Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said Tuesday that she is appointing Ona Brause to lead the city’s Office of Management and Budget.
The office develops and oversees the municipal budgets, including the about $611 million general operating budget.
Brause takes the helm at time when the city has been facing some major fiscal problems, which have been compounded by a high number of vacancies and staff turnover, particularly in the city’s Finance Department. Staffing problems contributed to a yearlong delay in the city’s annual audit and financial reporting.
Brause has previously worked in City Hall. She spent five years in former Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s administration, working for two years as his deputy chief of staff before becoming his chief of staff. She left the role in early 2020.
She’s worked for the Alaska Legislature, including for Berkowitz when he was a Democratic legislator in the state House.
Brause also has more than 15 years of experience in the private sector, according to the mayor’s office.
She held the role of finance and operations manager for Intelligent Energy Systems, a local business that designs, builds and supports renewable energy projects in rural Alaska, according to a bio page for Brause. The mayor’s office said Brause helped secure and administer more than $25 million in state and federal grants, along with private funding.
Brause has also worked locally as a consultant with Front Range Group.
“Ona brings a strong track record and a fierce commitment to responsible budgeting and effective service delivery,” LaFrance said in a statement. “I am grateful to have her on the team as we look ahead to delivering an effective, balanced budget this fall.”