Amy Demboski leaves Assembly for Dunleavy post

NEW CHAPTER FOR CONSERVATIVE TALK SHOW HOST

Anchorage Assembly member Amy Demboski, who represents 40,000 Alaskans from the Eagle River district, is not running for re-election this spring and, in fact, will also end her radio talk show after today.

She’s taking a post in the new Dunleavy Administration as deputy chief of staff, focusing on budgets, operations, and contracts.

When her last Assembly meeting will be is something she hasn’t decided yet, but she will step down from the elected position and the seat will need to be filled on an interim basis, she said.

Demboski is nearing the end of her second term on the Assembly and is the the most conservative member on a local governing body that has taken a decided turn to the left.

A graduate of Chugiak High School in 1994, she went on to earn bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and history from University of Alaska Anchorage, and a master’s degree in finance from Columbia Southern University.

She worked for many years in the health care industry with a focus on business development and management. She is also the former president of the Chugiak Community Council, the chair of the Municipal Budget Advisory Commission, and was the Mayor’s appointment to the Chugiak-Eagle River Parks & Recreation Board of Supervisors. She ran for mayor in 2015, losing to Ethan Berkowitz.

In recent years Demboski has been a vocal advocate for repealing Senate Bill 91, the controversial criminal justice reform bill, and she has advocated for a full funding of the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend.

Over the past several weeks, she’s volunteered on the Dunleavy transition team as a policy leader.

Last week, Must Read Alaska reported that Jeremy Price was named deputy chief of staff as well.

[Read: Price to join Dunleavy administration]

Demboski started her career in radio on KVNT, a talk show in the Mat-Su Valley. No replacement has been named for her show, which airs from 4-6 pm Monday through Friday.

She announced her decision today on Facebook and on her radio show.

“Serving as your Assembly member representing Chugiak, Eagle River, and JBER has truly been the honor of a lifetime. I fought tirelessly to protect your wallet, your property rights, and ensure critical services, such as public safety, were the top priorities. As I near the end of my 2nd term as your Assembly member, an opportunity has materialized to serve all Alaskans and our next Governor as he works to make our residents safer, bring jobs and economic prosperity back to Alaska, and protect Alaskans’ full PFD,” she wrote.

“I believe in Governor-Elect Dunleavy’s vision for Alaska, his unwavering fight to restore law & order, and his mission to protect your PFD. Not only do I believe in his policies, I truly believe he will do what he promised, and I will do everything in my power to help him achieve those objectives. That is why, I will not be running for a third term to the Anchorage Assembly; instead, I have accepted a position with Governor Dunleavy’s administration.

“I am humbled and honored to have represented you for the past 5 1/2 years. Thank you all for your love, support, and prayers. I will never be able to adequately express what you all mean to me and how grateful I am for the privilege to serve you on the Assembly. 

“This is not goodbye, it’s just time to roll up my sleeves, get to work in a new capacity, and help make Alaska great again!”