The town likely will name a new CAO shortly as council is expected to make its final steps in the hiring process next week.
“On Friday, I’m going to take a brief moment in-camera to discuss the process to be used for the interview,” Mayor Dan Onichuk said Tuesday, referring to a special committee of the whole meeting slated this Friday to further discuss the town’s 2004 budget.
“Hopefully, the following Thursday we’ll be able to have the interviews, and shortly thereafter announce our selection,” he added.
Mayor Onichuk sits on the CAO selection committee along with Couns. Roy Avis and Neil Kabel. But the entire council will participate in the interview process.
Mayor Onichuk stressed the selection process must leave no doubt in councillors’ minds that they made the right choice. “The CAO is a crucial job. It’s the top job in town,” he stressed.
“I think we’ve got some great candidates up for it, and I’m sure whomever council chooses will do a great job,” he remarked.
The candidates for the job were trimmed to a short list of three at the end of last month, at which time the finalists were approved by council to move on to the interview process.
The selection committee first met a half-dozen applicants for the position Jan. 9 in Thunder Bay.
A “headhunter” from the consulting firm of Wescott Thomas, which was retained by the town a few months ago as executive search consultant for the purpose of finding candidates for the position of CAO, initially had located more than 20 possible people for job and then narrowed it down to eight.
Mayor Onichuk said a new CAO could be hired by next month and be on the job by mid-March, depending, for instance, on whether the newly-hired person has to relocate or wrap up work in their current position before assuming the one here.
McCaig, who also is CEO and president of the Fort Frances Power Corp., has been acting CAO since Bill Naturkach retired Sept. 30.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
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