(Sitka) - This afternoon, Lieutenant Governor Loren Leman administered the oath of office to Bert Stedman in a ceremony at Centennial Hall. Stedman is now the Senator for District A, which encompasses the communities of Sitka, Wrangell, Petersburg, Ketchikan, as well as a handful of coastal villages in the Southeast archipelago.

Stedman feels today is a critical moment in Alaska history and is dedicated to growing the economy, saying, "I believe in harvesting our natural resources in a prudent manner, expanding the State's business base and improving the transportation corridors that will allow the standard of living for all Alaskan's to get better."

Stedman, 47, has been a Sitka resident since the age of 14. He was born at Elmendorf Air Force Base and moved to Petersburg when he was 2. He is a third generation Alaskan and is married to Lureen. They have an 8-year-old daughter named Susan.

Currently, Stedman owns and operates, Pioneer Capital, a financial services business, in Sitka. He served eight years on the Sitka Planning and Zoning Commission, served four years on the Sitka City and Borough Assembly and one year as deputy Mayor for Sitka.

The first item on Stedman's agenda is to make his way around District A. "It's critical that I establish lines of communication to turn to during the upcoming legislative session."

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