Colleen J. Dow
Acting State Director for Alaska
Colleen J. Dow has 26 years of federal service and is the acting state director for USDA Rural Development in Alaska. She has held several leadership roles, including Administrative Specialist, Administrative Officer, and Deputy State Director.
Dow’s connection to rural Alaska runs deep. She moved to Alaska in 1983 and graduated from Wasilla High School in 1988. She earned a degree in business management from the University of Maryland Europe in 2004. Her federal career began in 1993 as a Housing Technician on Adak Naval Air Station. She held multiple positions with the Department of Defense before joining the Department of Justice, where she worked for 11 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Anchorage, including three years as Deputy Administrative Officer. She joined Rural Development in 2009 and has since played a key role in advancing the organization’s mission.
Outside of work, Dow enjoys Alaska’s great outdoors through hiking, camping, and fishing. She is also an avid traveler, frequently planning international adventures, enjoys riding her motorcycle, and is proud of her 24-year-old twin children, who are both pursuing university degrees.