Mike Navarre to take commissioner role

Mike Navarre has been tapped for the lead role at the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.

Navarre has served as the Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor for the last six years. He will leave office in early November, after borough voters elect a new mayor in the upcoming runoff election on Oct. 24. In public comments, he has said he planned to take a role assisting Gov. Bill Walker in fixing the state’s ongoing fiscal crisis, but has not specifically said what that role is to be.

Walker announced in a press release Tuesday that Navarre will take over as commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development upon the departure of current commissioner Chris Hladick. Hladick has been named director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10, which includes Alaska, headquartered in Seattle.

“Chris has been an incredible asset in our drive towards building a stronger Alaska,” Walker said in the press release. “While he will be missed, I’m very pleased to see him take on this new role, and know he will serve Alaska and the country well. I commend (EPA) Administrator (Scott) Pruitt for appointing an individual who can effectively represent the interests of varied stakeholders.”

As commissioner, Navarre will oversee the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development’s various operations, including divisions regulating business licensing, banking and securities, economic development grants and efforts and community and regional affairs.

Navarre previously served as borough mayor from 1996-1999 and in the Alaska House of Representatives for six terms from 1985–1996, chairing multiple committees, including the House Finance Committee.

— Elizabeth Earl

More in News

The Kenai Peninsula College main entrance on Aug. 18, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Chiappone and Dunstan to speak at the KPC Showcase

Kenai Peninsula College continues its showcase with two new speakers this week and next

U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, talks about issues of concern regarding the proposed merger of supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons during a floor speech in the House chamber on Wednesday. (Screenshot from official U.S. House of Representatives video feed)
Begich leads in early results, but Alaska’s U.S. House race won’t be immediately decided

About 245,000 ballots had been counted by 11:32 p.m., and Peltola trailed by about 5 percentage points

The Alaska governor’s mansion on Wednesday. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is considered a contender for a post in Donald Trump’s second presidential administration. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Election summary: Trump wins, GOP takes over U.S. Senate, Alaska may get new governor

Begich and repeal of ranked choice voting narrowly lead; GOP may lose control of state House.

Nesbett Courthouse in downtown Anchorage on Oct. 7, 2024. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Voters line up at the polling site at Anchorage City Hall on Nov. 4, 2024. City Hall was one of the designated early voting sites in Alaska’s largest city. It is not a designated site for Election Day voting. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska Republicans lose two seats in state House, increasing odds of leadership switch

Rural Alaska precincts had reported few results by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

Donald Trump won or was leading as of Wednesday morning in all seven swing states in the 2024 presidential election. (Doug Mills / The New York Times)
Donald Trump returns to power, ushering in new era of uncertainty

He played on fears of immigrants and economic worries to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.

A voter is handed as ballot at Woodworth School in Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. One of the most consequential presidential elections in the nation’s modern history is well underway, as voters flocked to churches, schools and community centers to shape the future of American democracy. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
Trump verges on victory, picking up Pennsylvania

Donald Trump has captured Pennsylvania, the biggest prize of the seven battleground… Continue reading

Signs and supporters line the Kenai Spur Highway in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Unofficial results for the 2024 general election

Preliminary, unofficial election results as of 9:55 p.m.

Poll worker Carol Louthan helps voters submit ballots at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Bjorkman, Ruffridge, Elam and Vance lead in election night results

Several residents said that they came out to vote because they knew this election was “a big one.”

Most Read