Menu

Mayor Miro Weinberger Announces Mayor's Office Staff Changes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2015
Contact:  Jennifer Kaulius
                 802.324.2505

Mayor Miro Weinberger Announces Mayor’s Office Staff Changes
Chief of Staff Kanarick Moving to Customer Engagement and Communications Role at BED;
Lowe to Serve as Chief of Staff; Kaulius to Serve as Communications and Projects Coordinator

Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced that Chief of Staff Mike Kanarick will be leaving the Mayor’s Office after serving in City Hall since Weinberger became Mayor more than three years ago.  Kanarick has accepted a position with the Burlington Electric Department where he will serve as Director of Customer Engagement and Communications, effective July 6.  The Mayor also announced that Brian Lowe will be promoted to the Chief of Staff position after having served for nearly two years as Mayoral Projects Coordinator, and Jen Kaulius will be promoted from her current scheduler and assistant role in which she has served for more than three years to the position being vacated by Lowe. 

“I am deeply grateful for the tremendous service to Burlington that Mike has provided as my Chief of Staff,” said Mayor Weinberger.  “I have known this day was coming for some time, but that does not make Mike’s departure any easier.  For more than three years, Mike has served with dedication, loyalty, compassion, and good humor for the City and the Administration.  His work was crucial to all the Mayor’s Office successes over the last three years, in particular our efforts to rebuild trust in City Hall by increasing the transparency and awareness of our local government’s operations.  While I will miss experiencing daily Mike’s outstanding work ethic, team approach, wise counsel, passion for the City, and quick wit, BED will benefit from those qualities and is gaining a tremendous talent.  I wish Mike well with all that lies ahead.”

Lowe, who lived and worked in the Middle East and subsequently earned a Master’s in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government, came to the Mayor’s Office two years ago after serving as a Policy Advisor in the U.S. Department of the Treasury.  “During his dedicated service in the Mayor’s Office, Brian has earned the respect of many inside and outside the Administration by steadily and skillfully moving forward numerous mayoral initiatives,” said Mayor Weinberger.  “Brian works hard, has an outstanding background and great integrity, and I have full confidence in Brian’s ability to step into the demanding Chief of Staff role.”

Kaulius interned on the Mayor’s first campaign prior to her 2012 University of Vermont graduation and served as campaign manager for the Mayor’s 2015 re-election effort.  She has worked for the last three years as the Mayor’s scheduler and administrative assistant.  “Jen is that rare person who combines great intelligence, organization, and warmth,” said Mayor Weinberger.  “She has proven her ability on many different and difficult assignments, and I feel fortunate to have her stepping into a larger Mayor’s Office role.” 

Upon Kanarick’s departure, Mayor Weinberger intends to transfer media and communications responsibilities from the Chief of Staff position to Kaulius’ position, which will be retitled as Mayoral Communications and Projects Coordinator.  Kaulius can be reached at jennifer@burlingtonvt.gov or 802.324.2505.

Kanarick, who worked full-time on Weinberger’s 2012 campaign team and his Mayor-elect transition team, and was an advisor on the Mayor’s 2015 re-election campaign, has much experience and expertise in customer engagement, community relations, and communications, developed not only through his work as a City and State government professional, but also during his time as a tech start-up executive, nonprofit executive director, and courtroom lawyer.

“We are thrilled to have Mike join the BED family,” said Neale Lunderville, General Manager of BED.  “Mike has proven himself a strong champion of Burlington and will help keep our focus squarely on the customers we serve.  Mike’s tremendous experience, both in the private and public sectors, will be invaluable as BED transforms into a utility of the future.  We are fortunate to have someone of Mike’s caliber on our team.”

“I am excited to be joining the outstanding BED team at a time of great change, innovation, and opportunity within the organization and the energy industry,” said Kanarick.  “I am proud of what we accomplished as a new Administration faced with major challenges and look forward to continuing to serve the people of Burlington in this new role.”

*Please see attached resumes for Kanarick, Lowe, and Kaulius, as well as a Mayor’s Office team photo.

# # #

Press Release Date: 
06/30/2015
City Department: 
Mayor's Office