HR Update - FY 25 Issue 05

Issue Date: June 23, 2025

In This Issue

• Reminder: Check Ins Are Part of Performance Management
• AspireAlaska: You Asked We Delivered
• Celebrating Supervisor Success in the Mat-Su Valley
• Kate Sheehan Transitions to New Policy Advisor Position
• DOP Comings and Goings

Reminder: Check Ins Are Part of Performance Management

Now is a great time to remind all State of Alaska employees that regular check-ins between supervisors and employees are a vital part of the Performance Management process.

Since no departments are currently in the midst of their Annual Performance Evaluation cycle, this is an ideal moment to plan your next check-in.

• If your agency's evaluation process begins later this year, supervisors should connect with employees now to ensure performance expectations, goals, and development plans are clearly defined and ready for the upcoming evaluation cycle.
• If your agency has already completed this year’s evaluations, consider a quick check-in to see how things are going or begin preparing for a mid-year review. If a development plan hasn’t yet been established, this is a great opportunity to get one in place before the next cycle begins.

Remember, Performance Management goes beyond the Annual Evaluation. While that written evaluation is important, it’s just one element of a broader, year-round interactive process. Supervisors and employees should regularly reflect on recent past performance, plan ahead, and stay connected through meaningful check-ins to foster growth and success. “Make feedback normal. Not a performance review.” – Ed Batista

AspireAlaska: You Asked We Delivered

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “If only AspireAlaska could…”? Well, you’re not alone—and now’s the time to speak up!

Instead of keeping great ideas to herself, Chloe, a supervisor from the Department of Health (DOH), reached out to us with a brilliant suggestion: Wouldn’t it be helpful to filter for newly added courses in the AspireAlaska catalog? Thanks to Chloe's initiative and Pat Dill’s creative problem-solving, we’re excited to announce a brand-new subject filter called “New”! This filter will be updated quarterly, so you’ll always be able to easily find the latest content added throughout the year.

Got an idea to make AspireAlaska even better? We'd love to hear it! Email us at aspirealaska@alaska.gov and you might just be featured in our upcoming “You Asked, We Delivered” spotlight. No idea is too small, too big, or too bold.

How to Use the New "New" Filter

Want to see the latest courses added to AspireAlaska? It’s easy! Just follow these steps:

1. Select "Learn" on the Welcome Page.
2. Select "Learning Search" on the Learning Hub page.
3. On the left hand side of Learning Search, find the Filters section.
4. Expand the "Subject" filter.
5. Look for and select "New."

That's it! You'll now see all courses added since March 2025 - a quick and easy way to stay current with our newest offerings.

Celebrating Supervisor Success in the Mat-Su Valley

We’re proud to announce that 48 supervisors have successfully completed the State of Alaska: Academy for Supervisors 101 course, held in the beautiful Matanuska-Susitna Valley. A special thank you to the Plan Materials Center in Butte, Alaska, for graciously hosting this impactful training.

The Academy for Supervisors 101 is our NASPE (National Association of State Personnel Executives) nominated flagship program designed to equip new supervisors with essential leadership skills, performance management strategies (including how to leverage the AspireAlaska platform), and a solid foundation in human resource policies and procedures tailored specifically to the State of Alaska.

With an exceptional participant rating of 4.84 out of 5.00, the course continues to demonstrate its value in preparing supervisors for success.

Whether online or in-person, we look forward to welcoming your supervisors to a future Academy session!

Kate Sheehan Transitions to New Policy Advisor Position

Kate Sheehan, the long-time Director of the Division of Personnel (DOP), has transitioned to a new role as Policy Advisor in the Department of Administration (DOA) Commissioner’s Office. We are deeply grateful for her 11 years of dedicated service as DOP Director and enthusiastically anticipate her continued contributions to the State in her new capacity. In her May 22, 2025 announcement, Commissioner Paula Vrana stated: “Director Sheehan and I have been working together on some fairly large and complicated projects, and I have found her institutional knowledge to be quite valuable, particularly with all the change in the Division. Because of that, I have asked her to continue to work with me, in the Commissioner’s office, on those projects and other priorities of the department.”

In the interim, Deputy Director Camille Brill has been appointed as Acting Director of the Division of Personnel.

DOP Comings and Goings

Goings (leaving DOP)

• Kate Sheehan (Division Director)
• Patience Koenen (Employee Relations)
• Ryan Dukowitz (Employee Relations)

Comings (New to DOP/Internal Promotions or Transfers*)

• Ryan Flaherty (Learning and Development)