The Aleutian East Borough has hired a new administrator. Rick Gifford took over at the borough last month, coming to the job from 7 years in Kodiak as a borough administrator.

While Kodiak’s government tended to focus on education, Gifford says infrastructure will be one of his top priorities at the Aleutians East Borough. He’ll be involved in the proposal to build a road through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge to link King Cove to the Cold Bay airport.

 “I think that I was impressed with the many and variety of projects that the borough has going, and I thought it would be kind of interesting as a change – along with a challenge, to try to help the communities with those projects," he says. 

Originally from Idaho, Gifford came to Alaska in the mid-1970s. He started as an accountant.

Over the past 30 years, he’s worked for city governments in the Bristol Bay Borough, Seward, and St. Paul. Gifford says he’s found a niche in small-town government.

“I like the smaller rural communities," he says. "I just think that they have needs that, with my skills with financial and managing backgrounds, that I can help them with. And I just find the people are friendly and good to work with, and I just enjoy seeing Alaska.”

Gifford’s contract with the Aleutians East Borough will expire in 2015.