I am an ardent Walker/Mallott volunteer who has for a long time enjoyed Alaska's political scene. So I must admit bias in my posts regarding our new governor, Bill Walker, and lieutenant governor, Byron Mallott; however, even I cannot believe how amazed I have been by Gov. Walker's actions since he won the election.
Throughout the campaign I had gotten to know candidate Bill Walker as a man of his word -- old-school, Alaska-style. This is a terribly rare quality anymore, but seeing that quality in action is just a beautiful thing. The whole nation should be watching and taking notes of how we roll in Alaska!
Action number one: the transition teams. The election had been called, incumbent Gov. Parnell had conceded and Walker started thinking about the transition of power. I have seen more than one transition over my 20-some years with the state, but never one like this. We are talking about transparency, diversity, inclusiveness and thinking outside the box in spades with this administration.
First, there were the co-chairs: Ana Hoffman, an Alaska Native professional woman from Bethel, and Rick Halford, a Caucasian man and esteemed former state senator. The picture in the press release announcing the co-chairs almost made me cry; I couldn't believe the breadth of diversity.
Secondly, there was the inclusiveness of Alaskans from all across the state -- men and women of different backgrounds, professions, ages and colors. And the public was invited! During the breaks all there were able to mix and mingle, often with other Alaskans they may never have met. Bill Walker and Byron Mallott attended every day; they were there early and stayed late; they talked to anyone who wanted to talk to them; they were fully engaged. The energy was inspiring. I feel so fortunate to have participated because there was a healthy dose of magic dust sprinkled in the air throughout those rooms! It was moving.
Finally, there was the process. We were grouped by subject matter, rather than by state department, as in past years. Strange, I thought. I was a skeptic. It was a learning moment for me. My team had 17 members, only one of whom I had met and worked with in years past. It was such a diverse group and it was a great experience. We had an excellent and professional team leader who kept us right on track. Flip-chart pages were flying through the air, but he got it done.
Transcription of flip charts and notes is happening now and final reports will be finished soon. And, in true Walker style, they will be available to the general public.
Kudos to the Walker team, to co-chairs Hoffman and Halford, team facilitators and participants. I've never seen anything like it. Feel free to share the good news: We are in good hands here in Alaska. Other states, take notice.
Tara Jollie is the former director of the Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Community and Regional Affairs. After working for 20 years for state government, she is now retired and blogs on rural affairs under the nickname "Leaddog" at LeaddogAlaska.net, where this commentary first appeared.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.