Gov. Mike Dunleavy has appointed Mike Barnhill to serve as the acting commissioner of the Alaska Department of Revenue.
Dunleavy announced the temporary appointment on Monday. Barnhill started work on Tuesday, attending a board meeting of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.
Former Commissioner Bruce Tangeman announced he would resign in November. Tangeman wrote in an opinion article for the Anchorage Daily News that he wanted Dunleavy “to have someone who is 100 percent aligned with his vision.”
Until he started in the new position, Barnhill was the policy director for the state Office of Management and Budget. He previously served as the deputy commissioner of the departments of Revenue and Administration, and served as an assistant attorney general.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office says a search for a permanent commissioner is underway, and that Barnhill is “more than capable” of managing the department until the permanent commissioner is selected.
State law requires that the head of each state department face a confirmation vote by the state Legislature.
