Rasmuson Foundation Reorganizes Strategic Leadership

Pineda holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Alaska Pacific University and a master’s degree in public health from UAA. Her career spans public health, nonprofit leadership, and government service, including leading Anchorage’s response to the November 2018 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic. She joined Rasmuson Foundation in 2022 and has led major initiatives focused on homelessness, developing young Arctic leaders, and the Grantmakers tour. Pineda was inducted into the Delta Omega Honor Society in Public Health.

“Tasha is a thoughtful leader, a skilled grantmaker, and a trusted voice in community,” says Rasmuson Foundation CEO and President Gretchen Guess. “Those qualities matter as we continue to do more than invest. We connect, we convene, and we listen. Tasha brings the clarity, compassion, and strategic thinking that help us do that well.”

To support strategic grantmaking, the foundation adds Issa Spatrisano to its strategy group as a Program Officer. In this role, Spatrisano fosters meaningful partnerships and helps implement solutions to empower Alaskans with community-driven solutions.

Spatrisano earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Western Michigan University and a master’s degree in teaching and learning from UAA, with a focus on serving diverse adult learners. Spatrisano brings more than a decade of experience in refugee resettlement and community engagement, most recently serving as Alaska’s State Refugee Coordinator, managing more than $20 million in federal grants and overseeing a statewide network of sub-awardees.

Pineda says of Spatrisano, “Her experience working in partnership with diverse communities and her thoughtful approach to statewide collaboration will be a tremendous asset to our team and the Alaskans we serve.”