The City Council approved Annette C.M. Guzman as Budget Director. “I’m confident that Annette Guzman will effectively serve the City of Chicago as Budget Director and lead the city through a transparent budgetary process that makes critical investments in people and communities,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “I’m honored to serve as the City of Chicago’s Budget Director and look forward to collaborating with Mayor Johnson’s administration and the City Council to ensure a transparent, efficient budget process,” said Annette Guzman. “We will work together to present a budget that reflects the values of Chicago and effectively delivers for residents.” Guzman brings to this role significant experience with managing government budgets, after serving as Budget Director for Cook County, where she oversaw Cook County’s budget during the COVID-19 pandemic and the distribution of COVID-related financial aid, including $428M in CARES funding, over $200M in FEMA aid, and $1B in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. She previously served as Deputy Assessor in the Office of the Cook County Assessor and Deputy Chief Administrator and Chief of Staff for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. Prior to her time in government, Guzman served as legal counsel to banking institutions and corporations at Sidley Austin LLP. She holds a JD from the University of Chicago Law School and a bachelor’s degree in English and Economics from Emory University.