20 Facts About Cathy Giessel

Catherine Andrea Giessel is an American politician.

From 2013 to 2021, Cathy Giessel represented District N in the Alaska Senate, including Northeast Anchorage, Anchorage Hillside and the Turnagain Arm communities of Bird, Girdwood, Indian, and Anchorage, all within the Municipality of Anchorage.

Cathy Giessel serves as chair of the Resources Committee and is a member of the Senate Majority Caucus.

Cathy Giessel returned to the Alaska Senate in 2023, representing the newly configured District E after defeating incumbent Republican Roger Holland.

Cathy Giessel serves as Senate majority leader in the 33rd Legislature, overseeing a coalition caucus of eight Republicans and nine Democrats.

Cathy Giessel was born Catherine Andrea Bohms in Fairbanks, Alaska, on November 9,1951, the oldest of three daughters born to Gerald Johnson "Jerry" and Ruth Odelia Bohms.

Cathy Giessel graduated from Lathrop High School in Fairbanks and thereafter gained a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Michigan before moving to Anchorage in 1974.

Cathy Giessel worked as an advanced nurse practitioner across a variety of clinics in Anchorage and the North Slope Borough and continues to do healthcare consulting, and gained a master's degree in nursing from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2000.

Cathy Giessel has been on the Alaska Board of Nursing, serving five years as its chairperson, and on the Alaska Healthcare Strategy Planning Council.

Cathy Giessel again campaigned on positions strongly supporting natural resource development, diversified economic development, right-sizing Alaska state government, the creation of a comprehensive plan to the state government's budget challenges, and again supported more school choice options for parents of K-12 students.

Cathy Giessel campaigned on the position of pro natural resource development, in-state gasline development, diversified economic development and supported more school choice options for parents of K-12 students.

Cathy Giessel campaigned on the position of pro natural resource development, in-state gasline development, increased economic development, and oil tax reform.

Cathy Giessel was appointed to chair the Senate Resources committee which moved Governor Parnell's oil tax reform legislation and advanced the Alaska Stand-Alone Pipeline project.

Cathy Giessel ran for the Senate District P seat in 2010 when Republican incumbent Con Bunde retired after 18 years in the legislature, the last eight in the Senate.

Cathy Giessel faced two moderates in her party primary: Anchorage assemblywoman Jennifer Johnston and cardiologist Mark Moronell.

Cathy Giessel aligned herself with the 'Senate Minority' caucus: a grouping of Republican senators who rejected the dominant bipartisan 'Senate Majority' caucus.

Since then however, Senator Cathy Giessel has joined Democrats in opposition to any policies seaking to reduce or eliminate abortion.

In 2013, Cathy Giessel was appointed to chair the Energy Producing States Coalition, a bipartisan group of legislators across 10 states that focuses on energy and transmission development issues.

Cathy Giessel is married to Richard and has three children and several grandchildren.

Cathy Giessel received the Anchorage Republican Woman of the Year award in 2007.