Mayor LaFrance names new directors and managers, filling out her administration in Anchorage

Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance on Friday announced four new members of her senior staff.

Mark Spafford is the deputy municipal manager. A licensed professional engineer with more than 20 years of experience as a manager of people and projects in the realms of water, wastewater, solid waste, recycling, telecom, and electrical utilities, he has served as the general manager of the Solid Waste Services Department and as the operations and maintenance director at Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility. In his new role, he will provide leadership and oversight for the Anchorage Hydropower Utility, Public Transportation, Safety, Solid Waste Services, Municipal Airports, and Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility, while also helping to drive Mayor LaFrance’s climate and energy agenda.

Marjorie Harrison is the new library director. She has worked as a librarian, coordinator, and director in libraries across America, including Arkansas, Nebraska, Michigan, Colorado and Washington, and managed research and library services for the Oregon state legislature and executive branches, including citizen access to documents and historical resources. Most recently, she served as executive director of Calcasieu Parish Public Library in Lake Charles, Louisiana where she was responsible for a 13-branch library system. She has a master’s degree in library science from Wayne State University and will start at the Anchorage Public Library in early 2025.

Bart Rudolph has accepted the permanent position of Public Transportation director, after serving as the department’s acting director since August. He has worked as the department’s planning and communications manager since 2015, overseeing the planning, marketing, and RideShare divisions, and coordinating with partners and the public as the department’s public information officer. Before joining the Municipality, he worked at the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, as well as Metropolitan Planning Organizations in Kansas and Missouri. He has two decades of transportation experience planning experience.

Greg Soule has accepted the position of Development Services director and building official. He served as the acting director for Development Services since May 2021 and has worked for the municipality since 2001 as a project engineer, private development engineer, and private development manager. A professionally licensed civil engineer, he has 26 years of structural, geotechnical, and transportation engineering experience.