Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak has gone ahead and appointed Kara Alnasrawi, the head honcho of the city’s Business & Workforce Development department, to take the reins of the office. This news was made public on May 14, 2025, at 4:44 p.m.
As part of her grand plan to shake things up in city government, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak has decided to bring in fresh blood to lead one of its key departments. Kara Alnasrawi is set to become the director of Burlington’s Community & Economic Development Office, also known as CEDO. This department handles everything from affordable housing to major redevelopment projects and initiatives aimed at enhancing civic life. CEDO was actually established back in 1983 by none other than former mayor Bernie Sanders, who helped propel Burlington into the modern age.
Alnasrawi, who currently calls the shots at the Church Street Marketplace and the Business & Workforce Development department, will officially begin her new role on July 1. She’s taking over from Brian Pine, who has been heading CEDO since 2021. Pine, a former Progressive politico, has dedicated a whopping 23 years of his life to working for the department. He actually stepped down from the city council four years ago when he was appointed as the director of CEDO. Now, with plans in motion to merge CEDO with Business & Workforce Development, Mulvaney-Stanak is looking to plug an $8 million gap in next year’s budget. This move resulted in the laying off of 18 city employees, including five others from CEDO.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak expressed her confidence in Alnasrawi’s ability to provide strong leadership for the revamped CEDO, with a focus on economic development. Alnasrawi herself stated that she’s ready to tackle the challenge head-on, noting that she feels honored to be entrusted with leading CEDO during a time when equitable economic prosperity is at risk. She emphasized that revitalizing CEDO will require a collective effort, and she’s proud to be part of that process.
Alnasrawi, a native of the Burlington area, first joined city government back in 2019 when former mayor Miro Weinberger appointed her as the director of the Church Street Marketplace. Fast forward to 2022, and she was promoted to head the newly established Business & Workforce Development department. During her tenure, Alnasrawi spearheaded initiatives aimed at helping businesses recover post-pandemic and even launched a revolving loan fund that officials claim has either created or maintained 100 jobs. Since Mulvaney-Stanak’s election last year, Alnasrawi’s responsibilities have expanded to include addressing downtown “hot spots” for criminal activity and leading a city team focused on revamping the Memorial Block, which encompasses the historic Memorial Auditorium.
Mulvaney-Stanak’s announcement comes just a few weeks shy of her anticipated unveiling of the department heads for the upcoming year. City council members are slated to review the appointments, including Alnasrawi, in early June. In an interview with Seven Days, Pine revealed that the mayor had informed him some weeks back that he wouldn’t be reappointed. Pine expressed his disappointment, stating that he would have loved to continue in his role, as it was truly a dream job for him.
The mayor hasn’t shed light on why she chose Alnasrawi over Pine, who arguably boasts more experience, particularly in the realm of housing — a core focus of CEDO. Pine spent close to 18 years as CEDO’s housing director and worked with nonprofits dedicated to funding affordable housing and sustainable energy projects. He’s also known as the city’s unofficial historian, with an impressive ability to recall key milestones off the top of his head. On the flip side, Alnasrawi previously worked as a trader for a German bank and owned a boutique in downtown Burlington before venturing into the public sector. She recently obtained a certificate in economic development from the Harvard Kennedy School, as per the press release.
Alnasrawi didn’t respond immediately to a request for an interview on Wednesday. Joe Magee, the mayor’s deputy chief of staff, mentioned that Mulvaney-Stanak wasn’t available for further questions. In the press release, the mayor did acknowledge Pine’s years of service and commended him for his hard work in various areas, including safeguarding low-income housing and enhancing the impact of the Housing Trust Fund, a city fund that supports affordable housing projects. Pine voiced his understanding of the decision to merge the departments but expressed concerns about CEDO being trimmed down too much. Apart from his position, two assistant directors were also let go. Pine expressed his desire for the department to thrive and for the new director to succeed, hoping that there will be a viable path forward that allows the department to continue fulfilling its mission with the necessary staffing and resources.
Officials have indicated that more details about the merger will be shared in the coming weeks, with councilors needing to approve a new budget before July 1.
