Inside Sarah's Circle: 4. Meet Mike Nizich

This is the fourth in a series in which TX4P profiles the people Close to Gov. Palin.

Juneau's Mike Nizich is Gov. Palin's chief of staff. Now in his mid-fifties, he grew up in Chicago and came to Alaska with the U.S. Coast Guard in 1971. A long time fan of the 49th state, he decided to make his home there after returning to civilian life.

A career government servant, Nizich went to work for the executive branch of Alaska's state government in 1976, when Republican Gov. Jay Hammond was in office. His first job with the state was serving in the payroll section of the Department of Administration. He worked his way up to the position of director of the Division of Administration, where he has spent the majority of his career.

Now the governor's top aide, Nizich has survived through a number of administrations, and he has served governors from both major political parties, including Democrats Bill Sheffield, Steve Cowper and Tony Knowles and Republicans Frank Murkowski and Sarah Palin.  He also worked for Wally Hickel, a third-party governor.

Nizich was Gov. Palin's deputy chief of staff until he was named acting chief of staff in May, 2008, when Mike Tibbles resigned. The governor appointed Nizich to the chief of staff position August 27 of that same year. His duties include acting as the chief policy advisor to the governor (they talk on a daily basis), and he coordinates with the commissioners of fourteen departments:

"I'm both senior staff and advisor," Nizich said. "The most effective chiefs of staff that I've seen are those who keep a routine dialogue with the commissioners. They're in contact with them keeping abreast of what's going on so there are no land mines anywhere that you weren't expecting."

"Gov. Palin is the same way,” he added. "We have a conversation with the commissioners and the chief of staff is usually present. That way all of us are in the know as far as far as what's being proposed and what's being discussed. That way I can help the governor maintain the day to day knowledge that she in needs to have in order to do her job instead of just relying on her memory and conversations."

Away from the office, Nizich's hobby is taxidermy. He got involved in the activity after he had taken a bear hide to a taxidermist who botched the job:

"I got it back pretty well ruined. It snowballed from there."

The state put his expertise in taxidermy to good use when the Alaska Department of Fish and Game got his help in preparing an online instructional pamphlet on the proper skinning of a bear.

Other posts in this series:

Inside Sarah's Circle: 1. Meet Kristan Cole
Inside Sarah's Circle: 2. Meet Pam Pryor
Inside Sarah's Circle: 3. Meet Bill McAllister

- JP