Julie Sande Appointed State Commerce Commissioner
Governor Mike Dunleavy named Julie Sande as his choice to lead the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED). She replaces Julie Anderson, who announced her retirement as Commissioner after the new year.
Sande was most recently executive director of the Ketchikan Pioneer Home. She currently holds seats on the boards of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority and the Alaska Energy Authority.
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May 2026
“Julie Sande operated the Pioneer Home in Ketchikan with distinction and has an impeccable record of public service,” Dunleavy says. “I am fully confident her proven leadership abilities and knowledge of Alaska’s business sector will translate into a successful tenure at the commerce department.”
“I have always been so proud to have been raised in Alaska, especially remote and rural Alaska,” says Sande. “Having spent the majority of my career serving pioneers and elders of our great state has helped give me an appreciation for our history and an appreciation for how creative and hardworking those folks had to be. Owning small family-run businesses during a pandemic gives me a clear understanding of some of the challenges Alaskans are facing. I am very excited to have an opportunity to work with the governor and the team at DCCED to continue the work they have been doing to serve Alaskans and help build stronger communities.”
Sande earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Montana and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Southern California. She is also a lifelong Alaskan who was primarily raised in remote logging camps of Southeast Alaska, where she still enjoys spending time. She is the proud mother of Shawn Patrick and Campbell Rose.
