After almost 10 years, the District of Barriere is now once again in search of a new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Colleen Hannigan has confirmed her formal retirement date of May 1, 2020, to Council during a Monday, Jan. 20, closed session Council meeting.
“I hadn’t set a firm date until our house in Glengrove sold, which was much more quickly than we anticipated,” said Hannigan in an interview with the Star/Journal last Tuesday, “So, although we love this area, the sale set in motion a lifelong dream of joining my husband Brian in retirement and finding a cottage on a lake somewhere where we can enjoy our sailboat and music, as well as passing time skiing at Sun Peaks in the winter on a more full time basis.”
“We had almost finished building our home on Barriere Lakes Road when I got the call from Council in August of 2010 asking how soon I could start,” told Hannigan, “Since I was a self-employed planning consultant at the time, I said I could start the next day, and I’ve been here ever since. It certainly has been a productive and challenging decade during which I have had the great fortune of working with some incredibly dedicated, hardworking staff, mayors, councilors and volunteers who, with their endless energy and devotion to their community, I’m certain will continue to grow Barriere forward into the future.”
The CAO is basically the one employee of the Council. The CAO is responsible and accountable to Council for the management of all municipal staff and operations and ensuring Council’s policies and directives are implemented. The position provides advice and policy guidance to Council, is responsible for budget coordination and forecasting, and undertakes special projects at the direction of Council.
During Hannigan’s tenure as CAO she also held the statutory positions of Corporate Officer, Chief Election Officer and Approving Officer.
She noted, “Council is looking for an individual with a successful track record of leadership experience, ideally within a public sector/municipal environment, a post-secondary degree and 10 plus years of experience managing a broad range of financial, operational, administrative and human resources functions. A natural collaborator with strong interpersonal and communication skills, they will work to build consensus and effective working relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders. They will have to navigate the various channels of government and objectively evaluate and assess policies and legislation which can impact upon the District of Barriere.”
Hannigan says she will be assisting Council in their search for her replacement over the next months and notes, “We are definitely looking for someone full of new energy, ideas and valuable experience that they can bring to Barriere.”
The full job description and how to apply can be accessed on the District of Barriere website at www.barriere.ca. Applications will be received until Feb. 20, 2020.
