Alaska Gov. Dunleavy names new revenue commissioner, acting health commissioner and chief of staff

Gov. Mike Dunleavy made three high-level appointments on Monday, filling the key positions of revenue and health commissioners and naming a new chief of staff. 

Dunleavy named Adam Crum as the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Revenue, after nearly four years of Crum leading the state’s Department of Health and Social Services, including leading the reorganized Department of Health since July, when the agency was split in two. 

Dunleavy praised Crum’s management and leadership work.

“From preparing and protecting Alaskans from the global pandemic to the reorganization of the Department of Health and Social Services, he is a skilled and dedicated public servant and I look forward to another four years working with him to move Alaska forward,” Dunleavy said in a news release announcing Crum’s appointment. 

The appointment comes a week after Dunleavy named Brian Fechter as the acting revenue commissioner. The announcement of Crum’s appointment didn’t say whether Fechter would return to his previous position as deputy revenue commissioner. Fechter had been named to replace previous Acting Revenue Commissioner Deven Mitchell, who left to become executive director of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. Crum is the third person to fill the position since former Commissioner Lucinda Mahoney retired in September.

Dunleavy named Heidi Hedberg as the acting commissioner of the Department of Health. Hedberg has been the director of the Division of Public Health since 2019.

Both Crum and Hedberg were in the public eye during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting information about the state’s response. Both are scheduled to start in their new positions on Wednesday.

And Dunleavy named Tyson Gallagher as his chief of staff. Gallagher had been acting chief of staff since July. 

Crum’s appointment is subject to a confirmation vote in the 2023 legislative session. Hedberg would also be subject to a confirmation vote unless Dunleavy appoints someone else to fill the position. Gallager’s position is not subject to confirmation.

Dunleavy has more than 52% of the votes in the election that ended on Nov. 8. There are at least 43,000 more ballots left to count. If his share of the vote remains above 50%, he will be re-elected without considering any voters’ second choices under ranked choice voting.

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