In this chapter,
(1) “administrative hearing” means a quasi-judicial hearing before an agency; it does not include an informal conference or review held by an agency before a final decision is issued or a rate-making proceeding or other nonadjudicative public hearing;
(2) “administrative law judge” means a hearing officer who is retained or employed by the office;
(3) “agency” means an agency of the executive branch of state government, including an officer, a division, or another subunit of an agency, a board or commission, a public corporation, and the University of Alaska;
(4) “hearing officer” means an individual who presides over the conduct of an administrative hearing and who is retained or employed by an agency for that purpose;
(5) “office” means the office of administrative hearings established in AS 44.64.010.