The City of Abbotsford has hired two new high-ranking employees.
The city announced the hires of new heads for its parks, recreation and culture department, and its engineering and utilities department earlier this month.
Mary Morrison-Clark is taking over as the city’s new general manager of parks, recreation and culture. Morrison-Clark previously led the City of Coquitlam’s community, recreation and culture department. She also previously held several different roles with Vancouver Coastal Health, including the promotion of health for First Nations, immigrants and vulnerable populations. She takes over for Heidi Enns, who left the city in May.
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Rafael Villareal, meanwhile, is the city’s new engineering and regional utilities general manager and will take over a portfolio that includes infrastructure such as the city’s roads, water, and wastewater systems.
Villareal was previously the manager of integrated transportation at the City of Kelowna. He also was the administrator of the Sustainable Transportation Partnership of the Central Okanagan. Villareal has an education background in urban planning, and led the creation of a long-range strategic vision for Kelowna. He also previously worked for the cities of Edmonton, St. Alberta and Bogota.
Villareal takes over for Peter Sparanese, who was promoted to city manager earlier this year following the retirement of George Murray.
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“I am thrilled to welcome these two new additions to our strategic leadership team,” Sparanese said in a press release. “I expect Ms. Morrison-Clark and Mr. Villarreal’s extensive experience in leading major projects and strategies to make a significant contribution to serving the residents of the City of Abbotsford. Both bring a keen understanding of local government management as well as a commitment to innovation in their work.”
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