U.S. Sen. Mark Begich released the following statement in response to news that Alaskan Tommy Beaudreau has been named the new chief of staff at the Department of the Interior.

“Tommy Beaudreau has deep Alaskan ties and continues to be a great resource to our state at the Department of the Interior. He has done good work in his current position at Interior and I am confident his knowledge of Alaska’s unique conditions and needs will carry over into his new role as chief of staff. Tommy has been a fair advocate for responsible oil and gas development so I hope his influence will be broad in his new position.

“I hope his new role brings increased clarity to an administration that still fails to understand Alaska’s needs and vast energy potential. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Tommy and hope he will continue to provide balanced oversight of our nation’s energy resources.”

Beaudreau is currently Interior’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals and director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). Beaudreau will take over for Laura Davis in his new role. Raised in Alaska, Beaudreau has served at the DOI for the past three years at BOEM and is also the former chairman of the Interagency Working Group on Coordination of Domestic Energy Development and Permitting in Alaska.

Begich thanked Davis for her public service with former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and most recently with Secretary Sally Jewell.