NEA-Alaska mourns passing of Claudia Douglas—inspirational leader and tireless advocate for educators and children

On May 9, the entire NEA-Alaska family was saddened by the passing of leader and former state president, Claudia Douglas.

Claudia was born into a family dedicated to public service, and she continued that proud tradition.  Raised in Fairbanks, she graduated from Lathrop High School and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. During a 24-year career in education she taught language arts at North Pole High School, Fairbanks Alternative, and was also a school counselor. 

Claudia began honing her leadership skills by volunteering for many of the positions and responsibilities in her local association.  She gained the knowledge, skills, and respect of her peers and was elected President of the Fairbanks Education Association. 

Claudia carried her commitment and desire to lead from her local association to the state level.  She served on the NEA-Alaska Board of Directors and as Vice President.  In 1992 members across Alaska demonstrated their confidence in her by electing her NEA-Alaska’s president.  Two years later she was re-elected.

Highly regarded by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, Claudia was a great asset in speaking on behalf of the membership. She also worked behind the scenes to bring positive change to the organization she loved.  She restructured Delegate Assembly and drafted the original NEA-Alaska plan that ensures ethnic minority participation in the organization.  Most recently Claudia represented retired members on the NEA-Alaska Board of Directors. 

A committed, passionate advocate for educators and children, Claudia extended her leadership into the political arena, where she helped elect a number of pro-education candidates.  She was a long time leader in the Democratic Party and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

As an activist and leader, Claudia was recognized in 2008 by being inducted into the NEA-Alaska Hall of Fame.  The award is reserved for those who have made a significant change in education that has a positive and lasting impact on NEA-Alaska and its members.

Beyond her recognition as a leader and activist, Claudia’s contributions to Alaskans were profound in other ways. Her compassion and deep respect for others is what made her great. She was a rare individual who could bring diverse groups of people together and work her magic to have them leave a gathering with great understanding for one another. She will be greatly missed, and our heartfelt condolences go out to her family and close friends.