After eight years in the top role, the general manager of Chatham-Kent’s Public Utilities Commission will retire at year’s end.
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Tim Sunderland, who has four decades in the water-wastewater industry, stepped into the position in October 2015, after serving as an area manager.
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“Every commission I’ve worked with, I’ve enjoyed every one of them,” he said. “(There was) a lot of forward thinking in those commissions over the years.”
Before joining the PUC, Sunderland worked with Ontario’s Environment Ministry and with the Ontario Clean Water Agency.
He credited his staff, and advisors sitting on the commission, for their efforts to provide service during various challenges, in particular the COVID-19 pandemic, which required physical distancing and virtual meetings.
Wallaceburg Coun. Carmen McGregor, who chairs the PUC, said the municipality was fortunate to have someone of Sunderland’s dedication and knowledge helping to provide safe drinking water and waste water treatment.
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“Tim’s planned retirement has been in the works for well over a year and we will not only miss him, but we will be looking to find a replacement that matches his talents and compassion for our community,” she said.
McGregor said the recent fire at the Wheatley water treatment plant has posed unprecedented challenges, adding the commission appreciates having Sunderland’s guidance and direction “as we find solutions for the communities that are affected.”
Sunderland said staff are “working diligently” to resolve the matter.
“We’re trying to find a positive outcome and rebuild the Wheatley water treatment plant,” he said. “That is our end goal.”
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