MAYOR'S E-MAIL REPORT

Mayor George Wuerch
Anchorage, AK
January 3, 2003

Key city positions filled

We are proud that Governor Murkowski has selected some of my top executives to work on his team. This is a positive reflection on the professionalism of my administration. These appointments announced today continue that high standard of excellence.

Denis LeBlanc, Director, Office of Management and Budget

Mike Scott, Executive Director, Public Works

Jim Posey, General Manager, Municipal Light and Power

John Rodda, Director, Cultural and Recreational Services

Tom Wilson, Director, Public Transportation

Robert Hall, Director, Solid Waste Services

Denis LeBlanc has joined the Office of Management and Budget as director. Mr. LeBlanc has worked for many years in financial management and holds an MBA from the University of Oklahoma and a BA from the University of Massachusetts.

Mike Scott has accepted the position as Executive Director of the Office of Planning, Development and Public Works. Mr. Scott has been General Manager of Municipal Light & Power for two years and has 16 years experience in municipal management. Scott has an MPA from Harvard and a BA from the University of Washington.

Jim Posey will take Scott's position at ML&P and leave his current post as Director for Cultural and Recreational Services. As General Manager, Posey will bring his years of service as Commissioner of Alaska Public Utilities Commission and multiple years of service in the Alaska oil industry. Posey holds a BA from Wichita State University and a JD from the University of Kansas.

John Rodda, current Manager of Cultural and Recreational Services, will be promoted to Director of that department. Rodda has managed recreational facilities in the municipality since 1975 and has numerous personal affiliations with local sports clubs.

Tom Wilson, the current Transportation Inspector, will replace Bob Kniefel, Director of Public Transportation, who has left city employment. Wilson was the former Executive Director of Commonwealth North, a Colonel in the U.S. Army and holds a BS from the United States Military Academy and a MS from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Robert Hall has been the acting Director of Solid Waste Services since this past summer. Today Hall has officially been named Director. Hall is a long-time project manager for a variety of statewide projects and holds a BS from the University of Missouri.

Driving without a valid license or insurance could lead to vehicle forfeiture

Those who are caught driving in the Municipality without a valid license more than once or without valid insurance more than two times will have their cars permanently taken by the Municipality of Anchorage. This law is intended to make Anchorage streets safer by reducing the number of drivers who have a court-ordered revocation or suspension of a license or those who drive without proper insurance.

E-911 Oversight Task Force

The independent oversight task force has spent the last four weeks delving into every aspect of emergency response from computer-generated address information to dispatch center staffing and training to municipal codes and regulations. I am pleased the group is taking their charge as seriously as I had hoped and expect the final report to be full of substantive recommendations that will give residents the best emergency response available to any city.

Have a Safe & Happy New Year,

George