Arctic policy commissioners appointed

Alaska Senate Pres. Gary Stevens and House Speaker Mike Chenault have made their appointments to the Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, created during the past legislative session to help develop the state’s Arctic policy and strategy.

The commission was a recommendation of the Northern Waters Task Force and was created with passage of House Concurrent Resolution 23. Stevens and Chenault chose 20 members and four alternatives, including three senators and three representatives and members from areas ranging from federal and tribal governments to the logistics industry and tribal entities.

Appointees from the Legislature are: Sens. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage and Bert Stedman, R-Sitka; and Reps. Alan Austerman, R-Kodiak, Bob Herron, D-Bethel and Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau.

Other appointees include: Pat Pourchot, special assistant to the Secretary of the Interior (federal government); Reggie Joule, Native Village of Kotzebue (Kotzebue IRA/tribal entity); Stephen Trimble, URS Corp. (mining industry); Lisa Pekich, director of village outreach, ConocoPhillips Alaska (oil and gas); Lawson Brigham, distinguished professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks (university); Stephanie Madsen, executive director, At Sea Processors Association (fisheries); Chris Hladick, Unalaska City manager (local government); Denise Michels, Nome mayor (coastal community); Nils Andreassen, Institute of the North managing director (international Arctic organization); Layla Hughes (conservation group); Steve Scalzo, Foss Marine Holdings chief operations officer (marine transportation and logistics); Elizabeth Moore, NANA regional corporation community and government affairs manager (ANCSA corporation); and Peter Garay, American Pilots Association (marine pilots).

The commission will meet in Arctic areas around the state and in Anchorage and Fairbanks over the next two years and will provide preliminary policy recommendations by Jan. 30, 2014, and a final report by Jan. 30, 2015.

—Petroleum News