Anchorage attorney Jahna Lindemuth, known for her strong background in complex commercial litigation and pro bono work representing one of the Fairbanks Four, was named June 28 to serve as Alaska’s new attorney general.
Lindemuth will be the second woman ever to serve in that role. The first was Grace Schaible, who served as Attorney General from 1987 to 1989, under the administration of Gov. Steve Cowper.
Gov. Bill Walker announced her appointment during a news conference in Anchorage, during which he also introduced three new state commissioners,
Andy Mack of the Department of Natural Resources, Walt Monegan of the Department of Public Safety, and Michael Johnson of the Department of Education.
All four still need confirmation by the Legislature.
Lindemuth, who lives in Anchorage with her two sons, will begin her work at the Law Department in early August. She fills the vacancy left by the sudden resignation days earlier by Craig Richards, Walker’s former law partner, who said he needed more time to focus on family matters.
Lindemuth, who was born and raised in Anchorage, is a partner at Dorsey & Whitney, LLP, and head’s the firm’s Anchorage office. As a partner in the firm, Lindemuth has represented clients including Cook Inlet Region, Inc., Arctic Slope Regional Corp., and ConocoPhillips Alaska in both state and federal court, arbitrations, and before administrative agencies.
Walker noted that she is well respected in the state’s legal community for her strong work ethic, professional demeanor and compassion. Last year alone, she dedicated over 950 hours of pro bono work to represent a victim of domestic violence and one of the men in the Fairbanks Four murder case, which resulted in the release of all four men. “This commitment to serve and seek justice for those in need is admirable, and will make Jahna a valuable addition to my administration,” Walker said.
Andy Mack, will fill the vacancy left by the February retirement of DNR Commissioner Mark Myers. Acting DNR Commissioner Marty Rutherford recently informed Walker of her own plans to retire in June.
Mack is currently a managing director of PT Capital, the only private equity fund based in Alaska. Born and raised in Soldotna, Mack has over a decade of experience in Arctic policy and development. He currently serves as an advisor to multiple Alaska Native corporations engaged in oil and gas activities on the North Slope. Mack also helped guide the regulatory drafting and implementation applied to drilling efforts in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.
Walker announced the appointment of Mack at DNR on June 23, the same day he appointed Rutherford a public seat on the board of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. She will begin serving there on July 1, after retirement from DNR. The Permanent Fund board sets policy for the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. and reviews, adopts and monitors an asset allocation for the fund.
