Father of deceased Kotzebue girl among Dunleavy’s new appointments

Gov. Mike Dunleavy continued naming people to statewide boards and commissions Friday.

One of the appointees, Scotty Barr, was one of Dunleavy’s special guests at his State of the State speech last week. Barr is the father of Ashley Johnson-Barr, a 10-year-old Kotzebue girl who disappeared in September and was found dead shortly afterward. A Kotzebue man was charged in connection with Johnson-Barr’s death.

Dunleavy named Barr to the Executive Clemency Advisory Committee, to a term that began this past Thursday and will run until March 1, 2020. That committee reviews applications from people requesting a pardon or reduction of sentence from the governor and provides recommendations to the governor of whether to grant those applications.

Speaking to media members after the State of the State, Barr didn’t talk about being on the committee but said he believed in Dunleavy’s promises to reduce crime in rural Alaska and said he was hoping to work with state officials.

“I’m looking forward to going ahead and working with them as well as his staff and everybody else with the state to try to prevent this from happening for future generations, for our granddaughters,” Barr said.

Ralph Samuels of Anchorage was named the chair of the committee, and Carol Fraser of Anchorage was also appointed. Samuels’ term goes until March 1, 2022 and Fraser’s goes until March 1, 2021.

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Barr’s appointment to the board comes a week after Edie Grunwald, the mother of slain teen David Grunwald, was named to the State Board of Parole. Grunwald, who ran in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor in 2018, was also one of Dunleavy’s invited guests at the State of the State.

Dunleavy announced more than 40 other appointments to boards and commissions Friday, including four Juneau residents. Juneau’s Jennifer Winkelman was named the correctional administrative officer of the Alaska Police Standards Council. Winkelman’s term began Jan. 18 and will run until March 1, 2020. Rebecca Harmon of King Salmon, Chief Stephen Dutra of North Pole and Chief Burke Waldron of Bethel were all reappointed to the council.

Edward Sinclair of Juneau was named to the Board of Marine Pilots to a term lasting from March 1 to March 1, 2023. Charles Collins, Jr. of Juneau was appointed to the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Commission, to a term lasting from March 1 to March 1, 2024.

Juneau resident Bradley Austin was reappointed to the Alaska Workers’ Compensation Board, along with Sarah LeFebvre of Fairbanks. New members to that commission are Bob Doyle and Albert Haynes of Wasilla, Dr. Christopher Twiford of Kodiak, Sara Faulkner of Homer, Randy Beltz of Anchorage and Julie Duquette of Fairbanks. Those terms all begin March 1 and run until March 1, 2022.

To the Alaska Commission on Aging, Dunleavy appointed Nona Safra of Anchor Point and Mike Coons of Palmer to serve terms that began this month and go until Sept. 1, 2021.

Ketchikan’s Trevor Shaw was named to the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct, with a term running from March 1 to March 1, 2023. Wasilla’s David Parker was reappointed to the Alaska Judicial Council, with a term starting March 1 and going until March 1, 2025.

Jason Bunch of Kodiak and Cash Joyce of Wasilla were reappointed to the Big Game Commercial Services Board, with terms lasting from March 1 to March 1, 2023. Anchorage’s Tom Harris is a new appointee to the board, to a term that began Sept. 11, 2018 and going to March 1, 2022.

Cathy Mosher of Willow was named to the Board of Direct-Entry Midwives, to a term lasting from March 1 to March 1, 2023. Jedediah Cox of Anchorage was named to the Board of Governors of Alaska Bar Association, to a term running from March 1 to March 1, 2022.

Julie Endle of Palmer was appointed to the Board of Massage Therapy, to a term that started Thursday and will run until March 1, 2021. Geoffry McCormick of North Pole was reappointed to the Board of Social Work Examiners, to a term lasting from March 1 to March 1, 2022. Colleen Vague of Wasilla was appointed to the board, with a term that began Thursday and will run until March 1, 2021.

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Julie Tisdale, Danette Schloeder and Wendy Monrad of Anchorage were named to the Board of Nursing. Marisha Dieters of Eagle River and Shannon Connelly of Palmer will join them. Fairbanksan Scott Flamme was appointed to the Board of Veterinary Examiners, and will serve from March 1 to March 1, 2023.

Dr. Erin Johnson of Anchorage was appointed to the Board of Psychological Associate Examiners to a term running from March 1 to March 1, 2023. Dr. Matthew Dammeyer of Soldotna was also named to the board, with his term running from March 24 to March 1, 2021.

Manokotak’s Moses Toyukak Sr. was named to the Fisherman’s Fund Advisory and Appeals Council, to a term lasting from March 1 to March 1, 2024. The governor tabbed Vivian Stiver of Fairbanks to the Marijuana Control Board, to a term lasting from Feb. 28 to March 1, 2022. Many have expressed surprise about that appointment, as Stiver has publicly spoken out against marijuana legalization. Lt. Christopher Jaime of Soldotna was also named to the board, to a term that began Jan. 18 and will last until March 1, 2020.

Anchorage’s Craig Johnson was named to the Personnel Board, with a term running from Jan. 18 to March 1, 2020. Todd Smoldon of Wasilla was appointed to the Professional Teaching Practices Commission, to a term lasting from this past Thursday to March 1, 2022. Marcus Sanders of Anchorage was named to the State Commission for Human Rights, and will serve a term from March 1 to March 1, 2024.

The governor selected Wasilla’s John Francis to serve a term from March 1 to March 1, 2022 on the Violent Crimes Compensation Board.

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• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or amccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.

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