The search for a new CAO has broadened its scope.
The ad hoc search committee charged with the task of finding a new CAO has hired a professional recruitment firm, Leadership Source, to aid in the search.
Fort Frances has been without a permanent CAO since parting ways with former CAO Faisal Anwar in March, 2023. He had served in the role since August 2021, after the retirement of Doug Brown. Travis Rob, Operations and Facilities Manager, stepped into the role of Interim CAO to provide continuity during the vacancy.
The ad hoc search committee, made up of Couns Wendy Brunetta and John McTaggart, along with committee chair, Coun. Mike Behan, with the assistance of the HR manager, was created in July, 2023. After two unsuccessful attempts to fill the CAO vacancy, they decided it was time to widen the search.
“We felt a professional firm would have access to a broader pool of potential candidates, as well as bringing added expertise to the table to help us find the right candidate for this position,” said Behan. “Doing it in house also meant quite the extra workload for our HR manager, which we’ve largely alleviated by going with an outside firm.”
Although there is a cost to hiring a firm, it was presented as an available tool during the formation of the committee. Because the cost was below the $50,000 threshold in the Town’s Procurement Policy, the committee was able to seek multiple quotes for the service, without launching in a lengthy Request for Proposal.
The recruitment process is already well underway, noted Behan; staff from Leadership Source have met with the search committee as a whole and individually, to get an idea of the Town’s needs and wishes.
“We primarily are looking for someone with excellent leadership and managerial skills who is also a gifted communicator, whether in terms of dealing with the public’s concerns/issues, building partnerships with other local and regional organizations, and lobbying senior levels of government,” said Behan.
The previous rounds of hiring attracted many applicants, he added. In each round, the search committee whittled them down to about a half-dozen candidates, who were invited for interviews. That pool, in turn, was trimmed down to a short-list of candidates, who were invited back for a second interview, which included a 15-minute presentation to the committee.
“Unfortunately, most of the candidates ended up withdrawing their application for various reasons at various stages of the process,” said Behan.
Leadership Source has estimated a 12-week timeline to find a new CAO for the Town, though that timeframe is flexible, depending on how the search unfolds, said Behan.
