The Alaska Department of Administration is more important than you may think, according to Paula Vrana, the new department commissioner, who appeared on FirstHand, a podcast produced by Patty Sullivan in the Office of Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Vrana served as deputy commissioner of the department since January 2019.
Vrana told Sullivan that the DOA is the unseen mortar that gives the structure of government its strength:
“When we look at the brick and mortar, the other departments have very specific and direct public focus. They are the bricks of the executive branch. We, at DOA or the Department of Administration, we’re the mortar. We work to keep the structure standing, but even with a strong focus on the other departments that we do serve that are our customers, we also have several divisions and agencies that do work directly with the public every day that are public facing.”
According to their website, the Department of Administration provides centralized administrative services to state agencies in matters of finance, personnel, labor relations, leasing of space, central mail distribution, property management, risk management, procurement, retirement and benefits programs, information and telecommunication systems, and operation and maintenance of 18 state-owned buildings in Juneau, Anchorage, Nome, Palmer and Fairbanks.
It also provides indigent defense and children’s advocacy through the Public Defender Agency and the Office of Public Advocacy, and vehicle registration and driver licensing through the Division of Motor Vehicles, as well as administrative responsibilities for the Alaska Public Offices Commission, Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission, and the Office of Administrative Hearings.
Vrana speaks on the public generally being unaware on what the DOA does:
“Sticking with the brick-and-mortar analogy, it’s probably not typical to be curious about or to admire a structure for its great mortar, however it’s really critical. It’s structural and that’s the way we look at the department of administration. It truly is a support structure for the vital functions like internet technology, finance, payroll services, so that the whole structure, all of the departments can serve Alaskans well. … Almost everything that happens across the state and state government touches the department of administration or the department of administration touches them.”
Listen to Episode 4 of FirstHand, the podcast here. Click here for more information.