Executive biography, 2012

              COLLECTIVELY REPRESENTING THE STATES
EXECUTIVE BIOGRAPHY: CHAIRMAN
Gov. Sean Parnell, State of Alaska
The Parnell Administration clears paths of opportunity for Alaskans.
Since becoming governor in July of 2009, Governor Parnell has focused
on growing Alaska’s economy and strengthening families.
Governor Parnell advances Alaskan’s interests by adhering to our State’s
Constitutional priorities: resource development, education, public safety,
and infrastructure. The governor aggressively works to make Alaska com-petitive
for economic growth by lowering taxes, streamlining regulations,
and building infrastructure. In 2009, Governor Parnell successfully worked
with the Legislature to establish the Alaska Performance Scholarship, a
merit-based scholarship designed to incentivize Alaska’s youth for greater
academic performance and empower students to pursue in-state college or
technical training. Governor Parnell has also taken on the challenge to end
the epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska through his
Choose Respect initiative.
Governor Parnell moved to Alaska in 1973. Graduating from East Anchor-age
High School in 1980, Parnell went on to earn a bachelor’s of business
administration from Pacifi c Lutheran University, and a Juris Doctorate
from the University of Puget Sound School of Law (now known as Seattle
University of Law). Governor Parnell practiced law for 13 years in the
private sector. He served two terms in the Alaska House of Representa-tives
and one term in the Alaska State Senate, including Senate Finance
Committee and leadership.
Sean Parnell was elected as lieutenant governor in November 2006, be-came
governor in July 2009, and was re-elected November of 2010.
The Governor and First Lady, Sandy Parnell, have been married since 1987
and have two daughters and a son-in-law. The Governor and First Lady of
Alaska reside in Juneau and enjoy many of the outdoor activities Alaska
has to offer.