Katz agrees to stay on in Washington

by The Associated Press

John Katz, director of the governor's Washington office, remains on the job, despite his announcement in November that he would retire once Gov. Frank Murkowski took office. "The governor asked me to change my plan, and he didn't put any time limit on it, and neither did I," Katz said. "I'm of the old school. The governor asked, and within parameters, I'm programmed to say aye, aye sir."

Now it is unclear when he is retiring, if ever. Katz, a political appointee, is now working for his sixth Alaska governor. They have looked to him to analyze and advise on dozens of Alaska issues in Congress and the federal agencies.

"I think the governor is quite pleased that he's willing to extend his career," said Murkowski's spokesman, John Manly. Katz said it's a comfortable transition for him. He's known Murkowski for 30 years and his chief of staff, Jim Clark, for even longer. The two played football for Johns Hopkins University.