Wasilla fills key city staff administrative positions

WASILLA — The city has hired three new employees to fill holes in its administrative management team, including a new chief financial officer, controller and deputy administrator.

Wasilla’s CFO position will be filled by Cheryl Deariso; the new controller is Troy Tankersley; and Marvin Yoder is the interim deputy administrator.

Deariso, who is now serving as assistant finance director for the Chatham County Board of Commissioners in Savannah, Ga., the city reports. In her position there, Deariso handles an annual operating and capital budget of more than $446 million.

Deariso, who will make $92,000 a year, will be a new addition to the city’s finance department but isn’t new to Alaska.

“My husband and I went up to Alaska about two and a half years ago and absolutely loved it,” Deariso said.

After that initial trip the couple decided they would eventually call Alaska home, she said. And with the CFO position open, it provided the perfect opportunity to make the move across North America.

Deariso will come to Wasilla with 20 years’ experience in government finances. Her educational background includes business administration and accounting, and she is a certified government finance manager, a certification she earned from the Association of Government Accountants.

With extensive experience in government accounting, Wasilla Mayor Dianne M. Keller expects Deariso to be a great addition to the team.

“I am really happy that we were able to find someone that is from that government background,” Keller said.

Deariso will begin her new job Feb. 25 and fills a key position that opened when Susan Colligan left the city in December for a special assistant position with the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

In addition to a CFO, the city’s finance department will also have a new controller.

Tankersley, who is now employed by the Municipality of Anchorage Controller Division, has also worked with Kenai and between the two cities has 16 years of Alaska-based experience. Tankersley is a member of the Alaska Government Finance Officers Association and will start his new job Feb. 19.

“I think things will turn out very good,” Tankersley said. “It’s a good fit for me. The community is small, but it has a lot of dynamics to it.”

Tankersley will make $80,000 a year and said the career move wasn’t originally in his game plan, but the timing was right as he searched for a new home. In February 2007 he took the position in Anchorage after leaving the Kenai Peninsula, but hasn’t been able to find a home in the Anchorage housing market. Then he turned to Wasilla, finding a new home and a new job.

Yoder is also joining the city’s management team as interim deputy administrator. Yoder has government experience in cities across Alaska, including Craig, Galena and Klawock. He also served as the manager of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. Yoder is a member of International City Managers Association and the Alaska Municipal Managers Association. He began working for Wasilla on Jan. 23 and will hold this position until Keller’s term expires in October.

As an interim position, Yoder will make $40 an hour, which translates to $83,200 a year for a full-time position. Attempts to contact Yoder before press time were not successful.

Keller said she is glad she can supply her staff with experienced team members and is confident the experience of all the new hires will benefit the city.

“I think it will be as smooth of a transition as we can expect,” Keller said.

Contact Chris Gillow at chris.gillow-@frontiersman.com or 352-2284.