The Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority voted unanimously yesterday to approve Harold Heinze as the authority's chief executive officer. Heinze, a former president of ARCO Alaska and commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, had a short-term contract through the governor's office to do background and startup work for the board of directors of the authority and subsequently applied for the CEO slot.
The contract as CEO for the authority is as a Department of Revenue employee, said Steve Porter, Revenue deputy commissioner. The contract is for eight months, ends about March 15, and comes to some $67,000.
Heinze said he and Porter have looked at temporary office space at the Joint Pipeline Office in the Sunshine Mall. They have an office setup with is more than adequate for a couple of people, Heinze said. The pipeline office has a large board room, and "that is where all the information is. The office would be located within 50 feet of the state's storehouse of information on pipelines and the gas issue."
Heinze suggested that the board hold its next meeting in two weeks, and it was set for July 28. He said he would have a short list of candidates for the second position, a research assistant/administrator and a progress report on each of the authority's longer-term project elements. And, he said, the authority web site will be set up.
