Elton named to Alaska slot at Interior

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

An Alaskan is going to Washington, D.C., in a key role — for the state — in the administration of President Barak Obama.

Sen. Kim Elton, D-Juneau, has been named director of Alaska affairs for the Department of the Interior, which manages the federal government’s immense holdings in Alaska.

Elton submitted his resignation as a member of the Alaska Senate effective 5 p.m. March 2. He reports for duty in Washington, D.C., March 16.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement that Elton “not only has a broad background in state issues but also a record of bringing competing interests together for collaborative and constructive decision making. This is a record that will serve the state and the country well.”

“The decision to leave our home, the community, and the state was difficult for Marylou and me,” Elton said in a statement, “but this is a new way to serve Alaska and the nation.”

“The Department of the Interior’s mission is fundamental to Alaska’s future and I look forward to helping the secretary and the administration make progress both on stewardship of Alaska’s resources and on the economy of the state and the nation at this critical juncture in our history.”

Elton said on the floor of the Senate March 2 that he did not seek the job, but was approached shortly after the first of the year about coming to Washington to work for the new administration.

He said his initial answer was that he might be interested, “but it would have to be Alaska connected and it would have to be a job that I felt I could actually do.”

Elton said he talked with members of Salazar’s leadership team when he was in D.C. for the inauguration.

“I felt very good about the leadership team that I had met and felt very good about what they described as their vision,” Elton told the Senate.

“They’re interested not just in stewardship but also in economic progress.”

After the lengthy vetting process, the offer was finalized at the end of February. “I’ve discussed the job with both of our U.S. senators, with Congressman Young and twice with the governor’s office,” Elton told the Senate.

19 years in elective office

He also served as executive director of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, assistant state ombudsman and senior staff to Lt. Gov. Terry Miller in the administration of Gov. Jay Hammond.

He began his professional career as a newspaper reporter in Fairbanks during the oil pipeline construction years, was city editor in Anchorage and editor of his hometown newspaper, the Juneau Empire.

The governor has 30 days to nominate a replacement for Elton; her nominee must be accepted by the remaining nine Senate Democrats.

Another former member of the Alaska Senate, Drue Pearce, was senior advisor to the secretary for Alaska Affairs from 2001 until named in June 2006 by President Bush to be federal coordinator of an Alaska natural gas pipeline project. Henri Bisson, Alaska director of the Bureau of Land Management from 2001-06, was named acting senior advisor for Alaska affairs in June 2007.

The Department of the Interior manages more than 200 million acres of land in Alaska. Interior agencies include the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service and BLM.