After roughly 300 Chatham-Kent council meetings, the municipality’s departing top administrator signed off during his final one on Monday night.
Retiring chief administrative officer Don Shropshire thanked council for the “trust and confidence” placed in him over the years.
“It’s been a privilege to serve this community,” he said during the non-agenda portion of the meeting. “I’d be remitted if I didn’t extend my thanks to the municipal team.
“Any of the accomplishments we have made over the past 12 and a half years have been the result of an incredibly dedicated team that wants to serve this community and make it better. Every day I feel inspired to come in to see how much people are giving, not just with the disasters, but keeping all the wheels on the bus (moving).”
Shropshire started with the municipality in 2009, when he was first hired as general manager of community development. He became CAO in 2012.
Noting the large geography of Chatham-Kent, and the challenges that come with it, he said staff have done a “phenomenal job to step up.”
Mayor Darrin Canniff called Shropshire a “fantastic ambassador” for the community, adding he’s been an asset to council and staff throughout his tenure.
“He’s going to be sorely missed,” Canniff said. “I know from my personal perspective, he’s done a lot for the community.
“When you look at all the challenges that he’s gone through over the last several years — Erie Shore Drive, Wheatley, this thing called COVID — a number of different things. As we look forward, the growth in Chatham-Kent is tied to his leadership.”
Shropshire thanked his wife, Robin, for her support, adding he’s looking forward to his new role as a private citizen.
Starting Tuesday, Tony Haddad, a veteran administrator in Southwestern Ontario, will take over the role on an interim basis until a permanent CAO is hired, a process that is expected to take three months.