Pacific Region

2024 Regional Meeting


Would you like to take a trip to Alaska?

We are finalizing plans for our 2024 Regional Meeting and since many regions are not holding a meeting this year, I invite you all to join us in Anchorage!

Jane Serie, shown at right, is a “local” and working with a tour company to plan three+ days of sightseeing and adventures.

It will be a four-night, five-day meeting from 16 August- 20 August. Extra hotel days will be available for those who want to extend their stay.

Some of the highlights:

• A city tour with a visit to Lake Hood, the largest and busiest seaplane base in the world; a stop at Earthquake Park to learn about the 1964 Good Friday 9.2 earthquake and a tour the historic downtown area.

• A motor coach day trip down the scenic Seward Highway, where views include majestic mountains, hanging glaciers, and possibly mountain goats on the steep hills overlooking the road. We will visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to see black and brown bears, eagles, musk ox, moose, caribou (reindeer) and more! After a short drive, we will arrive at the Portage Glacier visitor center and take a one-hour cruise on the MV Ptarmigan to the majestic face of the glacier.

• A visit to the famous Alaska State Fair which features record-setting giant vegetables, beautiful flower gardens, Alaska-made products, farm animals, vendors, rides and, of course, FOOD! Sample crab cakes, fish tacos, turkey legs, pulled pork sandwiches and deep fried delicacies…(Will there be Oreos?!)

• A trip to the Iditarod Museum and the Martin Buser Kennels, a local musher in the Matanuska Valley, to learn about the famous Iditarod dog-sled race and meet dogs-in-training. The race is held every March and the course is from Anchorage to Nome, 938 miles across the snow- covered Alaskan wilderness!

There will also be a group dinner and a luncheon meeting, with time to socialize with friends and colleagues. The costs below include all tours, hotel rooms (4 nights), breakfast daily, one luncheon meeting, one box lunch, the group dinner and airport transfers to and from hotel. Not included: airfare and tips for the tour director and motor coach driver. There is also a $35.00 registration fee. I do not anticipate other significant changes to the costs listed. Please note the cost per person goes down as the group size increases (but would increase if the group gets smaller.) Right now, there are 25 who have said they will attend so the cost is what is in the middle column #20-29.



About Barb

I have just returned from the 19th Biennial SAFN Convention in Albuquerque where I was installed as your new Pacific Regional Director. WOW, do I have big shoes to try to fill! Cathy Pluta has done a fantastic job for many years and my learning curve for Regional Director will be a bit steep. Luckily, Cathy has promised she will be available for consultation as I navigate this new territory. I am excited to take on this new challenge and look forward to serving and getting to know all of you.

Now, just a bit about me. I served on active duty for almost 31 years and had opportunities and experiences I never could have imagined. When I signed on for a two-year commitment, I definitely did not foresee an Air Force career. However, the Air Force kept offering tempting assignments with opportunities to learn and grow professionally. The years passed quickly. I loved the variety of assignments and working with others to make a positive impact and fulfill the mission. What could be more rewarding? When I was selected Nurse Corps Chief, no one was a surprised as I. The challenge seemed daunting but, once again, I was blessed with talented, amazing people on every team. And, teamwork truly is dream work- we accomplished so much and we had fun along the way. It was a tremendous honor and privilege to serve.

I moved to Portland Oregon three years ago, mid-pandemic, with my husband Stan and our Pomeranians. I had retired just the day before from my second career (14 years!) as CEO of Falcons Landing, a military retirement community in Potomac Falls VA. That second career was truly as wonderful as the first. Great people, great challenges and we had fun working together.  

After living for 21 years in Northern Virginia, people invariably ask “why Portland?”. Short answer: to go back to our roots and be closer to family. Stan and I grew up in Northern California and met at San Francisco State College a very long time ago. When it came time to choose our “forever home”, we wanted to be on the West Coast, but not necessarily California. We discovered Portland a few years earlier when we attended a SAFN Convention. We thought the area was beautiful and the people remarkably friendly. So, thanks indirectly to SAFN, here we are! Our son Alex, daughter Christy, and our 10-year-old grandchildren (triplets!) Hunter, Lucas and Isabella just relocated to Tucson where Alex and Christy serve at Davis Monthan.

We are an Air Force family! So, we will be spending a lot of time in Arizona. Especially in the winter!

We are starting to plan a Pacific Region meeting for next year and I certainly hope many of you will be able to join. Right now we are exploring the possibility of holding it in the Anchorage area, but it is early days and we will see if we can make it work. Stay tuned for more information on that and other Pacific Region news.  

I look forward to getting to know all of you! That will take some time since it is a pretty big region and I will give it my best. After all, SAFN is all about Caring and Sharing…continuing friendships and making new ones. I look forward to making many more in the Pacific Region. Do keep me posted on news and activities to share for our regional newsletter. And remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, and we all love pictures!

Cheers!

Barb Brannon
(Novice) Pacific Region Director