Curtis W. Thayer is the executive director of the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA), the state's energy office and lead agency for statewide energy policy and program development. Before joining AEA, Thayer served as president and chief executive officer of the Alaska Chamber, the largest state trade association.

Previously, he was the commissioner for the Department of Administration and cabinet member for Governor Sean Parnell, responsible for 1,100 public employees and an annual budget of $350 million. As part of his public service, he served as the deputy commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development and worked in Washington, D.C. with Alaska’s Congressional Delegation.

Formerly, he was on the management team of ENSTAR Natural Gas Company and the Alaska Gas Producers Pipeline Team. Thayer has served on boards at Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, Alaska Retirement Management Board, Alaska Royalty Oil and Gas Development Advisory Board, United States Chamber of Commerce’s Committee of 100, and currently chairs Alaska’s Board of Marine Pilots.

A graduate of the United States Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory Executive Energy Leadership Institute program, Thayer has gained a comprehensive understanding of advanced energy technologies that has helped him guide his organizations in making energy-related decisions. He is also an alumnus of the United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Institute for Organization Management, which recognizes graduates as leaders in their industries and organizations.

Thayer earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a major in political science and a minor in business.