Governor Mike Dunleavy appointed John M. Espindola as a Commissioner to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (Commission) in June of 2023. In September of 2024 he was unanimously elected as Chair of the Commission. Chair Espindola had previously served with the Dunleavy Administration beginning in 2018.

As Chair of the Commission, he is responsible for the agency’s administrative functions, including establishing efficient operations, employing staff, assigning workload and fostering collaboration with the executive branch, the legislature, and the public.

Chair Espindola is a tribal member from the Pueblo of Laguna. He has made Eagle River, Alaska his home for over ten years with his wife, Dana, and his two children, Arianna and Matthias. He brings a wide breadth of experience in senior leadership from his former professional career in the lower 48. Chair Espindola is a graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Political Science and holds multiple professional licenses. He currently serves as Vice Chair for the National Council on Electricity Policy and is an active current member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.