CHICAGO After a national search, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle Monday announced Monday she has tapped a finance executive close to home to serve as the county’s new budget chief.
Tanya Anthony, currently the chief administrative officer of the Chicago Park District will replace Andrea Gibson, who left in May to become the director of project management at the county’s public health system.
“As part of our search we interviewed numerous candidates from both the Chicago area and across the country, and Tanya emerged as our clear choice,” Preckwinkle said in a statement. “She has a deep background in government and her work at the park district in linking performance goals to budget development will prove valuable as we continue to refine and improve our budget process and the use of performance metrics to drive Cook County’s operation and finances.”
Anthony started her career in 1995 as a Cook County correctional officer, according to Preckwinkle, who wants to reform the county’s public safety and juvenile justice system. Anthony then moved to public finance at the city of Chicago through 2006 and then went to the Chicago Park District, where she was director of the office of management and budget until 2011.
“During this time period she served as a member of the Government Finance Officers’ Association committee on budget and worked on associated best practices in public sector budgeting,” the county said.
“With nearly 25 years in public service, I count it an honor to have this opportunity to positively impact Cook County government through sound fiscal management,” Anthony said in a statement.
The appointment comes as the county faces a myriad of financial challenges, including a recent downgrade tied to its growing pension liability. Preckwinkle has spent the last year or more urging state lawmakers to approve legislation that would overhaul the county’s pension system and address a $6.8 billion liability.
The nation’s second-largest county and home to Chicago, Cook has $3.6 billion of outstanding general obligation bonds.
Moody’s Investors Service in early June dropped the county to A2 from A1 and kept it on negative outlook. Fitch Ratings rates it A-plus with a negative outlook. Standard & Poor’s rates it AA with a stable outlook.
