The chief of staff for the City of Fairbanks is moving on after just under five years on the job. Fairbanks Mayor Mindy O’Neall announced at Monday’s City Council meeting that Mike Sanders is resigning from the position.
Sanders said he’s not leaving on “any bad notes.” He said he turned 50 this year, and after 20 years in the military and about 10 with the city, he’s looking for a change.
“I’m not disgruntled. I’m not in trouble. Nothing crazy like that,” he said. “I’m at a time in my life where, if I’m going to do something different, I should probably do it now.”
Sanders said he’s working with O’Neall to help identify his replacement. And he said he thinks the city is in a better spot now than it was a few years ago.
“So I feel like I’m leaving on a good note, and I will give it my all until my very last day. And I’m not leaving the community. I’ll still be around,” he said.
Sanders’ tenure with the city has spanned about a decade and started when he was hired as the housing and homelessness coordinator in 2017.
He went on to serve as chief of staff under three mayors. Sanders took over the role in 2022 after the death of his predecessor, Mike Meeks. That was near the end of Jim Matherly’s tenure as mayor, and Sanders continued in the job through the three-year term of former Mayor David Pruhs. He also stayed on after O’Neall, the current mayor, beat Pruhs in the 2025 municipal election.
Sanders said by text message Tuesday that his final day will be Oct. 30.