The communities of Merritt, Clearwater and Sun Peaks in the B.C. Interior are engaging in the hunt for new Chief Administrative Officers.
Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz says the search for a new Chief Administrative Officer in his city has been excellent so far, noting several people have applied to take over the role of CAO from Sean Smith, who is set to depart for a new role in the private sector on July 7.
Currently, he says the hiring team is currently working with applicants, to vet out the top five individuals for the CAO role.
“There are certain questions they will be sent just to see their competency and see where they are because I gotta be honest, not everybody tells the truth on their resumes so we do have a crew vetting out the top five and then when we do have the top five, they will be interviewed by council.”
Goetz says the job is open across the country, with the hope of getting the selected candidate started as soon as possible.
“I would have loved to move someone up from in-house because that is the way I like to do it, but we just don’t have anybody who has the qualifications yet. We have some people who are close but are not there quite yet, in a couple of years they will be ready for something like that, so we are open right across Canada.”
Meanwhile, Goetz says while they are highlighting the supportive community and the amenities Merritt has, he says they are being open and honest with the applicants about what the CAO role will entail.
“We are letting them know that you are coming into a town that is in a rebuilding phase after a heat dome and a flood so if this is not your cup of tea, don’t waste your or our time because we need someone who can work within those parameters and take some of the pressures that come with it.”
Meanwhile, both Clearwater and Sun Peaks are also searching for new CAOs.
Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell says the search is on to replace John Thomas, who will step down on August 16 to take up a new job with a local First Nation.
“When it comes to professionals, it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there right now. There are a lot of people retiring out of these businesses. They are very high-stress jobs, and yeah, we’re in the position where we need to look again. I really thank Mr. Thomas for his time in the seat. He’s going to do as much as he can before he moves on to his next position.”
Blackwell says he is confident they will find a suitable individual for the job in Clearwater.
“One of the main reasons I got out of my parks businesses was because I hated hiring new people but here I am doing it again for one-fifth the wage. We’ll make it happen. Clearwater is on a good upward trend, we’ve got a lot of development happening, and we’re a growing community. It’s a good, positive, fun place to live.”
Meanwhile, former Sun Peaks CAO Shane Bourke is set to take up a similar role in Grande Prairie on September 18.
Both Thomas and Bourke had been in their roles in the Kamloops area for about two years.
— With files from Victor Kaisar
