Gov. Bill Walker has appointed Hollis French to lead a state agency that oversees oil and gas production and enforces industry safety rules.
French took over as chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission on July 1, and will serve a four-year term. He’s replacing Cathy Foerster, who served the previous term as chair and is still on the commission.
French has a long political history in Alaska. Most recently, he ran for lieutenant governor in 2014 with Democratic nominee Byron Mallott, before Mallott merged his campaign with then-Independent-candidate Walker. French also served as a Democratic member of the Alaska Senate for 12 years.
French has experience in the oil industry; before becoming a lawyer in 1995, he worked for ARCO and Shell in Alaska.
