Former Sen. Jerry Mackie and longtime political professional Michael Pawlowski have formed a new lobbying and strategy group.
Pawlowski is coming back to Alaska after having served as chief of staff for Sen. Lisa Murkowski for five years. The announcement was made today by Murkowski to her staff during their Monday staff meeting.
Mackie was born and raised in Ketchikan and raised in Craig, and is a Haida Alaska Native. At the age of 27, was elected to the Alaska State House in 1990 and the Alaska State Senate in 1996, the only known person in U.S. history to serve as both the Democratic leader of the House and the Republican leader of the Senate.
His connection to the Alaska Native community was an asset as an elected official, and as a lobbyist for Alaska’s Native entities.
He has been a registered lobbyist since 2002, representing a wide range of clients including Alaska Native corporations, medical and health, housing, transportation, tourism, telecommunications and resource development entities.
Pawlowski, whose nickname is “Fish,” grew up in West Anchorage, the fifth generation in his family to live in Alaska. His deep connection to the state and devotion to public service have helped him navigate many of the challenges Alaska has faced over the last 20 years. Working for numerous elected officials at the state and federal level, he has experience on issues from renewable energy policy to traditional resource development and from fiscal policy to healthcare.
Starting in 2003, Pawlowski spent the better part of a decade as an aide to three different Alaska legislators, working on everything from budgets to energy policy and other initiatives.
In 2012, he joined Gov. Parnell’s administration to develop a new approach for the reform of the oil and gas production tax. He became the Deputy Commissioner of Revenue in 2013 and was one of the architects and lead negotiators for the enabling legislation and commercial agreements that established the Alaska LNG Project.
He also served on the Board of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority and as staff with the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority.
In 2015 he began as Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s Senior Policy Advisor on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. There he worked to develop policies to support the development of the Keystone Pipeline, promote offshore oil and gas development and other vital energy-related issues.
Must Read Alaska has learned that the new business entity, called Strategy North Group, will be assisting Sen. Lisa Murkowski in her run for reelection in 2022 and will be actively lobbying for clients in Juneau.
There’s no word on who will be the next Murkowski chief of staff.
Just when you thought the swamp couldn’t get any swampier..
What a guy! When he sees me anywhere, he runs at top speed in the opposite direction.
While Mike Pawlowski worked as an Alaska house of representatives staffer in Juneau, he rented my condo there. Near the start of his tenancy, he caused a fire while cooking something on the kitchen stove and being otherwise “busy” in the bathroom. A passing motorist on Egan Expressway noticed the black smoke coming from the front windows of the condo and reported it to the fire department. When I flew there to determine the extent of the fire damage, Mike refused to allow me and a contractor into the condo. He was belligerent and rude and, after telling us that he had the right to “handle the repairs”, slammed the door in our faces. The bottom line is that Mike Pawlowski refused to pay for the fire-related and other required repairs, trashed my condo and some of its furnishings, and did not pay the last month’s rent. Now he owes me several thousands of dollars and continues to refuse to settle this. But he has turned into quite a good runner!
So I ask, is this the kind of individual with whom reputable individuals would want to engage in an honest and responsible business relationship? I’d say absolutely not!
Thank you Barbara for giving context to someone who knows neither of these people.
It says his nickname is Fish. After reading your post, it should be Fish Guts.
Just what we need more lifelong money suckers taking a free ride on Alaskans backs. We need new people who have the vision to lead us not rip us off with spend and tax to the poor house.
That’s because he knows his days are numbered and he’s soon going to be out of a job once Lisa is let go.
I guess with oil prices in the 40’s it will take additionally help to convince the legislature that keeping the billion dollar oil tax credit is still a good idea.
Better to start investing the PF in mining rare earth minerals found throughout Alaska so we can free up America’s supply chain from China.
All the hope in the world will not get oil back up to 70 dollars a barrel…the markets have changed.
The oil tax credit program has ended. The past-due amounts dating all the way back to the Walker vetoes continue to be carried on the state accounts as a liability. They may never be paid, and whether an owner of those tax credits can somehow enforce payment is unclear to anyone I know. However, had a holder or owner taken the state to court it likely would have been covered by the media; we can therefore conclude that no holder or owner has done so, and therefore we can possibly also conclude that there is no way to enforce payment. I hope that some of the past-due oil tax credits might be owned by the very same banks that are avoiding and protesting resource development in the Alaska arctic. That the state has stiffed investors who took risks exploring for oil and gas in Alaska has been covered in the financial press, and stiffing those investors is not encouraging to anyone thinking about investing in Alaska.
Good man. A true renaissance character.
Hopefully she won’t have to worry about her next term. A close friend of mine said when Murkowski came back from DC for the first time, Murkowski couldn’t go on and on enough about how lovely and super ole Hilary was. No surprise that she sways the way she sways, when she goes down to the hill.
John Sturgeon for US Senate 2022.
Rino is a dirty word and Lisa has to go. As for Mike, Barbara’s comment says it all, don’t you think?
And what is it that he did in the Parnell administration? How did that work out for Alaska and the general public.
With Ranked Choice voting the law of the land Lisa has a strong chance of reelection. Why she waited to release her future political intentions until after the election. Ranked Choice is a God sent for Lisa.
Due to Lisa Sorry performance in dealing with President Trump, In traditional elections Lisa would lose in the 2022 Red Primary. She would have had to revert back to her pass and proven practice after losing a Primary.
Alan’s his one big downfall, he will be working on Lisa Murkowski’s re-election campaign. Good luck with that. I for one will be working, along with most of the conservatives in this state, to put someone better than Murkowski in that position. Quite frankly any well-known Republican/conservative will probably trounce her in her re-election bid. People are fed up with her and her RINO ways.
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