Board Member Viva Roe Teal pictured with her daughter, Bristol.

Viva grew up in Alabama, but 'despised the heat,' and always talked about moving to Alaska. She graduated from UAB School of Nursing in 1993, and then took off travel nursing across the country. She made her way to Cordova in 1997, and also worked in Valdez, Sitka, Barrow, And Nome over the years. She moved to Kotzebue in 2018 with her then 6th grade daughter, Bristol, and immediately fell in love with everything the region had to offer. She is currently a nurse at Maniilaq Health Center in the Covid-19 department and flies out to villages administering vaccines. Her daughter, now a High School sophomore, has been mushing for about two years and is dedicated to the sport and the lifestyle. Viva is honored and excited to be a part of the Kobuk 440 team and looks forward to working with and learning from everyone.