Mead Treadwell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mead Treadwell
11th Lieutenant Governor of Alaska
In office December 6, 2010 – December 1, 2014
Governor	Sean Parnell
Preceded by	Craig Campbell
Succeeded by	Byron Mallott
Chair of the United States Arctic Research Commission
In office 2006–2011
President	George W. Bush Barack Obama
Preceded by	George B. Newton
Succeeded by	Fran Ulmer
Personal details
Born	Louis Mead Treadwell II (1956-03-21) March 21, 1956 (age 69) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	Yale University (BA) Harvard University (MBA)

Louis Mead Treadwell II (born March 21, 1956) is an American businessman and politician. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Alaska from 2010 to 2014. Treadwell also led the United States Arctic Research Commission from 2006 to 2010. He is a member of the Republican Party. He also ran for the U.S. Senate in Alaska in 2014.

Early Life and Education

Mead Treadwell was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He grew up in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, a part of Newtown, Connecticut. His father, Timothy Treadwell, was a leader in Newtown. There is a park named after his father.

Treadwell went to Newtown Public Schools. He attended Sandy Hook Elementary School. Later, he went to Newtown High School. Senator Lowell Weicker chose him to be a Senate Page in Washington, D.C.. He then studied at the Hotchkiss School and finished in 1974.

In 1978, Treadwell earned a degree in history from Yale University. He later went to Harvard University. He received his business degree from Harvard Business School in 1982.

Career Highlights

In 1978, Treadwell moved to Alaska. He worked for Wally Hickel's campaign for governor of Alaska. Hickel lost the election. After this, Treadwell became a political reporter for the Anchorage Times newspaper.

Later, Hickel hired Treadwell for his company, Yukon Pacific Corporation. Treadwell worked as a treasurer and then as a vice president. This company explored building a gas pipeline across Alaska. CSX bought Yukon Pacific in 1989.

Early Political Work

After the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, Treadwell went to Cordova, Alaska. He became the city's director for spill response. The oil spill greatly harmed the fishing industry and nature in the area. Treadwell helped with the cleanup efforts. He was hopeful about nature recovering.

Treadwell helped create the Siberia Alaska Gateway Project. This project worked to open the border between the US and Russia. He led trips to Wrangel Island in 1990. He also led a team of nuclear safety experts to a power plant in Chukotka in 1993. He hosted an exercise for Arctic nations to practice responding to radiation releases in 1994.

In 1990, Wally Hickel became governor of Alaska. Governor Hickel appointed Treadwell as Deputy Commissioner of Alaska's Department of Environmental Conservation. He worked there from 1991 to 1994. He helped write new laws to prevent oil spills. He also helped create a new division for environmental fairness. He represented Alaska in international groups focused on the Arctic. He joined Governor Hickel at the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.

After 1994, Treadwell served on the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation board. He is also on the board of the Alaska Siberia Research Center. He became a Fellow National of the Explorers Club in 2002. He leads the North Pacific Alaska Chapter of the club.

Business Ventures

Treadwell has been involved in many successful businesses in Alaska. He is on the Board of Venture Ad Astra. This company creates technology for national security and navigation. Treadwell helped start Digimarc. This company makes digital watermarking technology. He also led Immersive Media Corporation (IMC). This company developed cameras for Google's Street View.

Leading Arctic Research

Treadwell was chosen for the United States Arctic Research Commission in 2001. President George W. Bush made him the leader in 2006. He spoke to the United States Congress several times about Arctic issues. In 2009, he warned Congress about fishing in the Beaufort Sea. He said a fishing ban would only work if Canada and Russia also had one.

During this time, he also worked at the Institute of the North. This institute was founded by Hickel. Treadwell was its first full-time Managing Director. He also taught business there. He researched Alaska's defense, transportation, and communication. He co-wrote a book called Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century. He also wrote Why the Arctic Matters.

In 2008, Treadwell was a delegate for Alaska at the 2008 Republican National Convention. He also helped lead Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign in Alaska.

Lieutenant Governor of Alaska

Treadwell in Barrow in July 2012, touring facilities during the U.S. Coast Guard's Arctic Shield exercise.

In May 2010, Treadwell announced he would run for lieutenant governor of Alaska. He wanted to run because he felt the federal government was too strong. He also worried about the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and wanted to grow Alaska's economy. Treadwell won the Republican primary election on August 24, 2010. He won with about 53% of the votes.

After winning the primary, Treadwell joined with Governor Sean Parnell's campaign. In the general election in November 2010, Parnell and Treadwell won. They defeated their opponents by a large margin. Treadwell became the Lieutenant Governor of Alaska on December 6, 2010.

Running for U.S. Senate in 2014

On December 1, 2012, Treadwell announced he was thinking about running for the United States Senate. He wanted to challenge the current Senator, Mark Begich.

Treadwell officially started his campaign on September 12, 2013. Other candidates for the Republican nomination included Joe Miller and Dan Sullivan.

On August 19, 2014, Dan Sullivan won the primary election. He received 40% of the votes. Miller had 32%, and Treadwell had 25%.

2018 Alaska Governor Primary

Treadwell on the night of the primary

On June 1, 2018, Mead Treadwell announced he would run for Governor of Alaska in 2018. He lost the Republican nomination to state senator Mike Dunleavy.

Personal Life

Mead Treadwell and his wife, Carol, had three children. Carol Treadwell passed away in 2002. He is active in the Catholic Church.

Works

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