Greg Wolf, who is currently finishing out his term as director of the state Division of International Trade and Market Development, will take over the director's position Jan. 1. He said he is pleased with the opportunity.

"It's an exciting new challenge," he said. "I'm looking forward to working with a strong board of directors and some of the top business leaders in the state."

Joseph Henri, chairman of the World Trade Center Alaska, said the center began looking for a new director in mid-November. Of the eight or 10 applications they screened, Henri said Wolf stood out for various reasons.

"He has knowledge of the field and tremendous enthusiasm for the subject," he said. "He studied in Japan and was stationed there under Gov. Wally Hickel."

Wolf's experiences abroad will help him in encouraging global investors to the state, Henri said. It's just one of the roles the new director will have.

"The job description is 'do it and a lot more,'" Henri said. "We're going to have to go into a higher gear, with the new governor's goals of expanding trade."

The center has about 250 member organizations, and Wolf will work closely with each of them, according to Henri. Wolf will also serve as an intermediary between members and the board of directors, as an adjunct to the board and as a diplomat to foreign investors.

"Greg Wolf is the dynamo that we all need to ensure that people in Alaska have a good life," he said.

Wolf's service to two Alaska governors gives him a knowledge of the state's regulations, Henri said.

Wolf said he will continue to lead the Division of International Trade and Market Development until the end of the year. His successor with the division has not yet been named.