Former environmental commissioner appointed to board of Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.

Former commissioner of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Jason Brune was appointed Tuesday to serve on the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board of trustees.

Brune previously served on the board in a seat designated for the Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner. Gov. Mike Dunleavy appointed him to a four-year term in a seat reserved for a member of the public.

Brune replaces Steve Rieger, a former state legislator who was appointed to the board by Dunleavy in 2020.

Brune announced earlier this month that he would step down from his role as commissioner effective Aug. 20 to pursue opportunities in the private sector. Before serving as commissioner, Brune worked as director of land and resources for Cook Inlet Region Inc., an Alaska Native corporation, and as a public affairs manager for Anglo American, one of the world’s largest mining conglomerates.

The governor’s office said in a statement earlier this month that Deputy Environmental Commissioner Emma Pokon will serve as acting commissioner until the governor selects a permanent replacement later this year.

The board of trustees directs investment policy at the corporation, selects its chief executive and helps set its overall strategic vision. The Permanent Fund has provided a majority of state revenue in recent years.