Third executive joins Anchorage Mayor LaFrance’s team from Berkowitz era

A mini group of Anchorage Assembly members and nan news media stitchery for a property convention extracurricular Anchorage City Hall connected April 19, 2023. (Jeremy Hsieh/Alaska Public Media)

Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance announced Tuesday that she’s hired Ona Brause arsenic her caller fund director. It’s nan new mayor’s 3rd high-level executive who worked successful nan management of erstwhile Mayor Ethan Berkowitz.

As head of nan Office of Management and Budget, Brause is chiefly responsible for processing and administering metropolis budgets. The agency is besides responsible for regularly reporting retired budget-related accusation to policymakers and nan public, and maintaining nan strategy created by Mayor Dan Sullivan successful 2010 for measuring nan capacity of each metropolis section and division. 

It’s a mini office, budgeted for six full-time positions.

In nan past administration’s transition report to LaFrance, nan outgoing OMB director warned that chronic vacancies and nan status of 1 aliases 2 analysts could destabilize nan office.

“Ona brings a beardown way grounds and a fierce committedness to responsible budgeting and effective work delivery,” LaFrance said successful a property release. 

The position is taxable to confirmation by nan Anchorage Assembly. 

Brause worked successful nan Berkowitz management arsenic lawman main of unit and main of unit from 2015 to 2020. 

Brause joins 2 different executives successful LaFrance’s management who antecedently worked for Mayor Berkowitz: Chief Administrative Officer Bill Falsey, who had been municipal lawyer and municipal manager, and Municipal Manager Becky Windt Pearson, who had besides been municipal attorney.