City names Kukharenko new Finance Director

Published on September 23, 2025

The City of North Port has named Irina Kukharenko its new Finance Director.

Kukharenko has served in the director role in an interim capacity for the past four months. She joined the City in April 2023 as the Assistant Finance Director.

"Irina has successfully led our Finance team and guided the organization through the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget process and adoption," City Manager Jerome Fletcher said. "Her leadership and her years of experience in government financing will continue to be a great asset to our leadership team."

Kukharenko has spent more than 15 years working in government finance, including most recently at the City of Fife, Wash., where she was Assistant Finance Director. She is a certified public accountant in Florida and earned a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University, where she also earned her undergraduate degree.

"It's an honor to lead this team of dedicated finance professionals and be part of an innovative organization," Kukharenko said. "I am excited about this opportunity to continue my public service here in the community my family and I call home.”

North Port’s Finance Department has been recognized with the Distinguished Budget Award from the Government Finance Officers Association for 18 years in a row. In addition to developing the City’s budget, the team manages essential financial functions such as accounting, purchasing, payroll and investments to safeguard taxpayer dollars. To learn more about the department and the City's budget process, visit NorthPortFL.gov/Finance.