Carolyn Crouch

Carolyn Crouch, UITA Founder, and Julie Millington, ACPA Vice President and UITA Program Manager

Carolyn Crouch has been a resident of Anchorage for more than 28 years. Her dedication to making our community a better place to live is evident through the many programs she has founded and participated in over the years.

In 1984, Carolyn started the Ushering in the Arts program with a group of 16 volunteer ushers to help provide seating and guidance for performing arts events around Anchorage. This incredible program lives on at the Center under the guidance of Carolyn's mentee, Julie Millington. The program that Carolyn started over 20 years ago is now over 300 members strong with a 5-year waiting list.

In 1987 Carolyn designed the “Bean-A-Fit”, a community fund-raiser for Bean’s Café which has raised approximately $20,000 a year to help feed the city’s homeless population. Carolyn has been involved in such philanthropic organizations as PEO, Chapter J; Soroptimist of Cook Inlet; and APU Presidents Forum, which has led to volunteer work in several important areas on projects with those organizations. Church has been a vital part of Carolyn’s life where she spend 15 years in Junior High Youth Ministry, serves now as a Stephen Minister and headed the fund-raising drive for a new organ. Early development of the Imaginarium in Alaska was also a special interest; she coordinated the Grand Opening celebration. Carolyn has supported many programs within the Anchorage School District and served on Board of Directors for numerous boards within. In 1998 Carolyn opened Arctic Gymnastics Center. She has served as the State President of the Alaska State Medical Auxiliary and later on the National American Medical Association Auxiliary Board on the Health Projects Committee. She helped establish the Car Seat Loaner Program and work on the Alaska Child Passenger Safety Association to legislate mandatory seat belt and child safety seats. For the past three years, Carolyn and her husband, Ed Crouch, have provided a home for an APU and UAA student from Latvia.

Carolyn Crouch is a recipient of the 2007 Governor's Outstanding Volunteer Awards, presented by Governor Sarah Palin.

Carolyn will be leaving Alaska to retire in Washington State. We will miss her dearly and hope to continue making her proud of the Ushering in the Arts program that she pioneered.

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