Dive Brief:
- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Ashlee Brianne Gabrysch — who most recently served as senior director at Fitch Ratings, where she was a lead analyst covering the city — to fill its vacant CFO seat, according to a Monday press release.
- The appointment comes as the city’s financial leadership has been hit by a series of high profile losses. Acting CFO Steven Mahr, who stepped into the role last winter after former CFO Jill Jaworski left City Hall for Navy Pier, exited abruptly last month, CFO Dive prevoiusly reported. Meanwhile, former Deputy CFO Noor Shaikh and ex-Budget Director Annette Guzman have also recently departed.
- In announcing her appointment, Johnson cited Gabrysch’s expertise and knowledge of Chicago and Illinois fiscal policy and credit analysis. She understands “sound financial management requires building the long-term stability necessary to continue making investments in neighborhoods, deliver essential services and create a safer, a more affordable Chicago,” Brandon said in a statement in the release.
Dive Insight:
Gabrysch brings strong Midwestern experience and roots to her new post.
As Fitch’s mid-central region manager, she not only covered Chicago and the state of Illinois as lead analyst since 2019, but oversaw credit analysis of more than $50 billion in state and local government issuers, according to the Monday release. She has also worked at the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office and served three years in the Cook County Office of the CFO as a financial research analyst.
She holds a master’s degree in public policy and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary Slavic studies from the University of Chicago, according to her LinkedIn profile…