Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AKPIRG)

Background

The Alaska Public Interest Research Group was founded in 1974 by Jamie Love, Hugh Fleischer, Ralph Nader, and Steve Conn, and originally named The Public Not Be Damned, Inc. Under its first executive director, Jamie Love, AKPIRG established Anchorage, Alaska’s first rent review board, campaigned against corporate land leasing, and advocated for price controls on utilities and groceries. ¹

In 2003, Steve Cleary became the executive director for AKPIRG, who created its Big Money out of Alaska Politics campaign that campaigned for a ballot measure resulting in limits on individual campaign contributions. In 2012, Cleary stepped down as executive director, joined the board of directors, and helped hire Veri di Suvero to become the new executive director. ¹

Under di Suvero, AKPIRG has led redistricting campaigns that advocate for diversity standards, campaigns that support limits for campaign contributions, and campaigns supporting translations provided for Alaskan Natives in the census and voting processes. ¹

Activities

In March 2025, the Alaska Public Interest Research Group, the Alaska Center, and United Today Stronger Tomorrow held a conference to discuss housing affordability issues in Cordova, Alaska and criticize federal funding freezes. The conference was held in response to the Trump administration conducting funding freezes while low-income housing projects were expected to be built in areas relying on over $1 billion in funding provided through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The conference criticized the idea of withholding wind energy subsidies and other weather-dependent energy subsidies. ²

In 2020 and 2021, AKPIRG created a program that offered translation services for COVID-19 vaccine distributions and for the U.S. Census. It translated materials regarding the vaccines and Census materials into Alaska Native languages. Through the program, AKPIRG also advocated for the state and federal government to make translated materials available in all Native Alaskan languages. ³

Leadership

Julia Hnilicka is the executive director of the Alaska Public Interest Research Group. Prior to AKPIRG, Hnlicka worked as the Alaska State Director in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office. ⁴ She has also worked as a project manager for the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation and unsuccessfully ran for the Alaska House of Representatives in 2020 as a Democratic Party candidate. ⁵

Financials

In 2024, the Alaska Public Interest Research Group reported $1.7 million in total revenue, including $27,232 in program service revenue. ⁶ It also reported $1.7 million in total expenses, including $330,000 in grants paid. ⁷

Alaska Public Interest Research Group’s 2024 grants included $105,000 to Cook Inletkeeper, $80,000 to the Alaska Center, $80,000 to the Susitna River Coalition, and $25,000 to Native Movement and the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition. ⁸