President Obama nominates Persily to be federal coordinator for the Alaska pipeline project

Obama nominates Persily as pipeline coordinator

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A former journalist and aide to ex-Gov. Sarah Palin has been nominated by President Obama to be federal coordinator for the Alaska natural gas pipeline project.

Larry Persily has worked on oil and gas issues for three Alaska governors and the Alaska Legislature. He most recently was an aide handling oil and gas issues for state Rep. Mike Hawker, co-chairman of the House Finance Committee.

Persily worked as a deputy commissioner at the Alaska Department of Revenue under Gov. Frank Murkowski.

He worked in Palin’s Washington, D.C. office on oil and gas, Arctic, commerce, transportation and tax issues.

Persily also has a long history as a journalist, working as an editor or reporter in Wrangell, Juneau and Anchorage.