Former state senator Hollis French has been appointed to the three-member Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, with service to begin on July 25.
The appointment is subject to legislative confirmation.
“AOGCC plays an integral role in the state’s natural resource development efforts, and Hollis’ experience in Alaska’s oil industry will make him a valuable addition to the commission,” Walker said.
Prior to serving in the Alaska Senate, for 12 years beginning in 2012, French worked for a dozen years in Alaska’s oil industry.
After moving to Alaska in 1978, French worked on Shell Platform A, five miles offshore in Cook Inlet. His North Slope career began in 1979 with Shell, as he worked his way up to production operator. Then in 1984, he became a production operator for ARCO and was promoted to lead operator.
French left the oil industry in 1992 to study for a law degree, which he received at Cornell Law School in Ithaca, N.Y., 1995. He then returned to Alaska and worked as a prosecutor in the Anchorage District Attorney’s office for six years.
In 2002, French was elected to the Legislature, where he was a member of the Senate Bipartisan Working Group and chair of the Judiciary Committee. At that time, he played an active role in oil and gas development legislation, criminal justice reform, and health care reform.
