Gov. Bill Walker has appointed Shirley Marquardt as the state's new director of boards and commissions.
The former Unalaska mayor is moving to Anchorage to start her full-time job next month.
In her new role, Marquardt will vet candidates for the many appointments the governor makes each year -- from the Board of Fisheries to the Alaska Humanities Forum to the Marijuana Control Board.
Walker spoke highly of Marquardt when he visited the island in October.
"Mayor Shirley is very, very unique and really quite an inspiration to a lot of people," said Walker.
Marquardt moved to Unalaska in 1980 and has worked in the fisheries and shipping industries ever since. She was elected to the City Council in 1994 and became mayor a decade later. She held the top job until November, when she lost the local runoff election by just five votes.
Now, Marquardt joins a handful of Unalaska officials who have gone on to work for Alaska governors.
Mostly recently, former city manager Chris Hladick joined Walker's cabinet in 2015, serving as commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development.
Marquardt declined KUCB's request for an interview. Her first day as director of boards and commissions is March 6.
