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Oil Patch Insider Senate press office meltdown; Meet Alaska sets records; Irwin goes to work for Golden Valley
Both Kristin Pugh and Elliott Bundy, press officers for U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have jumped ship on the eve of a new congressional session. Pugh, press secretary and four-year veteran with the Alaska delegation, departed Jan. 18 to become a senior public affairs officer at the U.S. Department of State in the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator to implement President Bush’s emergency plan for AIDS and HIV relief. Bundy, Murkowski’s press spokesman for the past two years, left Jan. 13 to move to Seattle and work on the U.S. Senate campaign of Washington State Republican hopeful Mike McGavick.
The U.S. Senate was scheduled to begin the second session of the 109th Congress Jan. 18, but would not actually return to work full time as a body until the last week in January, Chuck Kleeschulte, Murkowski’s legislative assistant for energy and environmental issues, said Jan. 17.
Kleeschulte will hold the fort in the press office until new spokespeople for the senator can be appointed. Kleeschulte served as U.S. Senate press secretary for Murkowski’s father, now Alaska Gov. Frank H. Murkowski. Bill Wolf, Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s legislative assistant for fisheries and another former press secretary, also can lend a hand, if needed, Kleeschulte added.
“We’re interviewing people right now, and I’m sure we will be hiring someone soon,” said Kleeschulte, noted that the timing of Pugh and Bundy’s departure is coincidental.
“The State Department job had been in the works for a while, and this just happens to be the time of year when congressional campaigns get under way,” he explained.
When asked what Murkowski’s goals are for the new congressional year, Kleeschulte replied: “I’ve only had this job for four hours, so I think I need to confer with the senator before I start announcing her goals for the year.”
—Rose Ragsdale Meet Alaska success: annual energy conference attracts record sponsors, vendors Living up to tradition as Alaska’s largest one-day conference, “Meet Alaska,” the annual industry gathering organized by the Alaska Support Industry Alliance has attracted record levels of sponsorships and trade show participation this year. Attendance also appeared headed toward near-capacity levels in the final week of preparations, according to Alliance General Manager Paul Laird.
To be held at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel Jan. 20, Meet Alaska’s theme this year is “The End of the Rainbow: Reaching Alaska’s elusive oil & gas pot of gold.”
Conference organizers credited the daylong program’s highlights, including top industry speakers from Shell E&P, ConocoPhillips and Pioneer Natural Resources Co., along with natural gas consultant Dr. Pedro Van Meurs and national and international experts on skilled worker shortages, with generating additional excitement this year.
“I believe people also are intrigued by some unusual twists in this year’s program, such as a performance at lunchtime by Anchorage entertainer Alice Welling and the ‘Meet the Press’ panel we’ve scheduled for the end of the day,” Laird said.
Laird also credited his “hard-working” staff with the successful buildup to the conference.
Meet Alaska is a major annual fundraiser for The Alliance, an oil and gas supply and services trade group with nearly 400 members. Proceeds from corporate sponsorships this year doubled from last year, and trade show participation jumped sharply, up to 38 booths from 22 in 2005, Laird said.
“We expanded our trade show capacity by 75-80 percent and sold that out. The booths formerly just filled the atrium, but we expanded into the Kuskokwim Room, and we’ve filled that, too,” he said.
Conference attendance is not expected to hit the record of more than 500 participants achieved several years ago, but early registrations Jan. 18 were “real solid” at 400-425 individuals, Laird said. In past years, Meet Alaska has attracted fewer than a dozen “walk-ins” the day of the conference.
Those unable to attend Meet Alaska won’t miss out entirely! The Alliance plans to post most of the presentations offered by conference speakers on its Web site, www.alaskaalliance.com, within two weeks, Laird added.
—Rose Ragsdale Golden Valley Electric Association hires Irwin The former commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources has taken a job with Golden Valley Electric Association.
Tom Irwin was hired as vice president of governmental and public affairs for the utility that serves rural Fairbanks customers. He started Jan. 16.
Irwin will be the utility’s liaison to local and state government and will oversee its public relations, working under Steven Haagenson, GVEA president and chief executive officer.
“It was a perfect fit,” Irwin said. “I’m very pleased.”
Irwin was forced out of his job as commissioner in October because of a disagreement with Gov. Frank Murkowski over natural gas pipeline negotiations. Irwin wrote a memo questioning the legality of state concessions to oil producers during contract negotiations for a pipeline.
GVEA spokeswoman Corinne Bradish said that the utility created the position a year ago after a restructuring and that Haagenson had been looking to fill it. When Irwin became available, the utility offered him the job.
“He’s got good management experience and he’s got a proven track record,” Bradish said.
Irwin was operations manager and general manager at the Fort Knox and True North Mines near Fairbanks before Murkowski hired him as natural resources commissioner.
Irwin met Haagenson when Irwin moved to Alaska in 1992 to work at the Fort Knox gold mine. While negotiating an electricity supply for the mine, Irwin said, he developed a respect for the utility and its staff.
Irwin received other offers after his resignation, including from Outside companies, he said.
Irwin’s responsibilities will include gaining the support of local legislators for GVEA projects.
“I know the local delegation very well and I respect the local delegation,” he said.
—The Associated Press
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