Fairbanks school board member Tim Doran wins 2026 Carl Rose Governance Award

The Association of Alaska School Boards named Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board member Tim Doran the winner of its 2026 Carl Rose Governance Award, the group announced Sunday.

The award is given each year to a locally elected school board member for commitment, dedication and accomplishments on a local board. To be eligible, a nominee must have served on a local board for at least four consecutive years. The award is presented at AASB's annual conference, which this year ran Nov. 5-8 in Anchorage.

The award is named for Carl Rose, who was AASB's executive director from 1987 until 2013.

Doran has served on the Fairbanks board since 2017. He has been its president, vice president and treasurer, and has chaired the curriculum, budget and family engagement committees. AASB said colleagues credit him with writing the board's norms and with steadily reminding everyone why those norms matter.

According to AASB, his board says Doran's calm presence and respect for people he disagrees with have helped build trust with district staff, the public and the Borough Assembly. Board President Bobby Burgess said Doran asks more questions than anyone, and those questions almost always make the work better, AASB said.

Outside the boardroom, Doran has spent more than three decades in service to Fairbanks. That includes work with the Literacy Council of Alaska, founding the Denali Science Camp and serving as a weekly docent at the Museum of the North.

Doran also sits on the AASB Board of Directors. He will receive free registration to the 2027 Leadership Fly-In in Juneau.