ACCEE Fund Board
The Anchorage Child Care and Early Education (ACCEE) Fund Board
Proposition 14 – the Anchorage Child Care and Early Education (ACCEE) Fund – passed with strong support from Anchorage voters in 2023. Proposition 14 dedicates the Municipality of Anchorage’s marijuana tax revenue to support child care and early childhood education. The funds started accumulating in January of 2024 and will be dispersed beginning in 2025, with an estimated $5 million available annually.
Proposition 14 also established an ACCEE Fund Board, which is appointed by the Anchorage Mayor and confirmed by the Anchorage Assembly. The Board advises the Mayor and Assembly on use of the funds and presents a proposed budget to both annually. Funds can be spent creating access to child care and early education programs, on staffing and/or livable wages or facilities, or on data collection or research related to child care and early education, among other possibilities.
Mayor LaFrance appointed and the Anchorage Assembly confirmed eight ACCEE Fund Board members in September of 2024. There are a total of nine seats on the Board. These eight members reflect diverse backgrounds and bring extensive experience and interest in the sector.
The Board’s first meeting was held on October 31, 2024. Starting December 5, 2024, it will meet on the first Thursday of the month from 10am-12pm. The Board’s first task is providing feedback on and participating in the 2025 Municipal budget process (October and November). All of the Board’s meetings are open to the public. For more information about future Board meetings and how to join, please visit the Get Involved page.
ACCEE Fund Board members include:
Trevor Storrs, President & CEO, Alaska Children’s Trust
Branwen Collier, Owner and Director, Early Learning for Everyone
Jessica Simonsen, Early Head Start HV Operations Manager, RurAL CAP
Isabel Broek, preschool music teacher and UAA Research Technician
Jessica Nesset, Director of Early Learning, Anchorage School District
Kevin Berry, Professor of Economics, UAA, and thread board member
Khalial Withen, General Counsel, Alaska District Council of Laborers
Mildred Parker, Alaska System for Early Education Development (SEED) Manager, thread