Renfrew’s search for a new Chief Administrative Officer will have some expert assistance.
On Tuesday, current CAO Rob Tremblay walked council through a recommendation to use the Waterhouse Executive Search firm to find a suitable candidate for the position he is set to leave effective November 1st.
While there may be some qualified candidates locally, Tremblay says the town will likely need a headhunting firm to find the right person with the right skills in time to make a smooth transition.
Waterhouse Executive Search’s recruiters have over 25 years experience in targeting CAOs and other executives for municipalities in both Eastern Ontario and the broader public sector.
Tremblay adds that simply posting the role and hoping for the right candidate to come along is not viable.
There are some local supports that Renfrew could use, but Tremblay expressed concerns that they wouldn’t be as effective in the small timeframe they have to make the switch.
Council did express some concern over spending the $40,900 required to hire Waterhouse Executive Search for their CAO search, as well as to find candidates for a Director of Infrastructure to replace Janet Collins, who will be retiring ahead of the new year.
However, they would eventually vote in favour of both recommendations.
(written by Kasey Egan)