Bob Gillam, a prominent Alaska businessman, wants to join President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet as Secretary of the Interior.
Gillam is the founder, president and CEO of McKinley Capital Management, LLC, an investment firm he founded in 1990 that manages approximately $7 billion in assets. He himself has been named as one of the wealthiest men in Alaska, with a net worth of approximately $320 million, according to Forbes. He also has been involved in efforts to halt development of the Pebble Mine in the Bristol Bay region. Gillam graduated from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1968, where he was a classmate of Trump’s.
Rob Gillam, Bob Gillam’s son, said his father woke up the day after the election and realized this could be an opportunity to do something for Alaska and the nation. He and Trump have known each other since college and the two have similar backgrounds, though neither had held public office.
“He’s interested in … how he can make a difference in an area he knows a lot about,” Rob Gillam said.
Rob Gillam described his father as a businessman who believes that responsible development is important, but that “not every mine is worth it.”
Rob Gillam said his father has worked closely with the Alaska Native community in the Bristol Bay area and makes his permanent home near Lake Clark.
Rob Gillam said his father is aware that there have been a number of names floated for various cabinet posts, and there is not at this point a definitive list of candidates being vetted.
He said his father has been talking to people about the job, including people who have formerly held the position.
