Walker Continues To Fill Out Cabinet With Administration, Education Commissioners

Gov. Bill Walker has made his final decision on his administration and education commissioner.

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Walker has named Sheldon Fisher head of Administration, a department with a wide range of government responsibilities including overseeing the Division of Motor Vehicles as well as the Alaska Public Offices Commission. Fisher has been an executive at McKinley Capital Management since 2011. Before that, he led the sales and marketing team at Alaska Communications. Fisher also made a failed bid at public office in 2010, when he launched a primary challenge against Republican Congressman Don Young. Young took 70 percent of the vote. For the past month, former DMV director Amy Erickson has served as the acting administration commissioner.

Walker, in concert with the Board of Education, has also reappointed Mike Hanley as a commissioner. Hanley was originally named education commissioner in 2011, by then-Gov. Sean Parnell. Hanley — along with environmental conservation commissioner Larry Hartig, transportation commissioner Pat Kemp, and public safety commissioner Gary Folger — is one of four department heads from the previous administration who Walker has decided to keep on his cabinet. Before being named education commissioner, Hanley spent 20 years in the Anchorage School District, with six of those as a principal.

All of Walker’s commissioner appointments must be approved by the Legislature this spring.