Gov. Mike Dunleavy has named longtime interim Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Cathy Muñoz as his choice to fill the job permanently.

Munoz, a former Republican state legislator from Juneau, was named the department’s acting commissioner in February 2023 after the resignation of former commissioner Tamika Ledbetter. Before the appointment, Muñoz had served as the department’s deputy commissioner and legislative liaison since 2018.

“Cathy has been working diligently at the Department of Labor since the month I took office,” Dunleavy said in a prepared written statement. “As I’ve seen her lead the department as acting commissioner, it has become clear that she is the right person to continue to lead the department as an appointed and confirmed commissioner.”

Muñoz’s appointment is subject to confirmation by the Legislature, which meets in a joint session to consider all of the governor’s appointments once per year, late in the session.

• James Brooks is a longtime Alaska reporter, having previously worked at the Anchorage Daily News, Juneau Empire, Kodiak Mirror and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. This article originally appeared online at alaskabeacon.com. Alaska Beacon, an affiliate of States Newsroom, is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government.