Meet Our Team
Staff
Jay Stilwell
Executive Director
Jay has worked in both for-profit and non-profit organizations holding leadership positions. He was the founder of a publishing-technology company in Seattle where he led the company from a startup to a sustainable organization. When he moved to Sitka, he joined the Sitka Sound Science Center and was instrumental in directing the 2021 Sitka Whalefest. Jay is active in the Sitka community as a member of the Rotary and can be seen volunteering at local events. As a member of the Fortress of the Bear Team, he brings tourism, marketing, and organizational development experience from his work with organizations in a variety of industries. He enjoys being outdoors on his bike, boat, or kayak. You can often see him on the water or hiking one of the local trails.
Claire Turner
Curator & Bear Behaviorist
Claire has been an integral part of our bear care team since she first volunteered with us during the summer of 2012, collecting bear intelligence data for her BSc in Animal Behavior. She now manages our entire bear care team, overseeing and assisting keeper staff with seasonal nutrition, veterinary training, enrichment and educational programming to reduce human-bear conflict. Claire also founded our formal intern program in 2015, creating opportunities for others to learn and gain experience as they begin their animal care careers.
In her spare time, Claire is an artist and graphic designer; she provides many of Fortress of the Bear’s t-shirt and merchandise designs, which you can find in our online store! She also plays a key role in our social media management!
Barb Self
Operations Manager
Barb Self is our Operation Manager and she is responsible for making sure all aspects of Fortress of the Bear run smoothly. Barb has been a part of Fortress since the beginning in 2002. Her Father is Fortress founder Les Kinnear. She was raised in Sitka and is a graduate of Sitka High. After high school, she had an opportunity to live 3 years in Europe while her husband was in the army. After Europe, Barb lived in the Western Alaska in the villages for 6 years and then homestead in the Alaskan Wilderness for 3 years. She enjoys learning from other cultures and discovering how she can incorporate other cultures into her lifestyle.
Barb has been married to her sweetheart since 1985 and has 5 kids, and 12 grandkids. She is an important team member, who works hard to keep Fortress moving forward.
Gerri Guthrie
Retail & Production Manager
Gerri has worked in our production department since November 2021. She grew up in Sitka and has lived here off and on, spending the last 30 years in Utah. Gerri comes from a very creative background! She is a photographer, decorator, crafter and loves making items to sell in Fortress of the Bear’s gift shop. If you’ve purchased an item of clothing in our store or online, Gerri probably made it for you! She loves collaborating with the other staff to create new products. She is very passionate about the bears here at Fortress and is so excited to be part of the growth that is taking place. She loves to chase sunsets and walk around Sitka. She is always taking pictures to share her view of the world - you can see lots of her photos by following G&H Photography! She has been married for 25 years this year to Jesse Guthrie and they have three boys, Jan, Jacob, and J.R. Family is very important to her. She also is excited to spend time with her Sitka family.
Les Kinnear
Founder
Les Kinnear is the founder of Fortress of the Bear. A former hunter and bear guide, he developed a passion for bears and sought to make a positive change for cubs in need - those orphaned and destroyed by human behavior, due to Alaska’s lack of rehabilitation and release program.
Starting this project involved gaining long term access to the large abandoned Sitka Pulp Mill waste water treatment tanks and upcycling them into innovative, naturalized bear habitats with various substrates and continuously fresh running water.
Under permitting from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fortress of the Bear received it’s first rescue resident bears in 2007.
Thanks to Les’ vision, Fortress of the Bear is one of three facilities in the state approved to safely hold and care for bears for the state of Alaska.
Volunteers
Debi Terry
"I began volunteering at Fortress of the Bear in the Spring of 2009 right after moving to Sitka. My favorite bear is Lucky. He is laid back, can easily entertain himself for hours and loves spending time in the water. He also overcame a very serious injury as a young bear and is thriving now. I have had various responsibilities since I began volunteering from cleaning to helping with food prep and enrichment. My favorite things to do are picking wild foods for the bears and telling guests about these remarkable creatures. The most memorable moment I have had was just looking into the eyes of one of the bears and feeling that he was engaged in looking back at me. I hope I can volunteer another 10 years!"
Here's Debi, who also runs a local tour company, Specialized Tours of Sitka.
Kathy Ingallinera
"I started volunteering on Sundays in the summer of 2015. Killisnoo is my favorite bear because he is the "Underdog" and I like to root for him and encourage him, especially when he stands up for himself. He is sweet and just goes about his bear business, which I like. I help in the gift shop, with food prep, cleaning, recycling and telling the visitors about the bears."
Here's Kathy, pictured with her lovely rescue malamute, Bristol!
Board of Directors
Chair - Lee Bennett
Vice-Chair - Shauna Thornton
Treasurer - Hugh Bevan
Secretary - Laurie Booyse
Director - Debi Terry
Director - Tyler Eddy
Honorary Board Member - Beverly Caldwell