Legislature(2021 - 2022)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/24/2021 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s) | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE
March 24, 2021
1:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Mia Costello, Chair
Senator Roger Holland, Vice Chair
Senator Gary Stevens
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Joshua Revak
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
Board of Psychologists & Psychological Associate Examiners
Bernard Gatewood - Fairbanks
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
Board of Professional Counselors
Sammie O'Neal - Eagle River
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
Alaska Workers' Compensation Board
Nancy Shaw - Anchorage
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
Alaska Labor Relations Board
Patty Burley - Bethel
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
Alaska State Board of Public Accountancy
Donald Vieira - Palmer
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
BERNARD GATEWOOD, Appointee
Board of Psychologists & Psychological Associate Examiners
Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Psychologists & Psychological Associate Examiners.
SAMMIE O'NEAL, Appointee
Board of Professional Counselors
Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
Eagle River, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Professional Counselors.
NANCY SHAW, Appointee
Alaska Workers' Compensation Board
Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Alaska
Workers' Compensation Board
PATTY BURLEY, Appointee
Alaska Labor Relations Board
Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD)
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Alaska Labor
Relations Board.
DONALD VIEIRA, Appointee
Alaska State Board of Public Accountancy
Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Alaska State
Board of Public Accountancy.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:30:21 PM
CHAIR MIA COSTELLO called the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Gray-Jackson, Stevens, and Chair Costello.
Senator Holland joined the committee soon thereafter.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
Board of Psychologists & Psychological Associate Examiners
Board of Professional Counselors
Alaska Workers' Compensation Board
Alaska Labor Relations Board
Alaska State Board of Public Accountancy
1:31:02 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO announced the consideration of Governor
Appointees for Boards and Commissions.
1:31:42 PM
SENATOR HOLLAND joined the committee.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked Bernard Gatewood to introduce himself,
provide a brief background, and explain his interest in serving
on the Board of Psychologists & Psychological Associate
Examiners.
1:31:58 PM
BERNARD GATEWOOD, Appointee, Board of Psychologists &
Psychological Associate Examiners, Department of Commerce,
Community and Economic Development (DCCED), Fairbanks, Alaska,
stated that he has lived in Alaska for about 40 years and was
the superintendent at the Fairbanks Youth Facility with the
Division of Juvenile Justice when he retired from state service
in 2015. Since then he has tried to give back through volunteer
work. He recounted that he is a trustee on the board of the
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Foundation and the chair of the
Bright Futures Fairbanks Committee, which is a subsidiary of the
school district.
MR. GATEWOOD stated that he holds a master's degree in
counselling and a bachelor's degree in sociology. He related
that he looks forward to serving on this board because his work
in the juvenile justice system made him aware of how many young
people need help with their psychological disorders and this
board is part of the mental health continuum. He underscored the
importance, particularly for youth, of having mental health
providers in the state. This board plays a significant role in
professional licensure and ensuring that these professionals are
properly vetted and able to work as quickly as possible, he
said.
CHAIR COSTELLO said she appreciated his background. She asked
what main challenges he saw facing youth who came to the
Fairbanks Youth Facility.
MR. GATEWOOD replied one of the primary issues was making sure
the kids had a place to go once they left the facility. "You
don't want to have a kid in a facility, locked up and allow them
to become institutionalized and just get comfortable. You also
don't want to lock kids up because they have mental health
issues." He said some were able to go back to their families and
sometimes there was a good program available, but too often, the
resources were lacking to help these young people get the help
they needed once they exited the facility.
1:37:20 PM
SENATOR HOLLAND thanked him for his interest, concern and desire
to stay involved.
1:38:10 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO opened public testimony on the appointment of
Bernard Gatewood to the Board of Psychologists & Psychological
Associate Examiners; finding none, she closed public testimony.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked Sammie O'Neal to introduce himself, provide
a brief background, and explain his interest in serving on the
Board of Professional Counselors.
1:38:49 PM
SAMMIE O'NEAL, Appointee, Board of Professional Counselors,
Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
(DCCED), Eagle River, Alaska, stated that he had lived in Alaska
for 15 years and was retired from the military. After
retirement, he started working in the mental health field,
primarily with at-risk youth. His interest in serving on this
board is to become an advocate for licensed professional
counselors and expand the profession statewide.
1:41:05 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO opened public testimony on the appointment of
Sammie O'Neil to the Board of Professional Counselors; finding
none, she closed public testimony.
CHAIR COSTELLO expressed appreciation for his willingness to
learn and serve the state in an important capacity.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked Nancy Shaw to introduce herself, provide a
brief background, and explain her interest in serving on the
Alaska Workers' Compensation Board.
1:41:55 PM
NANCY SHAW, Appointee, Alaska Workers' Compensation Board,
Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD),
Anchorage, Alaska, stated that she was initially appointed to
the board in 2017 to finish the term of someone who resigned.
She related that she was the attorney for the Teamsters Union
until 2016 and the work she has done on the board has dovetailed
with that earlier work. She related that as a board member she
has taken her turn in hearing and deciding disputes between
workers and employers about the benefits due injured workers. In
her capacity on the board, she is working with the enforcement
arm of the Division of Workers' Compensation on protocols to
address employers that have failed to purchase workers'
compensation insurance. She said another pet topic relates to
the services provided to help injured workers get back into the
workforce. She said she also would like the board to take a
fresh look at retraining and placing people who are unable to
return to the jobs they held before they were injured. She said
she has enjoyed this work and would like to be reappointed.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked how often the Workers' Compensation Board
meets each year.
MS. SHAW replied the board meets four times a year as a group
and holds many hearings throughout the year. Responding to a
further question about meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic, she
said the meetings are by both Zoom and telephone conferencing.
CHAIR COSTELLO thanked her for her service.
1:45:17 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO opened public testimony on the reappointment of
Nancy Shaw to the Alaska Workers' Compensation Board; finding
none, she closed public testimony.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked Patty Burley to introduce herself, provide
a brief background, and explain her interest in serving on the
Alaska Labor Relations Board.
1:45:50 PM
PATTY BURLEY, Appointee, Alaska Labor Relations Board,
Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD), Soldotna,
Alaska, stated that she came to Alaska in 2001 and found her
home in Bethel working for the tribal nonprofit. Later she moved
to state and municipal work; there she learned that the union,
the employer, and the employees all have a unique perspective
and are critical to the workforce. She said she is interested in
serving on this board because it is the neutral body to help the
three sides of labor.
1:47:55 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO opened public testimony on the appointment of
Patty Burley to the Alaska Labor Relations Board; finding none,
she closed public testimony.
SENATOR HOLLAND commented that he came to Alaska for a three-
year program and always found a reason to extend. He thanked her
for being involved and wanting to be on the Alaska Labor
Relations Board.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked Donald Vieira to introduce himself, provide
a brief background, and explain his interest in serving on the
Alaska State Board of Public Accountancy.
1:48:53 PM
DONALD VIEIRA, Appointee, Alaska State Board of Public
Accountancy, Department of Commerce, Community and Economic
Development (DCCED), Palmer, Alaska, stated that he has been
serving on the board since last year, primarily on Zoom. He
related that he retired from the military in 2005, became a CPA
in 2014, and opened his own business in 2016. He said he has
enjoyed serving on the board and looks forward to continuing if
confirmed.
SENATOR STEVENS asked if the people who apply for certification
as an accountant find the process clear and easy to understand.
MR. VIEIRA answered that he went through the process about 10
years ago and he found it very clear. Since then the board has
streamlined the process further such that the regulations are
just the bare bones of what is required. He opined that the
large number of international applicants speaks to how open and
clear the process is to follow. He added that several bills were
going through the process in the House related to the
administrative procedures.
CHAIR COSTELLO noted that his resume indicated that he
implemented a paperless workflow and she asked if that was
difficult.
MR. VIEIRA said the key to a paperless process is having a place
to store the information that is available to those who need it
and not available to those who don't.
1:54:55 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO opened public testimony on the appointment of
Donald Vieira to the Alaska State Board of Public Accountancy;
finding none, she closed public testimony.
1:55:03 PM
SENATOR HOLLAND stated that in accordance with AS 39.05.080, the
Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee reviewed the
following and recommends the appointments be forwarded to a
joint session for consideration:
Board of Psychologists & Psychological Associate Examiners
Bernard Gatewood - Fairbanks
Board of Professional Counselors
Sammie O'Neal -Eagle River
Alaska Workers' Compensation Board
Nancy Shaw - Anchorage
Alaska Labor Relations Board
Patty Burley - Bethel
Alaska State Board of Public Accountancy
Donald Vieira - Palmer
Signing the reports regarding appointments to boards and
commissions in no way reflects individual members' approval or
disapproval of the appointees; the nominations are merely
forwarded to the full legislature for confirmation or rejection.
1:55:59 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Costello adjourned the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee meeting at 1:55 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SLAC GOV Appointee Bernard Gatewood Board Application Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/24/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE PPAE BERNARD GATEWOOD |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Dorene Hagen Board Application Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/24/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE PC DORENE HAGEN |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Sammie O'Neal Resume Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/24/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE PC SAMMIE O'NEAL |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Nancy Shaw Board Application Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/24/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE WCB NANCY SHAW |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Patty Burley Resume Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/24/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE LRB PATTY BURLEY |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Donald Vieira Board Application Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/24/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE PA DONALD VIEIRA |
| SLAC GOV Appointee Donald Vieira Resume Redacted.pdf |
SL&C 3/24/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SLAC GOV APPOINTEE PA DONALD VIEIRA |