Saturday, November 23, 2013

Alaska's Bob Swenson appointed Dep. Commissioner of Natural Resources



Bob Swenson, who has led the Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys for nearly a decade, has been appointed Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Natural Resources, filling the vacancy created when Joe Balash was appointed Commissioner on Nov. 13.   [Right, Bob Swenson. Credit, ADGGS]

“Bob’s significant leadership experience and his breadth of knowledge of Alaska energy and geology-related issues make him an excellent fit for this important post at DNR,” Commissioner Balash said. 

Swenson will begin work in his new job in Anchorage on Nov. 25. He will be responsible for overseeing the divisions of Oil and Gas and Geological and Geophysical Surveys, the Mental Health Trust Land Office, the State Pipeline Coordinator's Office and the Gas Pipeline Project Office. DNR’s other divisions and offices remain under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Ed Fogels. 

Swenson comes to the Commissioner’s Office with 22 years of experience in natural resource assessment and management in Alaska. He received degrees in geology from the University of Montana and the University of Wyoming and he began his geologic pursuits in Alaska in 1991, analyzing oil and gas resource potential in frontier areas, Cook Inlet, and the North Slope for ARCO and ConocoPhillips. 

Swenson left the private sector in 2004 to become deputy director of geologic research for the Department of Natural Resources, and in 2005, he became the Alaska State Geologist and DGGS Director. In that capacity, Bob led DNR’s geological research effort and served on federal and state advisory boards that deal with energy and mineral resources and geologic hazards. 

[Alaska DNR news release]

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