Margie Achman
 |
Tags: Civilian, Military & Government, Red Cross Station Manager in Alaska By: mywifemyhero |
Biography of Margie Achman
Born April 6, 1963 in Longbeach, CA, to Mary Bennett and Ken Hammonds, graduated from Brea-Olinda High School, and attended Cal State Fullerton, studying Psychology. University of Alaska Fairbanks studying Fire Science.
Came to Alaska in 1981 and worked for 14 years as a Fire Dispatcher for the Alaska Fire Service and State Forestry. As a dispatcher, deployed to every Western state in the U.S. on fire assignments. While on fire assignments, Margie was casualty assistance officer for the deaths of 14 firefighters in the Colorado South Canyon Fire in 1994 and worked as air coordinator in 2000, supporting 4 aviation accidents in Colorado.
In 2001, Margie volunteered with the American Red Cross, Tanana Valley Chapter, training as a Disaster Volunteer in Family Assistance and as an Instructor in CPR / First Aid and Disaster Courses. As a Disaster Assistance Team leader, Margie has responded to 35 fires in Fairbanks and the North Pole area. She deployed to New York City after the 9/11 disaster as a Family Service caseworker, staying for three weeks. She also deployed to Tok during the 2003 earthquake, assisting local families with housing and immediate needs.
Margie worked for Pike’s Waterfront Lodge as their landscaper for eight years, developing the waterfront park and gardens. In 2004, Margie was hired as manager of the newly built Pike’s Greenhouse, and assumed management of Pike’s Aviator Greenhouse and Sweet Shop in 2005 and 2006.
Continuing to volunteer with the Red Cross as an instructor and Disaster Assistance Team leader, Margie became a volunteer military caseworker at Ft. Wainwright in 2004, assisting military families in the Fairbanks area with emergency leaves, and assisting the Ft. Wainwright Station with emergency communications.
In August of 2005, Margie was selected as the Ft. Wainwright Red Cross Station Manager, assuming all responsibility for the emergency communications system between military personnel around the world and their families. She manages the military volunteer program at Ft. Wainwright Station and Bassett Army Community Hospital and Eielson AFB, developing volunteer opportunities at Post and Base facilities, selecting, training and supervising the 52 active volunteers supporting military operations in the local area. In addition, a primary responsibility is military family assistance and support, referring soldiers, airmen and their family members to local helping agencies.
As Station Manager and local Red Cross Chapter volunteer, Margie initiated many new and innovative support programs for Ft. Wainwright and the local Red Cross Chapter. In 2005, she was a committee member for the first American Red Cross Ball in Fairbanks, and was the Committee Chair for the first “Ride for the Red”, motorcycle rally supporting the Red Cross in July, she has continued this Rally which supports the Soldier and Family Welfare fund which supports our Troops in the Interior of Alaska.
She recently organized all donations of prizes for the Chatanika Days “Outhouse Races”, a charity event supporting local Fairbanks children.
Margie began the “Operation New Recruit” project that recognizes births to military families through donated gifts of baby items for the family. This is an expansion of the “Operation Baby Blanket” another Non-profit organization that makes hand made baby blankets for the mother’s of our deployed at the time of the birth.
She also developed the Injured Soldier’s Assistance Program, that encouraged local businesses to donate phone cards, DVD’s, snack food items, furniture and comfort supplies to the Injured Soldier’s Barracks at Ft. Wainwright. This program has provided assistance to the many injured soldiers returning to Ft. Wainwright for rehabilitation and recovery. Many of the Red Cross volunteers under Margie’s direction cooked much holiday dinners for the injured soldiers and threw a Superbowl Party at the Dormitory. She continues to work with the newly developed Wounded Transition Units.
Margie donated wooden Christmas ornaments to the children at Arctic Light Elementary School to decorate for the Injured Soldiers of Ft. Wainwright. These ornaments were presented to the soldiers and their families at Bassett Army Community Hospital and in the Injured Soldiers Barracks. Hundreds of the ornaments were also sent to deployed soldiers from local units in Iraq and Kuwait.
The nation-wide “Quilts of Valor” program was contacted by the Station office, and Margie coordinated with the Rear Detachment Headquarters and Post Chaplain’s office at Ft. Wainwright to be notified of inbound injured soldiers so she could request quilts from the national program. She also contacted local quilting clubs who donate quilts to the injured soldiers as they return to the hospital from Iraq. These quilts are blessed by the military chaplains and presented to the soldiers. A recent ceremony was held at the Red Cross Station Office presenting quilts to the families of injured soldiers who had recently returned from Iraq.
Working in concert with the Elmendorf and Ft. Richardson Red Cross Station office, Margie designed and contracted the manufacture of memoriam plaques for soldiers who have been killed in action from Alaska and units serving in Alaska, sending these plaques on to the next of kin in memory of their soldier’s service.
Coordinating with command personnel in Iraq, Margie organized donations of school supplies, soccer balls and stuffed toys, sending these items to our troops to hand out to local Iraqi schoolchildren on their patrols.
Through support from Kamish Dental Clinic, Margie organized the recruitment and selection of military spouses for entry into a six month training program as Dental Assistants. She has coordinated the Ft. Wainwright program with a similar program at Eielson AFB, standardizing the selection process and the training requirements.
Meeting a long standing need in the Fairbanks community, Margie initiated talks with Eielson AFB command personnel, coordinating with military authorities to re-open a Red Cross office on base. She recruited a senior volunteer from active duty personnel to act as liaison and Eielson Station Chair. This office will develop as a base for Red Cross volunteers at Eielson and provide many of the same programs currently at Ft. Wainwright.
The Hometown Heroes Project presented “Hero” bracelets to the children at Arctic Light Elementary School, attended by local dignitaries who spoke to the children about the children’s heroic contributions to their families while so many of their parents are deployed in Iraq.
As well as her Red Cross duties, Margie has dedicated time to many projects supporting the Fairbanks community. She has instructed over 200 hours of First Aid and CPR classes in the community. She was on the Lathrop High School Graduation Committee in 2004, gathering donations for the Graduation Party and coordinating supporting events. Her volunteer assistance at Ice Art Alaska for three years, two years volunteering at the Alaskaland Health Fair, three years supporting the Disaster Fair at Bentley Mall and five years volunteering for the Red Cross booth at the Tanana Valley Fair, all supporting the local community.
In addition, Margie finds time as a member of the Fairbanks Garden Club, supporting volunteer plantings at Noel Wien Library, Creamer’s Field Dairy, and Wien Park. In 2005, she provided youth volunteers and coordinated support for the Joe Nichols and Gregg Rolie concerts at the Tanana Valley Fair. As the secretary of Cheechako Lions Club on Ft. Wainwright and is the Jr Vice of the Ladies Auxiliary Veterans of Foreign Wars Post # 3829, Margie coordinates non-profit activities to support military families.
Margie continues to rise to support all family emergencies at Ft. Wainwright and in the local community. She is currently training three new emergency caseworkers to support the increase in troop numbers for Ft. Wainwright and Eielson AFB, while expanding the scope of the volunteers at Bassett Army Community Hospital. Her coordination between community resources and the military families in Alaska continues to improve access to helping agencies and continues to develop the opportunity to help.
I March of 2008 Margie’s son Charles had an incident and received a brain injury and will be taking care of him the rest of her life. Yet she still brings him to work to help he Soldiers and their families.
Margie has four children, Matt, Chuck, Sarah and Amanda and is married to Randy Achman and continues to live in Fairbanks.
Margie works 24/7 365 and is always thier for he community.
Born April 6, 1963 in Longbeach, CA, to Mary Bennett and Ken Hammonds, graduated from Brea-Olinda High School, and attended Cal State Fullerton, studying Psychology. University of Alaska Fairbanks studying Fire Science.
Came to Alaska in 1981 and worked for 14 years as a Fire Dispatcher for the Alaska Fire Service and State Forestry. As a dispatcher, deployed to every Western state in the U.S. on fire assignments. While on fire assignments, Margie was casualty assistance officer for the deaths of 14 firefighters in the Colorado South Canyon Fire in 1994 and worked as air coordinator in 2000, supporting 4 aviation accidents in Colorado.
In 2001, Margie volunteered with the American Red Cross, Tanana Valley Chapter, training as a Disaster Volunteer in Family Assistance and as an Instructor in CPR / First Aid and Disaster Courses. As a Disaster Assistance Team leader, Margie has responded to 35 fires in Fairbanks and the North Pole area. She deployed to New York City after the 9/11 disaster as a Family Service caseworker, staying for three weeks. She also deployed to Tok during the 2003 earthquake, assisting local families with housing and immediate needs.
Margie worked for Pike’s Waterfront Lodge as their landscaper for eight years, developing the waterfront park and gardens. In 2004, Margie was hired as manager of the newly built Pike’s Greenhouse, and assumed management of Pike’s Aviator Greenhouse and Sweet Shop in 2005 and 2006.
Continuing to volunteer with the Red Cross as an instructor and Disaster Assistance Team leader, Margie became a volunteer military caseworker at Ft. Wainwright in 2004, assisting military families in the Fairbanks area with emergency leaves, and assisting the Ft. Wainwright Station with emergency communications.
In August of 2005, Margie was selected as the Ft. Wainwright Red Cross Station Manager, assuming all responsibility for the emergency communications system between military personnel around the world and their families. She manages the military volunteer program at Ft. Wainwright Station and Bassett Army Community Hospital and Eielson AFB, developing volunteer opportunities at Post and Base facilities, selecting, training and supervising the 52 active volunteers supporting military operations in the local area. In addition, a primary responsibility is military family assistance and support, referring soldiers, airmen and their family members to local helping agencies.
As Station Manager and local Red Cross Chapter volunteer, Margie initiated many new and innovative support programs for Ft. Wainwright and the local Red Cross Chapter. In 2005, she was a committee member for the first American Red Cross Ball in Fairbanks, and was the Committee Chair for the first “Ride for the Red”, motorcycle rally supporting the Red Cross in July, she has continued this Rally which supports the Soldier and Family Welfare fund which supports our Troops in the Interior of Alaska.
She recently organized all donations of prizes for the Chatanika Days “Outhouse Races”, a charity event supporting local Fairbanks children.
Margie began the “Operation New Recruit” project that recognizes births to military families through donated gifts of baby items for the family. This is an expansion of the “Operation Baby Blanket” another Non-profit organization that makes hand made baby blankets for the mother’s of our deployed at the time of the birth.
She also developed the Injured Soldier’s Assistance Program, that encouraged local businesses to donate phone cards, DVD’s, snack food items, furniture and comfort supplies to the Injured Soldier’s Barracks at Ft. Wainwright. This program has provided assistance to the many injured soldiers returning to Ft. Wainwright for rehabilitation and recovery. Many of the Red Cross volunteers under Margie’s direction cooked much holiday dinners for the injured soldiers and threw a Superbowl Party at the Dormitory. She continues to work with the newly developed Wounded Transition Units.
Margie donated wooden Christmas ornaments to the children at Arctic Light Elementary School to decorate for the Injured Soldiers of Ft. Wainwright. These ornaments were presented to the soldiers and their families at Bassett Army Community Hospital and in the Injured Soldiers Barracks. Hundreds of the ornaments were also sent to deployed soldiers from local units in Iraq and Kuwait.
The nation-wide “Quilts of Valor” program was contacted by the Station office, and Margie coordinated with the Rear Detachment Headquarters and Post Chaplain’s office at Ft. Wainwright to be notified of inbound injured soldiers so she could request quilts from the national program. She also contacted local quilting clubs who donate quilts to the injured soldiers as they return to the hospital from Iraq. These quilts are blessed by the military chaplains and presented to the soldiers. A recent ceremony was held at the Red Cross Station Office presenting quilts to the families of injured soldiers who had recently returned from Iraq.
Working in concert with the Elmendorf and Ft. Richardson Red Cross Station office, Margie designed and contracted the manufacture of memoriam plaques for soldiers who have been killed in action from Alaska and units serving in Alaska, sending these plaques on to the next of kin in memory of their soldier’s service.
Coordinating with command personnel in Iraq, Margie organized donations of school supplies, soccer balls and stuffed toys, sending these items to our troops to hand out to local Iraqi schoolchildren on their patrols.
Through support from Kamish Dental Clinic, Margie organized the recruitment and selection of military spouses for entry into a six month training program as Dental Assistants. She has coordinated the Ft. Wainwright program with a similar program at Eielson AFB, standardizing the selection process and the training requirements.
Meeting a long standing need in the Fairbanks community, Margie initiated talks with Eielson AFB command personnel, coordinating with military authorities to re-open a Red Cross office on base. She recruited a senior volunteer from active duty personnel to act as liaison and Eielson Station Chair. This office will develop as a base for Red Cross volunteers at Eielson and provide many of the same programs currently at Ft. Wainwright.
The Hometown Heroes Project presented “Hero” bracelets to the children at Arctic Light Elementary School, attended by local dignitaries who spoke to the children about the children’s heroic contributions to their families while so many of their parents are deployed in Iraq.
As well as her Red Cross duties, Margie has dedicated time to many projects supporting the Fairbanks community. She has instructed over 200 hours of First Aid and CPR classes in the community. She was on the Lathrop High School Graduation Committee in 2004, gathering donations for the Graduation Party and coordinating supporting events. Her volunteer assistance at Ice Art Alaska for three years, two years volunteering at the Alaskaland Health Fair, three years supporting the Disaster Fair at Bentley Mall and five years volunteering for the Red Cross booth at the Tanana Valley Fair, all supporting the local community.
In addition, Margie finds time as a member of the Fairbanks Garden Club, supporting volunteer plantings at Noel Wien Library, Creamer’s Field Dairy, and Wien Park. In 2005, she provided youth volunteers and coordinated support for the Joe Nichols and Gregg Rolie concerts at the Tanana Valley Fair. As the secretary of Cheechako Lions Club on Ft. Wainwright and is the Jr Vice of the Ladies Auxiliary Veterans of Foreign Wars Post # 3829, Margie coordinates non-profit activities to support military families.
Margie continues to rise to support all family emergencies at Ft. Wainwright and in the local community. She is currently training three new emergency caseworkers to support the increase in troop numbers for Ft. Wainwright and Eielson AFB, while expanding the scope of the volunteers at Bassett Army Community Hospital. Her coordination between community resources and the military families in Alaska continues to improve access to helping agencies and continues to develop the opportunity to help.
I March of 2008 Margie’s son Charles had an incident and received a brain injury and will be taking care of him the rest of her life. Yet she still brings him to work to help he Soldiers and their families.
Margie has four children, Matt, Chuck, Sarah and Amanda and is married to Randy Achman and continues to live in Fairbanks.
Margie works 24/7 365 and is always thier for he community.
Share this story:
email
email
Comment Box
From: scrufystorm
89 days ago
|
|
|
From: luke
109 days ago
|
 |