The council recently welcomed Shawna Popovici to the Anchorage staff.
Popovici has lived in Anchorage since 2005, but previously lived in several Alaska communities: Soldotna, Seward, Kodiak and the Juneau area.
Popovici’s grandfather first came to Alaska in 1946 as a missionary in Ketchikan and southeast Alaska. Her parents met in Juneau, and her father, a Coast Guard captain, worked for the VECO Corporation as a contractor helping clean up the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
While Popovici was working on her a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation and Leisure Services from Western Washington University, she spent summers in Alaska working as a deck hand for Kenai Fjords Tours in Seward.
After graduation, she served three years in the Peace Corps for the Environmental Sector in Resita, Romania, where she met her husband Ovidiu. They moved back to Alaska in 2005 when she accepted a position with the Municipality of Anchorage. She served the city for ten years, first as the Central and Southeast Park District Manager, and most recently as the Executive Assistant to the Chief Information Officer.
Growing up with a life on the water really cemented her love for Alaska and the coast. She is excited to join the council’s staff.
“It is great to join an organization with a clear vision to support citizen involvement in protecting their local assets,” Popovici said.
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