Rasmuson Foundation Selects LeeAnn Cooper Garrick as Chief Operating Officer
January 28, 2026
Anchorage, ALASKA – Rasmuson Foundation welcomes LeeAnn Cooper Garrick as its Chief Operating Officer. In this newly added role, Garrick will join the Foundation’s executive group, overseeing internal operations and external events.
“The COO role is key to creating a unified, collaborative work environment and strengthening our ability to serve Alaskans,” said Gretchen Guess, president & CEO of Rasmuson Foundation. “Success means a humble leader who elevates teams, partners with her directors, and fosters a positive, solution-focused culture. LeeAnn brings all of that and more.”
A member of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, Garrick has built a career steeped in service to Alaska Native people. During her 16-year tenure at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, she led several operational improvement projects across the campus to support the health needs of Alaska Native and American Indian people. As Cook Inlet Tribal Council’s COO, she oversaw recovery, education, workforce development, early learning, and family reunification programs that provide direct services to Alaska Native people throughout the Cook Inlet region.
In her most recent role, as the director of the Office of Tribal Programs for Indian Health Service, she led a team focused on supporting the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and providing technical assistance, conflict resolution, and other services to tribes.
Garrick is a lifelong Alaskan who grew up in Petersburg and Eagle River. She holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and a Master of Arts in English, both from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She has served on the boards of Alaska Pacific University, Covenant House, and Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation.
Garrick joins Guess, Chief Program Officer Tasha Pineda, and Jess Haley, the director of board, CEO, and family engagement, on the Foundation’s executive leadership team.
About Rasmuson Foundation
Rasmuson Foundation is a private family foundation based in Anchorage, Alaska, with a mission to empower Alaskans to help each other. The foundation was created in 1955 by Jenny Rasmuson, a Swedish missionary, and her son Elmer, to honor her late husband, missionary, and banker E.A. Rasmuson.
“The COO role is key to creating a unified, collaborative work environment and strengthening our ability to serve Alaskans,” said Gretchen Guess, president & CEO of Rasmuson Foundation. “Success means a humble leader who elevates teams, partners with her directors, and fosters a positive, solution-focused culture. LeeAnn brings all of that and more.”
A member of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, Garrick has built a career steeped in service to Alaska Native people. During her 16-year tenure at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, she led several operational improvement projects across the campus to support the health needs of Alaska Native and American Indian people. As Cook Inlet Tribal Council’s COO, she oversaw recovery, education, workforce development, early learning, and family reunification programs that provide direct services to Alaska Native people throughout the Cook Inlet region.
In her most recent role, as the director of the Office of Tribal Programs for Indian Health Service, she led a team focused on supporting the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and providing technical assistance, conflict resolution, and other services to tribes.
Garrick is a lifelong Alaskan who grew up in Petersburg and Eagle River. She holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and a Master of Arts in English, both from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She has served on the boards of Alaska Pacific University, Covenant House, and Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation.
Garrick joins Guess, Chief Program Officer Tasha Pineda, and Jess Haley, the director of board, CEO, and family engagement, on the Foundation’s executive leadership team.
About Rasmuson Foundation
Rasmuson Foundation is a private family foundation based in Anchorage, Alaska, with a mission to empower Alaskans to help each other. The foundation was created in 1955 by Jenny Rasmuson, a Swedish missionary, and her son Elmer, to honor her late husband, missionary, and banker E.A. Rasmuson.
Contact:
Gary Scott, Communications Director
gscott@rasmuson.org, (907) 334-0521
