Mayor LaFrance appoints new leaders to key roles at the Municipality

Today, Mayor LaFrance announced staffing updates for key positions at the Municipality of Anchorage that will support critical economic and community development goals.

Terry Umatum will be the new Port Director of the Don Young Port of Alaska. A veteran of the United States Navy, Umatum is a logistics professional, most recently serving as the Alaska Manager for Estes Express Line, the largest privately owned LTL trucking company in North America. Umatum has 23 years of logistical experience working for freight forwarders utilizing the Don Young Port of Alaska. His start date is December 15.

"Mr. Umatum's professional experience managing teams, budgets, logistics, and operations to successfully move goods to every corner of Alaska makes him a great fit to keep things flowing smoothly at the Port," said Mayor LaFrance.

Bob Doehl will be joining the team as the Director of the Office of Community and Economic Development. The Mayor has proposed a reorganization to have the Planning, Development Services, Real Estate, and GIS departments under one senior manager.

Most recently serving as the Vice President of Operations for the Rasmuson Foundation, Doehl has had a long career of public service, with more than 30 years of experience in the military, including the Alaska Air National Guard, the Army & Air Force Reserve, and as Director of the JBER Joint Installation Office. Doehl has served as Deputy Commissioner for the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and as staff for a U.S. Senator. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Doehl took on the role of incident command for the Municipality. He has previously served as the Building Official for the Municipality. Doehl returns to the Municipality on November 24.

Over the next several months, Lance Wilber will be transitioning from his current role as Director of Planning, Development and Public Works to serve as the Municipality's Chief Financial Officer. A long-time public servant, Wilber has supported the Municipality of Anchorage in a wide range of leadership roles, serving at different times as Director of Economic & Community Development, Public Works, the Office of Management and Budget, Public Transportation, and the Traffic Department. His deep knowledge of Municipal operations, processes, and staff makes him a great fit to take on the role of CFO.

Philippe Brice, the current Chief Financial Officer, had previously announced his intention to retire from the Municipality in the spring, after a long career in the public and private sectors. Mr. Brice previously served the Municipality of Anchorage as the Acting Information Technology Director.

"Bringing on Mr. Doehl and having Mr. Wilber become CFO will significantly expand our ability to move Anchorage forward on my 10,000 Homes initiative and boost economic development opportunities," stated Mayor LaFrance, "and I am grateful for Mr. Brice's service and wish him the best in his next chapter."

Each of the Mayor's appointments is subject to Assembly confirmation.

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Contact: Emily Goodykoontz [email protected] 1 (907) 205-6683 ​

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