George J. Cannelos serves as Federal Co-Chair of the Denali Commission. He was appointed to lead this independent federal agency by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce in 2005. Prior to his appointment, he served as president and chief operating officer of KPB Architects, and as director of the Heritage Land Bank for the Municipality of Anchorage. He capped a 32-year military career as a Brigadier General commanding the Alaska Air National Guard.

Mr. Cannelos has extensive experience in rural Alaska, and has lived in Anchorage, Bethel and Juneau. He began his career in Alaska in 1975 with the Department of Community & Regional Affairs. He completed planning and community development projects in over 50 Alaskan communities in the public and private sectors to include comprehensive, strategic, and transportation planning, feasibility studies, training and land management. He served as chief operating officer for Chugach Alaska, Inc., and general manager for Bethel Native Corporation.

He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Lewis and Clark College and a master's of regional planning from the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Cannelos is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, Anchorage Rotary, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is board chair for the Anchorage Community Land Trust, Vice Chair of Anchorage Winter Cities and a board member of the Foraker Group.

Speeches and Documents