News Release

Council to be Asked to Approve CAO Recruitment Process

(Thursday, August 18/05)-- The CAO Review Committee will recommend to Halifax Regional Council on September 6th that there be a national search to recruit a new Chief Administrative Officer.

In addition, the Committee will recommend to Council that it serve as the official search team for a new CAO.

The committee of Council met today to discuss a recruitment process following the resignation earlier this week of George McLellan, who leaves HRM on October 1 to accept a new position in the private sector. He had served as CAO since 2002.

Mayor Peter Kelly, who sits on the CAO Review Committee with Deputy Len Goucher and Councillors Bill Karsten, Sue Uteck, Mary Wile*, Gloria McCluskey and Steve Streatch, said the group will be meeting with several executive recruitment firms in the next few weeks before making a recommendation to Council.

Mayor Kelly said it is proposed that the recruitment company selected work with the CAO Review Committee to identify a short list of three to five candidates. In turn, the CAO Review Committee would choose a final candidate and recommend his/her approval to Regional Council.

* Councillor Wile was out of town today and not in attendance at the meeting of the CAO Review Committee.

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Mayor Peter Kelly
(902) 490-4010