Vermont Business Magazine Today, Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak announced the hiring of Lisa Gerlach as her new Chief of Staff. Lisa brings extensive political experience and most notably served as Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman’s Chief of Staff.
Following Erin Jacobsen’s departure from the role in February of this year to return to the practice of immigration law, Director of the Community Economic Development Office (CEDO), Kara Alnasrawi, has been filling in as Interim Chief of Staff for the Mayor’s Office. She will now return to her role as Director of CEDO.
Of Gerlach’s appointment, Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak said, “I am grateful to have such an experienced individual as Lisa joining our Mayor’s Office team. I look forward to collaborating with her in the final year of my first term as Mayor. The job of Chief of Staff comes with unique and complex challenges, but I have full confidence that Lisa will hit the ground running.”
Gerlach brings more than a decade of experience in politics, including working on the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, along with numerous other campaign roles. After working for Lieutenant Governor Zuckerman as his Chief of Staff, Gerlach has served as the Lead Organizer for the American Federation of Teachers Vermont Branch, sharing Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak's history of union organizing.
Gerlach, who will join the Mayor’s team in mid-May, said of the position, “I am thrilled to join Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak's administration and look forward to helping her achieve her vision in this crucial third year of her first term.”
4.24.2026. BURLINGTON, VT – Burlington Mayor
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