Edie Grunwald appointed chair of state parole board

WASILLA — Edie Grunwald has been appointed as chair for the state’s parole board. She said that she was pleasantly surprised and is excited for her five-year term.

“I’ve already been scouring the statutes and the codes,” Grunwald said Tuesday.

She has kept herself busy since her son David was murdered in 2016. She’s attended just about every trial involving David’s murder. She also ran for lieutenant governor during the 2018 election, losing to former state senator Kevin Meyer.

Grunwald said that she knew she was going to be on the board but she didn’t find out about becoming the new chair until Monday.

“I’m really excited about being chairman,” Grunwald said.

She said that when she decided to join the board, she wanted to bring a “victim’s perspective” while remaining objective.

“It’s definitely not about me. It’s about doing the right things for the right reasons,” Grunwald said.

That also includes respecting and adhering to the law as it stands. As the parent of a child who was murdered, Grunwald has been vocal about her stance on crime. Grunwald said personal interests will not be an issue in her new position.

“I don’t even see that as a problem because I’m a rule follower,” Grunwald said. “For me that’s not even an issue. It doesn’t mean I won’t be critical. I have high expectations of others and I have high expectations of myself. I would not abuse the position like that ever.”

She credited her 31 years in the military as one of her defining qualifications that will make her an asset on the board. She also has two masters degrees, one in national security and the other in business management. She said that she’s had to make tough decisions and provide guidance during her time in the military and she’s donned many roles. She said that she will use a “common sense approach without emotion” as chair of the parole board.

“I will be critical for all the reasons you’re supposed to be, not for Edie but for the goals and objectives of the parole board and the governor,” Grunwald said.

At this point, Grunwald said that she plans to do more listening than talking while she acclimates to this new role. She said that she is set to meet with the current state parole chair, Lonzo Henderson and she is eager to listen to what he has to say. She said that once she gains Henderson’s perspective and continues to understand policies regarding reentry, she will have a clear idea of what potential changes she may make in the future.

“I just plan on learning exactly what the responsibility entails, look at policies and statistics,” Grunwald said. “I look forward to working with the board members. It takes a team.”

She said that she wants to reduce and prevent crime but she also wants to help remedy the underlying issues. Above all, she said that public safety is priority number one.

“I am a preventer but I’m also a fixer. I think this job combines those two,” Grunwald said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com