Freeman named Exxon’s US government relations manager

Former Alaska resident Ken Freeman has a new position with ExxonMobil at corporate headquarters in Irving, Texas. He has been appointed U.S. government relations manager for the mega-major oil company.

In 2002, Freeman, then 32, first went to work for ExxonMobil for four years in Anchorage as public and government affairs manager for Alaska.

Before going to work for ExxonMobil in Alaska, Freeman served as former Gov. Tony Knowles’ special assistant for business and gas line development.

Prior to that, Freeman held two positions with the Resource Development Council of Alaska, serving first as projects coordinator and then as executive director.

Between positions at RDC, he worked as press secretary and legislative assistant to the House majority caucus in the Alaska Legislature.

In 2006, ExxonMobil promoted Freeman to one-year stints as public and government affairs advisor for U.S. production operations and then ExxonMobil Gas and Power Co., followed by public and government affairs manager for the company’s Torrance Refinery.

Next, he served almost three and a half years as ExxonMobil’s public and government affairs manager for its Papua New Guinea operations, followed by two stints at Spring, Texas, first as Asia Pacific regional production P&GA manager and then as Asia Pacific P&GA regional manager before being appointed U.S. government relations manager in February.

A graduate of Oregon State University, with a major in communications, Freeman also holds a masters’ degree in public administration from Portland State University.

- Kay Cashman