Several executive level officials in Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration are shifting positions.
On Wednesday, Bronson announced that his chief of staff Alexis Johnson will be taking over as the city’s homeless coordinator, a job vacant since Dave D’Amato resigned in February. Bronson spokesman Corey Allen Young said Johnson has unofficially been serving as Bronson’s lead on homelessness.
Johnson has been chief of staff since January and was a special assistant to the mayor before that.
Johnson’s appointment comes as the city works to implement a new emergency homeless shelter plan with winter approaching. The city’s current plan includes using a planned East Anchorage navigation center, as well as 20 portable buildings from the Anchorage School District.
READ MORE: City will no longer use 2 Anchorage rec centers as emergency homeless shelters, mayor says
Meanwhile, Adam Trombley will take over the chief of staff job. Trombley has served as the director of community development since last August and has simultaneously served as Anchorage’s Real Estate director since October of last year.
Former Real Estate director Christina Hendrickson was fired last September. Hendrickson sued the Bronson administration shortly after her termination, claiming she was illegally fired in retaliation for making a whistleblower complaint against then-acting chief housing officer Jim Winegarner. Winegarner was then named as Hendrickson’s replacement, but his confirmation vote failed in the Assembly.
Bronson has chosen current Public Works Director Lance Wilber to replace Trombley as head of community development, which oversees public works and building services.
Wilber has been in charge of public works since last August, being confirmed by the Assembly the same time as Trombley.
Unlike Johnson and Trombley, Wilber’s new appointment is subject to Assembly approval.
Bronson officials did not comment on plans to replace Wilber as Public Works Director, or who will head the real estate department as Trombley shifts to the chief of staff position.
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
