Thursday, May 9, 2019 ~ COLWOOD [Updated May 10]
by Mary P Brooke, editor ~ West Shore Voice News
The hiring of a new CAO doesn’t always make headlines. But Mayor Rob Martin and Colwood Council and staff were today pleased to announce that Robert Earl will be joining the City of Colwood as Chief Administrative Officer effective August 6, 2019.
The new CAO comes to Colwood from the Town of Banff where he has served as Town Manager for the past 15 years. Prior to that, Robert Earl was Chief Administrative Officer for two other districts in BC: Invermere and Port Edward.
Colwood is at a strategic point in its development as a municipality with both local and regional forces to contend with including housing affordability and transportation gridlock. The new CAO appears to bring ingenuity to the table at a time when change is pretty much commanded by circumstance as the order of the day.
“Earl is a strategic and results-focused leader who has been recognized as one of the top five administrators in Canada,” it was stated in a City of Colwood news release today. The experienced administrator was profiled in David Siegal’s book Leaders in the Shadows: the Leadership Qualities of Municipal Chief Administrative Officers. He empowers his team to take risks, be creative and continually seek out ways to improve municipal programs and services.
“We are excited to add Robert’s extensive experience and strong leadership to the Colwood team,” said Colwood Mayor Rob Martin. “He will be instrumental in helping Colwood realize its incredible potential as an exceptional seaside community with a high quality of life and a recognized commitment to environmental sustainability.”
There were more than 80 applicants for the Colwood CAO job posting which closed in March. The Mayor and members of Council made up the interview panel and say they are confident they’ve found a hands-on CAO who exceeds the advertised qualities: a proven strategic leader who is enthusiastic and creative and can inspire staff and demonstrate innovative and cost-effective approaches to service delivery.
Colwood’s previous CAO, Ian Howat, announced his plans to retire back in November 2018. He served several years under former Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton. “Mr. Howat provided outstanding leadership and a steadfast commitment to the Colwood community in his tenure as CAO,” it was stated by the City of Colwood today.