Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has named longtime Republican politician and businessman John Binkley to an open seat on the board that controls the $80 billion Alaska Permanent Fund.
The six-person board has been operating with five members since July, when board member Ellie Rubenstein resigned after leaked emails suggested that corporation staff felt pressured by Rubenstein to make certain investments.
Binkley, Rubenstein’s replacement, has served as a state senator, state representative, and unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2006.
The Binkley family is extensively involved in tourism within the Fairbanks area and owns the Anchorage Daily News. In 2020, Binkley served as chair of the state legislative redistricting board.
The Permanent Fund Corp.’s board of trustees is scheduled to meet Feb. 12 in Juneau.
An annual transfer from the fund to the state treasury accounts for more than half of the state’s general-purpose revenue, used for services and the annual Permanent Fund dividend.
