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Walker administration turns to familiar face for new revenue commissioner

Published 9:53 pm Thursday, September 7, 2017

By James Brooks

Sheldon Fisher, right, will replace Randall Hoffbeck, left, as commissioner of the Alaska Department of Revenue. Here, they are seen in 2015 discussing the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) and the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) with the Alaska Legislature. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file)
Sheldon Fisher, right, will replace Randall Hoffbeck, left, as commissioner of the Alaska Department of Revenue. Here, they are seen in 2015 discussing the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) and the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) with the Alaska Legislature. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file)

Alaska has a new commissioner of revenue. On Thursday, the office of Gov. Bill Walker announced that Sheldon Fisher, commissioner of the Department of Administration, will take the job.

The announcement comes as Gov. Bill Walker prepares to summon lawmakers to Juneau for a special session to address the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit. Walker intends to place a new tax measure atop the agenda for that special session.

Fisher replaces Randy Hoffbeck, who left the department earlier this year for private life. On the Administration side, Fisher will be replaced on an interim basis by deputy commissioner Leslie Ridle, said department spokeswoman Minta Montalbo.

It should be business as usual until a permanent replacement is announced.

“That’s the goal,” Montalbo said.

Fisher was named commissioner of Administration by Walker in December 2014. Before that, he was chief operating officer at McKinley Capital Management LLC in Anchorage. Fisher also worked for six years at Alaska Communications, where he served as senior vice president of sales and product marketing.

He ran against U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, in 2010’s Republican primary.

• Contact reporter James Brooks at james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com or call 523-2258.

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