Valerie Davidson facts for kids

Valerie Nurr'araaluk Davidson, born on May 19, 1967, is an important leader from Alaska. She has held several key positions. For a short time, she was the 13th Lieutenant Governor of Alaska in 2018. She also served as the president of Alaska Pacific University. Later, she became the president and CEO of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, an organization that helps provide healthcare to Alaska Native people.

Early Life and Education

Valerie Davidson was born in Bethel, Alaska. Her mother is Yup'ik, which is an Alaska Native group. Her father is from Washington state. She spent her childhood in both Bethel and a nearby town called Aniak. She is a member of the Orutsararmiut Native Council.

In 1992, Valerie graduated from the University of Alaska Southeast. She earned a degree in education. Later, in 1998, she earned a law degree from the University of New Mexico. After finishing law school, she worked as a lawyer for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

Public Service and Leadership

Valerie Davidson has a long history of working to improve health and services for people. She was a Senior Director for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. She also led a group that advised the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for ten years.

Improving Healthcare Access

During her time, she helped veterans in rural areas get healthcare. They could get care at tribal clinics closer to home. She also helped create programs for dental care in rural areas. These programs used special dental professionals to make sure more people could get dental help.

Role in Alaska Government

In December 2014, Valerie Davidson was chosen to be the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. This meant she was in charge of health and social services for the entire state. While in this role, she worked with Governor Bill Walker to expand Medicaid in Alaska. This helped more people get health insurance.

Becoming Lieutenant Governor

On October 16, 2018, Valerie Davidson became the Lieutenant Governor of Alaska. This happened after the previous Lieutenant Governor, Byron Mallott, resigned. She was the first Alaska Native woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor. She briefly joined Governor Bill Walker's re-election campaign. However, Governor Walker later decided not to run again.

Leading Universities and Health Organizations

In April 2020, Valerie Davidson became the 12th president of Alaska Pacific University. She was the first woman to hold this important position at the university.

In March 2021, she took a break from the university to become the interim president of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. By June 2021, her role as president became permanent. She then resigned from Alaska Pacific University. She later also became the CEO of the Consortium. She left the Consortium in May 2024.