Dave Atcheson
Kenai Fishing Academy coordinator, author of
“Fishing Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula”

Dave Atcheson is the Evening Coordinator at KPC, and the author of the just published “Fishing Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula,” the only book dedicated solely to fishing this part of Alaska. Dave teaches fly-fishing at the college during spring and fall semesters, and spent a number of years with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game working on a Kenai River Habitat Study. He has a BA in Sociology and Social Work, and worked as a commercial fisherman as a salmon setnetter in Prince William Sound. He is a Contributing Editor for Fish Alaska Magazine and writes for Alaska Magazine, Fly Fishing Quarterly, Outdoor Life and other publications.

Joe Connors
Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board,
Kenai River Professional Guide Association master guide

Joe Connors taught for the University of Alaska Anchorage for 27 years and
is a retired Professor Emeritus. He is the owner of Big Sky Charter &
Fishcamp, a full service lodging and fishing charter service located on the
banks of the Kenai River in Sterling (www.kenaiguide.com). He has been a fishing guide for 34 years. Joe stays active in various community issues and organizations including: The Kenai River Professional Guide Association, the Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board, the Kenai River Guide Academy board of directors, Soldotna/Kenai Fish & Game Advisory Committee and the Kenai PeninsulaTourism and Marketing Council Board. His hobbies include fishing, traveling and collecting antique fishing tackle.

Steve McClure
KRPGA president, KRPGA master guide

Steve has lived in either Anchorage or Soldotna since 1972 and can still remember catching his first Kenai River King Salmon by drifting Sunken Island in 1975. He was one of those lucky kids that grew up loving the outdoors and in particular fishing. He will never forget that his dad was always willing to take him along on those weekend fishing trips no matter what was going on or who was going with him. It is this love of the outdoors and the wish to share it with the generations to come that has led him to a career in the guiding industry. It is also this affection, in particular for the Kenai River, that has driven him to serve as one of the members on the Kenai River Working Group, vice president of the Kenai River Professional Guide Association (KRPGA) in 2002 & 2003, and as the president of KRPGA since 2004.

Reuben Hanke
KRPGA Master Guide Committee chair, KRPGA master guide

Reuben has lived in Alaska since 1980 and decided to make his home on the banks of the Kenai River in 1990. He owns and operates Harry Gaines Kenai River Fishing, a long-standing guide service located on the Lower Kenai River. Reuben graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in Wildlife Management and a minor in Civil Engineering. He is a lifelong member of the Alaska Trappers Association and Peninsula Retrievers Association. He is a member of the Kenai River Professional Guides Association, Soldotna Elks, and Kenai River Sportfishing Association board of directors where he serves as the chairman of the Fisheries Committee. Reuben has worked diligently over the past 15 years as an advocate for sportfishing, Cook Inlet fisheries and the big game industry.

Greg Brush
KRPGA master guide

Greg Brush is a full-time Kenai River guide in his 17th season. He is very active in community and political venues that affect the fishery he loves, including but not limited to the Board of Fish and ADF&G’s local advisory board. A past Board of Director of the Kenai River Professional Guide Association, Greg is a current Board member of State Park’s Commercial Operators Committee and UAA’s new Kenai River Guide Academy. An outspoken advocate of catch and release, he has worked with ADF&G and Alaska State Parks to create an educational Catch and Release video. A current KRPGA Master Guide, he has written numerous magazine articles and hosted many seminars that help people effectively fish the Kenai River as well introduce them to the joys of proper catch and release fishing. Greg feels strongly about raising the bar on professionalism in his chosen industry and enthusiastically believes that the new guide academy is going to make huge strides in this direction!

Mike Frost
Vice President, First National Bank Alaska

Mike Frost is a 25-year Alaskan graduating from high school and college in Anchorage. He is an avid hunter and fisherman that grew up on the streams and mountains throughout Alaska. He has worked for First National Bank since 1993 with four years as Cordova branch manager and the last eight years as vice president at the Soldotna Branch. He is a past president of the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce and has served on numerous other community organizations.

Mark Glassmaker
KRPGA master guide

Mark Glassmaker is a 17 year Kenai River Guide and a past vice president and secretary/treasurer for the Kenai River Professional Guide Association. Mark has also served on the Kenai River Special Management Area Commercial Operators Committee and is also the current Lodge Owner Representative for the Wolverine Creek Management Committee. Mark and his wife Cindy have two young daughters and own a lodge and rental cabins on the Kenai River: five miles upriver from Soldotna. Mark is also a pro guide for Lamiglas, Tempress/Fish-On, and Mustad, a contributing editor for Fish Alaska Magazine, a Board Member for the Alaska Master Guide Association and a Kenai River Professional Guide Association recognized Master Guide. Mark holds a degree in Government and Journalism as well as an elementary teaching credential.

Andy Szczesny
Kenai River Guide of the Year for 2000

Andy Szczesny has been an Alaska resident for 27 years and has a limited permit to fish in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, in the Upper Kenai River. He has been a guide on the Upper Kenai River for 22 years and is a member of the Kenai River Sport Fishing Association. Andy was appointed to the Alaska Board of Fisheries in 2002 by Governor Tony Knowles and has served as a member of the Cooper Landing Fish & Game Advisory Committee for the last four years. He has worked with the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, and has helped with several studies of Dolly Varden and Rainbow Trout. Andy believes there are three things you should never be late for, church, work, or flyfishing.

Robert Begich
Alaska Department of Fish & Game Research Biologist

Robert Begich has a MS in Fisheries Resources from the University of Idaho, and a BS in Aquatic Biology from St. Cloud State University. He is currently involved with the following fisheries research projects: Kenai River Chinook salmon stock assessment, Kenai River Chinook salmon genetics and Late-run Russian River sockeye run reconstruction. He began his career with ADF&G Sport Fish in 1986 and worked throughout Southcentral Alaska including offices in Palmer, Glenallen, Cordova, Kodiak and Homer. Robert also worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service in Dutch Harbor for a couple of winters. He loves fish and fishing.

Kyle Kolodziejski
Fishing Program Director and Upper/Middle River Fishing Guide, Alaska Wildland Adventures

Kyle Kolodziejski has a BS in Geology and Environmental Studies from Beloit College in Wisconsin. He has been a guide on the upper/middle Kenai River since 2002. Kyle has contributed to guide and river management discussions during Kenai River Working Group and Board of Fisheries meetings. He has volunteered his time to Russian River angler education projects, river clean up efforts and youth fly fishing Camps. He is known as an advocate for river safety, conservation and stewardship of the Kenai River’s world-class fishery. His love of fishing and the outdoors has led him to travel extensively throughout the United States, Central and South America. Kyle is excited to be a member of the KRGA team of instructors. He firmly believes the Guide Academy will bring on-river safety to a new level and help increase the credibility of the Kenai River guide population.

Gary Turner
KPC Director and board chair

Gary J. Turner, is the director of Kenai Peninsula College and board chair of the Kenai River Guide Academy. In 2003, he was asked by the Kenai River Special Management Area board and Kenai River Professional Guides Association to help establish a Kenai River fishing guide certification program. The KRGA is the culmination of more than two years of work by the KRGA board of directors.

Turner is a certified Coast Guard master captain and a registered Alaska sportfishing guide. He was also appointed in October 2006 as the sole public member to the newly established Kenai River Guide Advisory Board whose purpose is to review guide issues and serve as a liaison to the KRSMA, and Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation.

Turner serves on the board of directors of the Kenai River Sportfishing Association and is also an associate member of the Kenai River Professional Guide Association. He created the Kenai Fishing Academy in 2002, a 5-day course that teaches people how to be better anglers. In Nov. 2006, he was appointed to the Alaska Select Committee on Legislative Ethics by Alaska Supreme Court Justice Dana Fabe.