list is an honor. More than anything, I’m grateful to the selfless actions of people who took the time to nominate me. It’s easy to get caught up in our own worlds, so having so many people contribute to this is truly touching. To me life and work are integrated and this is a reflection of the entirety of my life tied together. I’ve always said I’m a proud millennial and believe in the people of my generation, and this is more confirmation of that!” – Erin Orchard
Erin joined Alyeska’s Human Resources team in 2015 and advanced to Development Manager in 2020, where she enhances the growth and effectiveness of everyone from pipeline managers to technicians to interns. She also organizes extensive leadership workshops, is a founder of the Alyeska Women’s Network, and addresses individual needs for Alyeska staff and TAPS workers across Alaska.
Fred Millen, Chief Human Resources Officer, wrote in his nomination, “Erin is a testament to the power of empathy, kindness, and leadership in the oil and gas industry. Her impact at Alyeska and the broader community is profound … Her work not only fosters operational success but also strengthens the industry’s human connections, develops leaders and enhances the lives of those she reaches.”
Ezequiel (Zeke) Cervantes, Pump Station 1 Lead Technician, added, “Across all industries, there are individuals who tirelessly contribute without expecting recognition or praise. Erin is one of those professionals. She has had and will continue to have a lasting impact on the oil and gas industry in Alaska. Her contributions, though often behind the scenes, should not go unnoticed. She has directly influenced the careers and success of current and future generations of pipeline technicians and operators.”
Erin earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Denver and a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Pepperdine University. Away from Alyeska, she is involved in many volunteer activities, including many focused on supporting and empowering youth: ski instructing with Challenge Alaska, 100+ Women Who Care, Young Life, Alaska Big Brother Big Sisters, The Magic Yarn Project, and is the Alaska Director for the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) program. She’s also co-chaired Alyeska’s United Way campaign.
“While I chair both the Oregon and Washington chapters of HOBY, I consider HOBY Alaska my home site in large part because of the successes Erin has accomplished building it into one of the most premier leadership camps for high school students in Alaska,” wrote Austin J. Robinson, Leadership Seminar Chair of HOBY Oregon & Washington. “Fostering the leaders of tomorrow is Erin’s mission. Someday, you will be awarding your Top 40 Under 40 designations to people Erin molded to better Alaska and all of its beauty.”
Melanie Baca Osborne
“I’m deeply honored to be part of the 2025 Class of ATHENA and humbled to join AHTENA’s list of exceptional women serving our community, including our very own (Chief Communications Officer) Michelle Egan.” – Melanie Baca Osborne
With nearly 25 years representing tribal organizations, in June 2023 Melanie joined Alyeska, a company her father worked for as a construction supervisor later in his career. As Senior Counsel, Melanie collaborated with Alyeska teams on all aspects of Legal, with a focus on technology law issues. She supported the Information Technology, Cyber Security, and Telecommunications teams; reviewed software and technology contracts; and assisted with data management issues and Alyeska’s increasing AI use. On March 31, Melanie was named Alyeska’s Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Compliance.
Melanie’s journey with TAPS began long before she joined Alyeska. Her family moved to Valdez when she was a toddler during the boom of pipeline construction. In addition to her dad’s 35-plus year career on TAPS, Melanie and her husband Brad worked at VMT going through undergraduate school, and both Brad’s parents retired from Alyeska in recent years. Through her work for Alaska Native Corporations, Melanie had the opportunity to support work on TAPS, such as contractor staffing and oil spill response, renewal of the Ahtna Friendship Agreement and the recent development of the Chugach Naswik Suites in Valdez. Her career has branched far beyond the law to executive leadership, compliance, risk, safety, human resources, shareholder development, and facilities management.
Melanie is passionate about building relationships, with service as a deep throughline in her career and volunteer efforts. She has been a board member, volunteer and advocate for many organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, Alaska Legal Services, Covenant House Alaska, the Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, Breast Cancer Focus, the Alaska Bar Association, the Alaska Native Justice Center, and more. Melanie mentors many young women to help them be successful and achieve their personal and professional goals, including through our very own Alyeska Mentorship Program. She was recently selected for the Exceptional Women Alliance – a national organization providing peer-to-peer mentoring relationships and guidance for high level women.
In her nomination, Josie Hickel, former President of Chugach Alaska Corporation, wrote, “Melanie is a proven leader in her profession as well as being very active in social and non-profit organizations and efforts that benefit the Alaska, our community and support the advancement of women in their professional development.” Ivy Spohnholz, TNC Alaska State Director, added: “She never fails to lead or to serve others in any room she is in.”
In addition to the ATHENA honor, Melanie’s professional awards include being selected as a YWCA Alaska Woman of Achievement in 2021, a Top Forty Under 40 in 2009, and Alaska Business Legal Elite, Corporate Counsel (2023, 2024).