Sabrina Binkley

Sabrina was born and raised in rural Colorado and attended the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) on a basketball / volleyball scholarship. She earned a BS degree in Petroleum Engineering there and enjoyed a well-rounded experience as a student-athlete. She met her husband, Ryan Binkley, at CSM and moved to Alaska in 2001 to begin her life in Alaska and her career in engineering. After a short time with Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, she began work in the family business at the Riverboat Discovery. For the past 13 years she has worked in various management roles, the past 11 as Vice President of Retail Sales and as the Head Buyer for the company.

After 10 seasons of work in the visitor industry with the Riverboat Discovery, she learned the value of providing top-notch customer service and salesmanship. Those skills combined with her passion for inspiring children led her to become the founder and director of Spruce Tree Montessori School, Fairbanks’ first Montessori elementary school affiliated with the American Montessori Society (AMS), the organization by which Montessori schools are accredited in the United States.

She is involved in her local community in several ways including serving on the United Way Board of Directors for 10 years, the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for two and she is a charter member of the Golden Heart Rotary Club of Fairbanks where she is currently serving as Past-President. Her professional extra-curricular interests and activities include serving as the Chamber’s Education & Workforce Development Committee Chair, as a member of the Chamber Board Executive Committee, volunteering with her Rotary club at local events to benefit organizations in need of time and/or money, working with the newly formed Alaska Montessori Association Board of Directors, on which she serves as Secretary/Treasurer, and attending AMS conferences and events. She served on the Fairbanks Montessori School Board for four years, during which the school commenced a large-scale remodel project and she served as chair of the Building Committee. On the heels of the remodel phase of the project, she led capital campaign efforts to secure a state allocation for the school in the amount $180,000 for future capital improvements.

At home she enjoys cooking/baking and entertaining friends and family, playing board games and cards, skiing, running, hiking, yoga and summertime gardening.

Sabrina has been married to Ryan Binkley for 13 years and together they have two boys, Simon (9) and Clive (5), and two dogs, Dollar and Charlie Brown (both 14 years old!).