Chatham-Kent has renewed its search for a new chief executive officer, following the departure of Thomas Kelly, who had been previously hired as the municipality’s top administrator.
The municipality has retained Waterhouse, an executive recruiting firm, to help guide the hiring for the new CAO.
Kelly, the municipality’s long-time chief engineer, had been announced as Chatham-Kent’s new CAO in mid-November 2021.
The renewed hiring process is expected to take roughly three months, municipal officials said in a March 22 release.
Chris Thibert has also been named interim general manager of infrastructure engineering services in the wake of Kelly’s exit. Thibert, who has most recently served as the director of engineering and transportation, has been employed by the municipality since 2016.
Ryan Brown, Chatham-Kent’s public works director, will be accepting increased responsibilities with respect to the Wheatley gas leak investigation, municipal officials said.
“I have every belief that the citizens of Chatham-Kent will be well served by Chris and Ryan during this time of transition,” said Don Shropshire, the current top administrator. “The search for a general manager in (engineering) will begin once we are further along in the CAO search process.”
Shropshire, who announced his retirement last year, remains in the top position while the municipality searches for his successor.
Mayor Darrin Canniff said Waterhouse is a “well-regarded firm with a proven track record in executive recruitment.”
Municipal leaders said last November that Kelly, the long-time general manager of infrastructure and engineering, would be replacing Shropshire.
However, it was announced by the municipality earlier this month that Kelly was no longer employed by Chatham-Kent.
This came in the wake of confirmation earlier this month that Ontario’s Ministry of Labor was in the midst of a harassment complaint investigation involving an unnamed high-ranking municipal employee.
The ministry indicated in an email it was notified of a harassment complaint on Nov. 23 of last year, just a few days after Kelly was announced as Chatham-Kent’s future CAO.
Shropshire and other municipal officials previously declined to confirm if Kelly was the subject of the investigation, citing privacy reasons.
In mid-February, Chatham-Kent officials said Shropshire would be staying in the position for a little longer, noting the leadership transition was being delayed while the municipality grappled with a number of challenges, including the aftermath of the mid-August explosion in downtown Wheatley and the ongoing pandemic.
– With Ellwood Shreve files