Four Locals on Walker-Mallott Transition Team

Jay Barrett/KMXT

Alaska’s governor- and lieutenant governor- elect gathered members of their transition team in preparation for taking office a week from today. Bill Walker and Byron Mallott’s list numbers scores of names from every corner of the state, in 17 different categories. Four Kodiak residents were selected.

Jeff Stephan, the executive director of the United Fishermen’s Marketing Association, was named to the economic development team, and KANA Executive Director Andy Teuber will serve on the health care team. Jason Metrokin, a Kodiak man who is president of the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, was selected for the Natural Resources team.

Outgoing State House Representative Alan Austerman and Erin Harrington, organizer of “The Salmon Project,” were named to the fisheries transition team, which has 26 members.

Former Fish and Game Commissioner Denby Lloyd is also on that team. It includes a mix of fishing interests, including several people from commercial fishing and several from the guiding industry. For example, United Fishermen of Alaska President Jerry McCune of Cordova is included, as is Ricky Gease, the executive director of the Soldotna lobbying group, Kenai River Sportsfishing.

Four members are from fisheries-dependent Southeast, including former legislator Albert Kookesh of Angoon, Mark Jensen of Petersburg, Linda Behnken of Sitka and Greg Indreland of Yakutat.

There are six from the Kenai Peninsula and seven from the Anchorage area. Only two representative hail from Western Alaska, which has suffered through very low salmon runs in recent years. They are Ragnar Alstrom of Alakanuk and former State House Representative Mary Sattler of Bethel. While there are three from Dillingham, Norm Van Vactor, Robert Heyano and former Fish Board member Russell Nelson, there are no representatives from the Alaska Peninsula or Aleutian Islands.

All these folks, and more from the other subcommittees, met over the weekend in Anchorage to begin preparing for a smooth transition from the Parnell administration. We have a list of all the Fishery Transition Team members and a link to the entire list after the jump.

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Ragnar AlstromAlakanukFisheries

Denby LloydAnchorageFisheries

Mike SzymanskiAnchorageFisheries

Carol Ann WoodyAnchorageFisheries

Albert KookeshAngoonFisheries

Mary SattlerBethelFisheries

Jerry McCuneCordovaFisheries

Norm Van VactorDillinghamFisheries

Robert HeyanoDillinghamFisheries

Russell NelsonDillinghamFisheries

Murray TateFairbanksFisheries

Tim BristolHomerFisheries

Lindsey BloomJuneauFisheries

Debra Houle BrownKasilofFisheries

Brian GabrielKenaiFisheries

Ricky GeaseKenaiFisheries

Roland MawKenaiFisheries

Bill MacKayKenai/AnchorageFisheries

Alan AustermanKodiakFisheries

Erin HerringtonKodiakFisheries

Larry EngelMat-SuFisheries

Bruce KnowlesMat-SuFisheries

Mark JensenPetersburgFisheries

Linda BehnkenSitkaFisheries

Mike WoodTalkeetnaFisheries

Greg IndrelandYakutatFisheries