Alaska Gov. Bill Walker said Monday that he's hired former oil company executive John Hendrix as a cabinet-level oil and gas adviser.
Hendrix used to be the general manager for Apache Alaska, a Houston-based independent oil company. Apache announced in March that it was withdrawing from the state because of the crash in oil prices.
Hendrix's annual salary at the newly created state position will be $185,000, according to a spokeswoman for Walker.
Hendrix is a Homer High School graduate, according to Walker's office.
Walker announced Hendrix's hiring in a luncheon address to the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce's Make it Monday forum.