Gov. Bill Walker named Ivy Spohnholz on Tuesday as his choice to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Rep. Max Gruenberg in February.
Spohnholz is the development director for Salvation Army Alaska and is the vice chairwoman of the Alaska Children’s Trust, which aims to eliminate childhood abuse and neglect throughout the state.
Spohnholz said she wanted the job to address the state’s budget shortfall. Her goal is to avoid economic problems the state experienced in the 1980s. She said when she was a teenager, her parents divorced, and her family faced financial strains.
“I don’t want ever to go through that again and I wanted to be a part of the conversation, in hopes that we can start thinking about the Alaska that we want to have,” she said, “not just the Alaska that, you know, is convenient for us to pay for.”
Spohnholz was one of the three people nominated by Anchorage Democrats for the position.
The House Democrats are scheduled to vote on her appointment either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. A spokesman for the caucus said she’s unlikely to face any opposition.
She said her first job is to learn about the budget proposals put forward by Walker and legislators.
She’ll also put her experience to work.
“Right now, I work for the Salvation Army, and we see those that are most vulnerable,” she said. “I’m going to be able to bring that experience and the knowledge of what are our most vulnerable elders and youth are facing every day, when we’re making decisions about, you know, how to chart a course forward.”
Walker said he was impressed with the choices that Spohnholz has made, including her founding the organization Foster Kids First, and her family’s decision to adopt a child who has fetal alcohol syndrome.
Walker said he also chose here because of “the life experiences of going through … what Alaska experienced during the ’80s and the downturn in oil.”
He added: “In many respects, that was somewhat similar, although without the loss of life, to what I had been through after the ’64 earthquake.”
Walker said it was a difficult choice. He praised the other nominees – scientist Taylor Brelsford and legislative staff member Kendra Kloster. While he said he could have taken more time, he wanted to make sure District 16 was represented.
Republican Don Hadley also has announced plans to run for the seat this fall. The filing deadline for the primaries is June 1.