Vicki Otte

Board President

Vicki Otte is of Athabascan descent, was born in Fairbanks and raised in McGrath. In 2014, she retired from CIRI, where she worked as a Project Manager. She has served as the CEO of her ANCSA village corporation (MTNT Limited), as Executive Director of the ANCSA Regional Association, and as the Executive Director of the Alaska Native Justice Center. She also served as Secretary and as a Special Assistant to the late Governor Hammond. Vicki is committed to making the lives of all Alaskans better, and because of that she served on several non-profit boards, including Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, Safe Harbor Inn, and Wish Upon the North Star. She is the recipient of several outstanding leadership awards and currently resides in Wasilla.

David Balmer

President Elect

Dave began serving as a board member for MY House in May of 2022. He first arrived in Alaska in 2003 as a Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Since then, he and his family have served all over the country and then finally settled in Eagle River in 2010. He is currently a part time Air Force Reservist and also has an office with Edward Jones in Midtown Anchorage. Dave met his wife, Susanne in 2006 and they married the next year. Susanne is a proud teacher and owner of a private preschool in Eagle River. They have three sons who love to ski, fish, go camping, play baseball and soccer, not to mention lots of LEGOS! They love the adventure that living in Alaska brings. Dave is proud to be a MY House board member and is passionate about being a part of the organization. He has had observed on multiple occasions the difference MY House makes in the community and wanted to increase his volunteerism to this non-profit. At several venues, previous MY House clients have run up and thrown their arms around the CEO, Michelle Overstreet, thanking her for saving their lives. Those experiences were the proof in the pudding for Dave. Now, his desire is to participate in MY House’s mission to value homeless youth and to treat them as assets, empowering them to become self-supporting, thereby bettering the community.

Michael Carson

Vice President

Michael is a 35 year retired Mat Su School Teacher and taught eight years at Mat-Su College. He was part of the first Outreach Team for Covenant House when it launched its homeless youth services in Anchorage over 30 years ago. He has conducted recovery meetings in various venues in the Valley, including 20 years as a volunteer at Mat-Su Youth ( Detention) Facility in cooperation with the Department of Juvenile Justice. Michael has 33 years of sobriety and experience working with youth of all ages in homeless and substance abuse recovery situations. He had been on the Operating Board for the local Housing and Homeless Coalition before joining MyHouse. He continues to take a leadership role with youth and in the recovery field in the community. Michael joined Michelle in founding MyHouse right after retiring and has been hard at work since that time. Michael has chaired the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force for the past five years. Michael was Senator Dan Sullivan’s ‘Alaskan of The Week’ and First Lady’s ( Donna Walker ) ‘Volunteer of the Year’ during that tenure.

Stephanie Berta

Treasurer

Stephanie Berta has lived and worked in Wasilla since she and her husband, Brandon, moved to Alaska from Colorado in 2003. They have 2 children: a high school daughter at Career Tech and a middle school son at American Charter Academy. Stephanie got her BSBA in Business Management, Administration & Economics at the University of Southern Colorado. While in Colorado, she worked as an insurance representative where she obtained her life, accident, health, property & casualty insurance licenses and worked for Norwest Bank (aka Wells Fargo) for 5 years. Her career as a banker with Wells Fargo continued when she moved to Alaska and began working on the bank’s business, commercial, & treasury management side. Through this, she established numerous relationships throughout the Mat-Su Community. Switching careers in 2020, Stephanie established a small business of her own as a grant writer. Additionally, she has worked with the City of Wasilla’s Finance Department as a grant reviewer for their Small Business COVID-19 Relief & Personal Protective Equipment grant applications. She has previously served as Secretary on the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Advisory Board for Valley Performing Arts. She currently serves as the Treasurer of the Board of Directors for Mat Su Youth Housing (MY House), and is on the MTA Foundation Board of Directors and MTA Foundation Donation Committee.

Isaac Smoldon

Youth Member

Isaac Smoldon is a life-long Alaskan who grew up in Anchorage before his family moved to Willow ahead of his freshmen year of high school. Isaac graduated from Houston High as valedictorian with a 4.036 GPA, before attending the University of Alaska Anchorage to pursue a degree in Journalism and Public Communications. While attending University, Isaac spent three years in Bozeman Montana, the first two years playing junior hockey for the Bozeman Icedogs in the NA3HL, and the third completing his internship and senior capstone by working as a broadcaster and media production manager for his former team. Upon returning to Alaska, Isaac graduated from UAA with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Communications, and minors in Business Administration and History. He began working at MY House in January of 2022 as the production manager in charge of the MY House Recording Studio. He edits and produces four different podcasts for MY House as well as various radio PSA’s, and directs other community outreach efforts using both classical and new age media. He serves on the Mat-Su Youth Action Board in addition to the MY House Board of Directors. Isaac is a strong supporter of MY House’s mission statement, and has had knowledge of the work done by the organization for years, due to his parents being long-time donors. He is excited to be working for an organization that he believes is making a major impact in the community, and hopes to help support and promote My House’s various efforts both by serving on the Board and working for the agency.

Kurt Hoenack

Member

Kurt Hoenack has been volunteering with Mat Su Youth Housing (MY House) throughout its existence and served as the Gathering Grounds café manager for several years before receiving peer support certificates and becoming a peer support Client Navigator with MY House in 2021. Kurt has trained dozens of youth in foodservice through the organization’s café job training program. Currently, he contributes to MY House by conducting Narcan training and Fentanyl strip distribution. Kurt is presently attending Matsu-College through UAA to receive his Associate in Applied Science degree in Human Services. He hopes to graduate and obtain an even more formal role within the human services field.

Rebecca Ling

Member

Rebecca Ling was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and raised in Lumberton, Texas, until the age of 15 when she returned home to the Mat-Su Valley. Rebecca earned her Associate Degree in Applied Science at the Matanuska Susitna college campus in 1995. She went on to achieve her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Anchorage, Alaska, in 1997. Rebecca received her National Certified Addictions Counselor (NCAC) certificate and Alaska State Chemical Dependency Counselor (CDC) Certification in 1994. Rebecca started her professional career in 1992 at the Mat-Su Recovery Center, where she supported community members attending the Women’s Day Treatment program working towards recovery. She later implemented family treatment and prevention groups there. In 2002, Rebecca accepted a position with Cook Inlet Tribal Council as the lead Women’s Outpatient Facilitator. She was promoted in succession to Supervisor of the Outpatient unit, Manager of Services, and Senior Director of Recovery Services. As senior director, Rebecca focused on service development, grant writing, and budget expansion. She facilitated the expansion of the Residential Services units, creating a Youth Services unit, and expanding Outpatient Services into Wasilla, Alaska. Rebecca has served on several boards over her career, including the Alaska Tribal Behavioral Health Directors Association, Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Alaska Behavioral Health Association, and Alaska Mental Health Trust, and was awarded the National Indian Health Board Local Impact Award in 2016. She continues to serve her community on boards and committees. Rebecca has worked tirelessly for the past 30 years fighting addiction and stigma associated with continued use and recovery alike. While overseeing the largest detox facility in Alaska during her time at Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Rebecca saw firsthand the need for a robust continuum of care providing wraparound support at all service levels. Being a peer herself, she understands the unique impact peers have on the recovery process and worked with the State of Alaska to plan and implement a Peer Certification and Training Program. Rebecca has dedicated her life to helping individuals in need. She has had an undeniable impact on her community and others.

Cathy Cottle

Member

Cathy Cottle made Alaska home in 1989 when she came from the Midwest to work for a summer in a gold mining camp. Like so many others, she fell in love with the beauty of this great land and stayed. Cathy lived in Salcha and then Valdez, where she worked in hotel and banking management. Cathy served on numerous Boards and Commissions, as well as owning her own Bookkeeping business before moving to Wasilla with her husband in 2011. Cathy currently serves on the City of Wasilla Planning Commission. She is the proud mother of four and has been blessed with many, many “bonus” kids throughout the years who have called her mom.

“I watched MyHouse grow, flourish, save, and change the lives of many of our youth through the eyes of my husband, the late Wasilla Mayor and MyHouse Board member Bert Cottle. He constantly spoke about and supported Michelle Overstreet’s vision and passion for helping our youth, and the MyHouse philosophy of “a hand up, not a hand out”. He always said “these are all our kids” and that is so true. It is truly now my honor and privilege to serve as a MyHouse Board member. To support and strengthen our youth is vital to supporting our own future.”