The Alaska House Labor and Commerce Committee on April 25, 2025, heard testimony from more than a dozen gubernatorial appointees to state boards and commissions, including the Board of Public Accountancy, Board of Professional Counselors, Board of Veterinary Examiners, the State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors, the Marijuana Control Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Board, the Real Estate Commission, and the State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board.

The nominations began in the morning and continued after the committee recessed for an afternoon session. Committee members asked nominees about industry trends, supervision and licensing processes, public‑safety readiness, and willingness to serve on boards while holding other roles.

Why it matters: These boards set licensing rules, investigate complaints and help implement professional standards. The committee’s questioning focused on workforce shortages, regulatory compliance, and consumer protections that could affect health care access, public safety and local economies.

Several nominees described practical experience they said would inform their service. Donovan Neal, a certified public accountant applying for the Board of Public Accountancy, told the committee he has been a licensed CPA for 25 years and has worked in public accounting and industry. Neal said changing national workforce conditions have prompted discussion about reducing extra education requirements to recruit more CPAs to Alaska.

James Doughty, another Board of Public Accountancy nominee and a principal at BDO USA, said he applied because he wants to help address the national shortage of certified public accountants and sees changing credit/education requirements as a priority.

Nominees for the Board of Professional Counselors emphasized workforce and access issues. Mary Elkins, applying for confirmation, said she wants counseling regulations to “reflect the on‑the‑ground realities” and cited technology, including AI, and Medicaid access as challenges. Crystal Herring said AI ethics and confidentiality—specifically the growth of unregulated AI “therapist” applications—are expected to be ongoing regulatory topics for the board. Ashley Martin and Elaine (Carrie Elaine) Border told the committee they would prioritize supervision, licensure pathways and measurable outcomes for programs serving underserved populations.

On public‑health readiness, veterinarian Bob Gerlach, an appointee to the Board of Veterinary Examiners and a former state veterinarian, described Alaska’s multiagency response to repeated introductions of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Gerlach said collaboration with federal partners and training wildlife biologists to collect samples expanded the state’s response capacity and, in his words, “I think the state's in very good shape with respect to responding to, these outbreaks.”

Other appointees described regional perspectives and industry priorities. Samson Shepherd, nominated for the board that registers architects, engineers and land surveyors, described himself as a small‑business mechanical engineer; Jimmy Cash and Yolanda (Juan) Logan, nominated to the Real Estate Commission, emphasized broker transparency for consumers and regional differences in housing markets. Lacey Wilcox, nominated to the Marijuana Control Board, said she supports local option decisions by municipal governments. Applicants to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Board and the State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board detailed industry and safety backgrounds relevant to regulatory oversight.

Committee housekeeping: Chair Hall announced an amendment deadline for House Bill 193 (the paid parental leave bill) for the following Tuesday at 2 p.m. The committee recessed at 9:58 a.m. and reconvened in the afternoon to continue nominees and take up House Bill 178 (medical debt information).

The committee did not take final votes on the appointments during the session covered here. Members said they would continue review and complete committee reports.

Ending: The committee scheduled follow‑ups and asked some nominees to provide additional materials when needed. The panel recessed and reconvened later in the day for additional business.