Executive Branch Ethics Act

Responsibilities of Designated Ethics Supervisors for Boards and Commissions

Boards and commissions subject to the Ethics Act have designated ethics supervisors. The chair serves as the designated ethics supervisor for board or commission members and the executive director. The executive director is the designated ethics supervisor for staff. The designated ethics supervisor for a chair is the governor, who has delegated this responsibility to Cheryl Lowenstein, Administrative Director of the Office of the Governor.

Designated ethics supervisors should refer to the 2019 Designated Ethics Supervisors Handbook (503KB PDF), available from the state ethics attorney, regarding their responsibilities under the Ethics Act. Briefly, as designated ethics supervisor, you must --

1. Ensure that members and employees are provided copies of the guides, Ethics Information for Members of Boards and Commissions and Ethics Act Procedures for Boards and Commissions -- and keep a supply of disclosure forms.
   1. These guides, other educational materials, disclosure forms, statutes and regulations are available for review and copying on the Department of Law ethics web site. If access to this page is not available, please contact the Attorney General's office at 269-5275.
2. Review all disclosures, investigate potential ethics violations, make determinations regarding conduct, and take action.
3. Keep member or employee disclosure statements (of potential violations, receipt of gifts, and interests in grants/contracts/leases/loans) on file in your office. Disclosure of a gift received from another government must be forwarded to the Office of the Governor.
4. Submit an ethics report to the Department of Law in April, July, October and January for the preceding quarter. You will receive a reminder. There is a sample report on the ethics web page.
   1. Mail, email or fax to Jennifer L. Williams, Paralegal, Department of Law, Opinions, Appeals & Ethics Section, 1031 W. 4th Avenue, Suite 200, Anchorage, AK, 99501, ethicsreporting@alaska.gov, fax no. 907-258-4978.

You may request ethics advice from your agency's Assistant Attorney General or from the State Ethics Attorney, Matthew Stinson, at 907-269-6612 or matthew.stinson@alaska.gov. Please direct questions about reporting procedures to Jennifer L. Williams at 375-7774 or jennifer.williams1@alaska.gov.

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