About Northern Compass Group

Mark Begich

Mark Begich is the President and CEO of Northern Compass Group LLC. A businessman since age 14 and a public servant with decades of experience, Begich has built an impressive record of accomplishments on some of the most complicated and important issues such as fisheries, travel & tourism, transportation, resource development, tribal and Alaska Native interests, the Arctic, education, veterans, commerce, housing and more.

During his tenure as U.S. Senator for Alaska, Mark Begich earned the reputation of a hard-working, pragmatic problem-solver who was willing to work across party lines to get things done. Defying party labels and drawing daily on his business background, Begich broke down bureaucratic barriers to get things done.

Quickly rising to leadership positions, Begich chaired both the Steering and Outreach Committee and the Oceans Subcommittee. He also served on other influential committees including Appropriations, Commerce, Veterans, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Armed Services, and Indian Affairs.

In addition, Begich was appointed to the President’s Export Council, the national advisory board to the White House on important export and trade policy. Begich was also named Chair of the bipartisan U.S.-China Inter-parliamentary Group aimed at improving trade relations between the U.S. and China.

Prior to serving in the Senate, Begich was the Mayor of Anchorage for six years and served on the Anchorage Assembly for ten years.

Begich is married to Anchorage businesswoman Deborah Bonito, president and owner of Sourdough Mercantile Inc. and several other small businesses.  Their son, Jacob, currently attends college at Georgetown University.

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 Northern Compass Group as Vice President for Strategic Communications and Business Development.

Rachel worked on political campaigns and in the federal government for more than a decade before joining NCG. She 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.

Rachel also served as Senior Communications Advisor for Terry McAuliffe’s successful run for Virginia Governor and was a member of Vice President Biden’s Debate Prep Team for the 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 with her family.

Rachel can be reached at rachel@northerncompassgroup.com

Clare Boersma

Clare Boersma, Vice President of Operations, is at the core of Northern Compass Group’s machinery. She works with clients in diverse sectors, manages building functions, and makes 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. Most of all, she enjoys the variety of people and experiences she encounters in any given week.

Before joining Northern Compass Group, Clare served in Begich’s U.S. Senate office 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. In the course of a day’s work, she has also been known to pick up a screwdriver and adjust a door swing, cater and operate a children’s cake walk, or mount a full-scale campaign against invasive birds.

Born and raised in Anchorage, Clare is a UAA graduate and if she had an extra hour in the day she would spend it taking a very long walk, baking something new, or teaching her children to dig in the dirt.

Clare can be reached at Clare@northerncompassgroup.com

Katy Suddock Cook

Katy Suddock Cook is a Business & Policy Consultant for Northern Compass Group. She was born and raised in Anchorage and has a background in real estate and project management. Katy has an entrepreneurial spirit and an attention for detail that makes her highly effective at executing strategy and managing development projects from start to finish.

Katy attended Colorado College and the University of Oregon, graduating with a B.S. in Political Science and Business Administration. She enjoys downhill skiing and traveling with her husband and two daughters.

Katy can be reached at katy@northerncompassgroup.com.