His destination for the swear-in ceremony as Alaska’s 12th governor was Noorvik, but thick fog over that Arctic city called for a change of plans, and so at noon on Dec. 3, Mike Dunleavy took his oath of office above the Arctic Circle in Kotzebue.
With his wife, Rose, and daughters Maggie Catherine and Ceil Ann at his side, the former teacher, school administrator and legislator was sworn into office by Superior Court Judge Paul Roetnam at Kotzebue Middle High School.
Also sworn in was Kevin Meyer, as lieutenant governor.
Gov. Bill Walker and Lt. Gov. Valerie Davidson did not attend the ceremonies in Kotzebue, choosing instead to focus on dealing with recovery issues related to the 7.0 earthquake that struck Southcentral Alaska on the morning of Nov. 30.
The ceremony marked the first time that a U.S. governor was sworn into office above the Arctic Circle, an occasion that the new governor said reflected his deep appreciation and close personal ties to the people and land of rural Alaska.
Dunleavy had initially planned to go by snowmobile from Kotzebue to Noorvik, but changed his plans in order to concentrate on earthquake relief for Southcentral Alaska, whose residents were still feeling many aftershocks.
The new governor said his administration’s core priorities are to make Alaska safe again, to preserve the Permanent Fund Dividend program, reduce state spending, get the economy moving again, champion rural schools and uphold constitutional rights.
Due to weather conditions and the requirement in the Alaska Constitution that the governor-elect be sworn in before noon, Dunleavy took his oath of office in Kotzebue, but the weather later cleared and the Dunleavys were able to fly into Noorvik, where they were greeted warmly at a community celebration.
Later in the day, in Anchorage, Dunleavy held his first official cabinet meeting, where he heard earthquake assessment reports from each commissioner and acting commissioner, and status reports on their departments.
Photo courtesy Tim Leach
