2024 Legacy Lecture to feature Jo Heckman

The University of Alaska Fairbanks 2024 Legacy Lecture will honor Jo Heckman at 7 p.m. Monday, June 3, in the BP Design Theater, Room 401 of the Usibelli Building.

The annual Legacy Lecture celebrates UAF alumni who have made significant contributions to the community. It is presented by UAF Summer Sessions and Lifelong Learning.

Heckman moved from India to Fairbanks in 1975 and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business at UAF. She was a founding member of Denali State Bank and retired as president and chief executive officer in December 2011 after 26 years of service.

Heckman served on the University of Alaska Board of Regents from 2011 to 2019. She has received numerous awards, including the UAF Alumni Association’s William R. Cashen Service Award, the Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Business Leader of the Year award. 

The Farthest North Girl Scouts Council named her a Woman of Distinction, and the Midnight Sun Boy Scout Council honored Heckman and her husband, Steve, as distinguished citizens.

Heckman teaches culinary classes through the Summer Fine Arts Festival and UAF Summer Sessions. She writes about agriculture and food security for her website and showcases Interior Alaska food growers and producers on her podcast, “Jo’s Table Alaska.”

The event, which will be followed by a reception, will be livestreamed on the university’s media site. The talk will be recorded and posted on the web for those unable to attend.

For more information, visit the Summer Sessions events page or call 907-474-7021.

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