DON RAMSAY is leaving his job as district manager of the provincial transportation and infrastructure ministry’s Skeena region to become the City of Terrace’s new chief administrative officer.
“We’re looking forward to having Mr. Ramsay come in and run the administrative side of the city,” said Terrace mayor Dave Pernarowski. Ramsay begins March 12.
Ramsay replaces Ron Poole who left Terrace for a similar job with the District of Kitimat in July 2011.
The city conducted two rounds of searches and interviews leading up to the decision to hire Ramsay.
“I’ve been doing the best job for 14 years, and the opportunity presented itself to take on a new challenge,” said Ramsay. “I’m pumped.”
Ramsay, 64, said he’ll bring fresh eyes, enthusiasm and experience to his new job at a time of an upswing in the regional economy.
His ministry job and the city one both have social and economic development aspects but with the latter position, Ramsay’s looking forward to a broader range of community-related issues.
Ramsay moved to B.C. 33 years ago, and has spent close to 16 years with the province where he says he honed provincial government work values of integrity, teamwork, courage, passion, curiosity, accountability and service.
“It’s much better to understand all elements, good and bad. It allows people to be creative and try new things and learn from mistakes,” he said.
“I think it will be a great opportunity to share these values with the City of Terrace,” he said.
“I never in my life would have dreamed 15 years ago , number one, that I would live in Northwestern B.C. and number two, that I’d become committed to it,” said Ramsay of his time in Terrace. “But that certainly is the case today.”
He plans to stay as Terrace’s chief administrative officer for for six to nine years.
Ramsay said he is proud of transportation ministry achievements during his time in the region.
Highlights include finishing the Nisga’a highway, and naming it, and also receiving a premier’s award for crash reduction. The award was given to the Skeena transportation ministry for reducing vehicle accidents in the north by 63 per cent from 2005 to 2009.
“I take a lot of satisfaction in what’s been accomplished,” said Ramsay.
