Valerie Davidson

Davidson was born in Bethel, Alaska. Her mother is Yup'ik, and her father is originally from Port Orchard, Washington.[1] She grew up both in Bethel and the nearby Aniak. Davidson is an enrolled tribal member of the Orutsararmiut Native Council.[5]

In 1992, Davidson graduated from University of Alaska Southeast with a Bachelor of Education.[6] Davidson also holds a degree in law from the University of New Mexico, obtained in 1998.[7][6][2] After she graduated, she worked as a lawyer for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.[2]

Davidson has previously served as Senior Director of Legal & Intergovernmental Affairs for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium,[6] and as Chair of the Tribal Technical Advisory Group to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for ten years.[8] Part of her work there included getting veterans in rural areas access to healthcare through tribal clinics, and creating rural dental clinic programs employing mid-level dental professionals to improve access to dental care.[9]

In December 2014, Davidson was appointed Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.[10][9] During her tenure there, she worked on Alaska's Medicaid expansion alongside Governor Walker.[2]

On October 16, 2018, Davidson was sworn in as lieutenant governor after an emergency cabinet meeting in the wake of Byron Mallott's resignation.[11] She is Alaska’s first female Alaska Native lieutenant governor.[12] Upon being sworn in, she briefly became the running mate of incumbent Governor Bill Walker in his 2018 re-election campaign before he dropped out of the race on October 19.[13][14]

In April 2020, Davidson became the 12th president of Alaska Pacific University. She is the first woman to serve as president of the university.[3]

• List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States

• Appearances on C-SPAN