City of Austin Manager Marc Ott announced April 23 the appointment of Elaine Hart—Austin Energy senior vice president of Finance and Corporate Services—as the city's new chief financial officer.

Hart was chosen from a nationwide pool of candidates and has served as the city's interim CFO since January, when former CFO Leslie Browder retired.

"We're privileged to have someone of Elaine's caliber on our team, and I know she will continue to make a valuable contribution toward Austin becoming the most livable and best managed City in the country," Ott stated in an April 23 memo to City Council.

The certified public accountant has more than 30 years of experience in the financial industry and 20 years of experience with the city, including positions as director of financial services, controller and deputy city auditor.