Mark Begich

Mark Begich is the president and CEO of Northern Compass Group, LLC. Over the last 40 years as a businessman, he has been an entrepreneur, CEO and led creative startups. Mr. Begich is experienced in commercial and residential real-estate, retail sales, travel & tourism, business consulting, mergers & acquisitions of public utilities and privately held companies, corporate restructuring, business turnarounds, vending and distribution, capital-raising, joint ventures and equity investing.

In addition to his long career in the private sector, Begich has dedicated several decades of his life to public service.  He served in the United States Senate from 2009 to 2014 for the 111th, 112th and 113th Congresses. Before that, he served as mayor of Anchorage, Alaska from 2003-2007 and spent ten years as an elected member of the Anchorage Assembly. 

Over the course of his career, Begich has worked on key issues related to telecommunications, Arctic policy, technology, the U.S. military, transportation, tribal affairs, fisheries, infrastructure, labor & workforce development, education, natural resource development, veterans’ affairs, housing, business development and economic growth. 

Begich is married to Anchorage businesswoman Deborah Bonito, president and owner of Sourdough Mercantile Inc. and several other small businesses.  Their son, Jacob is currently in high school. 

Schawna Thoma

Schawna Thoma joins Northern Compass Group LLC as Vice President. Most recently, she worked as State Director for U.S. Senator Mark Begich in his Anchorage office.

Schawna worked on policy and legislation in the areas of aviation, transportation infrastructure, travel and tourism, fisheries, public lands, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Schawna also served under Mayor Mark Begich from 2003-2008 as Deputy Director of Economic and Community Development for the Municipality of Anchorage, where she worked on a variety of major economic development projects including the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center, museum expansion and downtown redevelopment.

Schawna spent five years as Chief of Staff for Senator Johnny Ellis in the Alaska State Legislature and has served as campaign manager and field director on many political campaigns.

She is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University, where she earned a B.S. in Public Law & Government and Journalism. Schawna is married to Michael Powell, PhD and lives in Anchorage, AK, where she enjoys skiing and hiking in the Alaskan wilderness.

Schawna can be reached at schawnathoma@northerncompassgroup.com

Rachel Barinbaum

Rachel Barinbaum joins the Northern Compass Group as Vice President for Strategic Communications and Business Development.

Most recently, Rachel served as Communications Director in the Washington, D.C. office for Senator Mark Begich where she managed the Senator’s overall communications strategy both at home in Alaska and in Washington.

In 2013, Rachel served as Senior Communications Advisor for Terry McAuliffe’s successful run for Virginia Governor. The Washington Post later named McAuliffe’s bid for Governor the “Best Campaign of 2013,” citing message discipline as a key contributing factor to success.

In 2012, Rachel was a member of Vice President Biden’s Debate Prep Team in advance of the highly anticipated Vice Presidential Debate between Vice President Biden and Representative Paul Ryan.

Prior to 2012, Rachel served in communications and research positions for U.S. Senator Jon Tester, U.S. Senator Max Baucus, and within the Administration at the Department of Treasury.

Rachel is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lives in Anchorage, Alaska.

Rachel can be reached at Rachel@northerncompassgroup.com

Clare Boersma

Clare Boersma Executive Manager and Project Liaison is at the core of Northern Compass Group operations, working with clients in diverse sectors, managing office functions and making sure the CEO is where he is supposed to be. Known for inventing creative solutions to any obstacle, Clare brings to Northern Compass Group an eye for detail and organization, and a talent for getting to the heart of the matter.

Before joining Northern Compass Group, Clare served in the office of U.S. Senator Mark Begich, where she corralled visiting VIPs, counseled constituents on the realities of federal funding, and managed in-state events ranging from large-scale conferences to community town halls.

Born and raised in Anchorage, Clare is a UAA graduate and a member of Rogers Park Community Council. She enjoys the challenge of baking new and different birthday cakes for her large extended family, knows how to knit a sock, and can dance an Irish jig.

Clare can be reached at Clare@northerncompassgroup.com

Marilyn Alvarenga – Gaxiola

Marilyn Alvarenga is our Marketing Director & Associate Consultant at Northern Compass Group. LLC.

Marilyn provides internal and external support for a company’s communications department. Her focus at NCG is to work with clients deals with graphic design, grow their websites, social media presences, and improve their Search Engine Optimization, content strategies and integrated marketing plans.

She previously served as the Hispanic and Latino Director for Former U.S. Senator Mark Begich’s 2014 U.S. Senate reelection campaign, where she interacted one-on-one with Hispanic Alaskan voters across the state to register and get-out-the-vote.

Outside of the office Marilyn is heavily involved in the Anchorage community. President of Pulse Dance Company a nonprofit dance performance company, and chairs the Anchorage Arts Advisory Board, and Alaska Humanities Forum: Leadership Anchorage Advisory Board. She is a proud Alaskan who is an alum of East Anchorage High School, and a graduate of the University of Alaska Anchorage with a B. A. in International Studies.

Marilyn can be reached at Marilyn@northerncompassgroup.com