David Bronson, Chairman of the Board

Dave Bronson was born in 1958 in Superior, Wisconsin where he graduated from High School in 1976. He was raised in a Christian home with four siblings and accepted Christ as his Savior at age 11. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BS in economics in 1981 whereupon he entered pilot training for the United States Air Force. He flew the B-52 and B-1B for the next nine years until becoming an airline pilot in 1990. While in the Air Force he met and married Debra Lindley. They moved to Anchorage in 1991 where they have lived with their two homeschooled children ever since. They are active members with Anchorage Baptist Temple and are both leaders in its AWANA program.

Chris Brown, Treasurer

Chris Brown joined the Board of Directors of the Alaska Family Council in early 2008.  Mr. Brown and his family have been Alaska residents since 2004. Chris is a 35 year veteran of the telecommunications industry, and has earned both an Electrical Engineering degree and an MBA, the latter from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.  He has had executive experience in international firms, large US firms, and has participated in several start up and growth companies, including not-for-profit work.  Mr. Brown is active in church and civic activities as an adult Bible study and worship leader, church elder, and men's ministry leader.  His interests include the study of the origins, a topic on which he has presented to medical students in Romania.  He is active in local, state and federal politics as a volunteer, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation.  Chris and his wife of 27 years, Margaret, and their son Matthew, an Honors student at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, reside in Anchorage.

Robert Flint, Member

Mr. Flint practiced law in Alaska for 47 years, retiring in 2010. He graduated from Yale with a degree in economics and Georgetown Law School. He is a founding board member of Covenant House Alaska and Alaska Family Council. He lives in Anchorage with his wife Letha and daughter Christine. They are parishioners at Holy Family Cathedral.

Troy Fritzel, Member

Raised in Alaska, Troy Fritzel left home to attend university, married his “girl” from high school, and just a few months later, met Jesus Christ at the age of 19. After graduating from college, he worked a summer job installing sheet metal for his father-in-law’s start-up business venture. Continuing with this business for 20 years, Troy has since become the owner of that sheet metal shop with a vision to be a “city on a hill” within the industry.  Convinced of the role of families in our culture, and especially the role of fathers, Troy first lives it out on the home front; bringing up his three sons to love God and to love people. 

Jim Minnery, President

Jim Minnery is a lifelong Alaskan and has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 15 years. Jim has a Masters in Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Denver, Colorado and is a Certified Fund Raising Executives (CFRE). Jim served as a Board member of the Alaska Association for Nonprofits and is one of the founding members of the Alaska Family Council. He has served in management and fundraising capacities for a number of nonprofits including the March of Dimes, American Red Cross of Alaska, Alaska Legal Services Corporation and Crisis Pregnancy Center of Alaska. Jim attends New Grace Christian Church in Anchorage and was blessed to have married his high school sweetheart Kim.  Together they have four children - Savanna, Duke, Miles and Dayton.

Joan Grimes Pantages, Secretary

Joann was born and raised in New York City, the child of a NYC Police Officer and an executive secretary.  She is the fifth of seven children in this Irish Catholic family. She attended Fordham University and graduated from the City University of New York.   Her undergraduate degree is in Behavior Science (1976).  She also holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas (1999). 

Joann has been married for 35 years to Jeff Pantages.  Jeff is a professional investment manager.  He originally hails from British Columbia, Canada.  He and Joann have lived in Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Princeton (NJ), Topeka, Madison (WI), and for the past 8 years in Anchorage. They have three children:  Jessica and her husband live in Dallas; Dan and his wife Katy and their son Joseph live in Minneapolis; Laurie and her husband Jens live in Austin.  Most of her time over the years was spent raising their three children, however, she occasionally writes op-ed pieces for local newspapers.  

Grady Pennell, Member

Grady has been pastor of Eagle River Grace since March 2007 when he retired as a chaplain from the U.S. Navy after 26 years. In the Navy, he served a tour of duty on a submarine, cruiser, aircraft carrier, Seabee Battalion, and with numerous U.S. Marine units, which included a combat tour in the first Gulf War. He has lived in Iceland, Spain, Korea, and Japan. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary, a Masters of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a B.S. from Texas A&M. His active, diverse ministry and travels span four decades and over 30 countries. Grady and his wife Pat are the parents of two adult children. His married son is a missionary and his daughter recently graduated from University of Alaska, Anchorage.  

Gregory J. Schmidt, Member, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.), P.E.

Greg was born in Cincinnati Ohio, graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelors in Civil Engineering in 1982, and was commissioned into the US Air Force as a Civil Engineering Officer. Between 1995 and 1998, Greg served in Alaska, where his responsibilities included management of real property and the environment at 40 sites across the State of Alaska. While serving in Colorado Springs, he was recognized for outstanding service as a volunteer for the Rocky Mountain Family Council, in support of Focus on the Family Action's Voter Registration Drive. Greg returned to Alaska in 2004, and is now a member of Anchorage Grace Church. He has earned a Masters in Engineering Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and is a licensed Professional Engineer.

Richard "Clayton" Trotter, Member

Richard “Clayton” Trotter is an Associate Professor of Business Administration at the University of Alaska Anchorage.  He was one of the Founding Professors of Regent University School of Law and has served as Corporate Counsel for General Mills, Inc. and the Justice Foundation, a national law firm that seeks to mobilize citizens, through financial and service contributions to provide free legal representation in landmark cases to protect and restore justice. Trotter has addressed audiences at the University of Portugal in Lisbon and at the Norman Manley School of Law at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica for the Justice Foundation and was one of the hosts and producers of the Justice Foundation’s television program “Faces of Abortion”, now seen in 125 nations.

Trotter attends Muldoon Community Assembly Anchorage and has attended worship in churches of many denominations. He considers the body of Christ to transcend denominational structures and, like John Wesley, believes “the world is my parish." At MCA, he is an official member of the church, where he and his wife Leah both regularly assist in leading worship and teaching the Word of God. Trotter is the father of 11 children and enjoys flying, cycling and camping with his family. His interest in flying has led him to become a member of the Civil Air Patrol, Polaris chapter. 

Nancy Bienvenue, Member, BSN

Nancy Bienvenue was transformed by Christ from a 20 year old nursing student who chose abortion in 1975 to CEO of Care Net Pregnancy Center of Tanana Valley, a faith-based life-affirming pregnancy center in Fairbanks. Nancy oversaw the transformation of the pregnancy center into a medical clinic and was responsible for securing and managing a Community-Based Abstinence Education Grant for the clinic. The Step Up Now to Healthy Relationships program served 12 to 18 year old youth in Fairbanks with the message of risk avoidance and healthy relationships.

Having recently resigned from that position, her passion for the sanctity of life and conservative Christian values has only intensified. Nancy is married Richard Bienvenue and has 5 children and 7 grandchildren. She is a member of Door of Hope Church since its founding and leads a home cell group.