News Release Manager

District welcomes new chief of Regulatory Division

USACE - Alaska District
Published April 3, 2023
Updated: April 3, 2023
Sara Longan assumed duties as the chief of the Regulatory Division for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District in March.

Sara Longan assumed duties as the chief of the Regulatory Division for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District in March.

Sara Longan assumed duties as the chief of the Regulatory Division for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District in March.

In her new position, she is responsible for administering and enforcing the USACE regional regulatory program within the Alaska and Honolulu District’s areas of responsibilities. She leads the development, response and implementation of initiatives and requirements directed toward the effective, efficient and consistent application of the regulations. Previously, she served as the deputy chief of the Regulatory Division since January 2022.

Prior to joining the Alaska District, Longan served as the deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources in charge of overseeing the Division of Oil and Gas; Division of Geological and Geophysical Survey; Office of Project Management and Permitting; and Trust Land Office. She served the commissioner by working on several diverse teams comprised of about 1,000 employees while managing state budgets, public land services and regulatory programs. Her former organization oversees 104 million acres of state-owned lands, 60 million acres of submerged lands and 40,000 miles of coastline.

Longan is an experienced regulator and natural resource manager. In 2009, Longan joined the department of natural resources and played a critical role in the regulatory assessments and multi-jurisdictional review coordination for oil and gas, mining, transportation and renewable energy projects. In 2004, she began her state government service career at the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation where she managed the biological analysis section for the state’s environmental health laboratory. Previously, Longan worked in the private and academic sectors with responsibility for managing environmental and water-quality testing laboratories.

In 2016, Longan was named a recipient of the Alaska Journal of Commerce’s Top 40 Under 40 award. In 2013, she earned the Governor’s Denali Award for Peak Performance in recognition of her excellence in project management and regulatory coordination. During her tenure with the natural resources agency, Longan was actively engaged in supporting state and nationwide efforts to evaluate opportunities for regulatory efficiencies and increased transparency for the public.

She earned a doctorate in epidemiology and public health as well as a Master of Science degree in environmental toxicology and a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-veterinary medicine at Oklahoma State University.

Longan is a native of Walnut Creek, California. She is married and has two children.

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Contact
John Budnik
907-753-2615
public.affairs3@usace.army.mil

Release no. 23-002