PORT COQUITLAM, BC – Oct. 14, 2020… The City of Port Coquitlam is recruiting for a new Chief Administrative Officer to replace CAO Kristen Dixon, who will leave her post at the end of the year.

After seven years with the city including two years as its most senior staff member and five as its Director of Engineering and Public Works, Dixon will leave the city on Dec. 31 to take on a position with the City of Penticton to be closer to family.

“Kristen has done an exemplary job leading our city through some tough times – in particular, the last seven months with our COVID-19 response,” said Mayor Brad West. “She is hard working, talented and had the right personality and energy to achieve Council’s focus on getting the basics right and delivering what matters to our residents. Council and staff will greatly miss her positivity and passion for the community and we wish her the best with her move to Penticton.”

The city has begun a comprehensive recruitment process for a new CAO. City Council will be directly involved in hiring the new CAO, working with the Human Resources Department to conduct a national search.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply at www.portcoquitlam.ca/jobs.

“We look forward to receiving applications from qualified and diverse applicants,” added West. “Port Coquitlam is a great organization to work for and community to serve. We are known regionally for our progressive leadership and innovative approaches. We are looking for somebody who brings the right mix of expertise and collaborative style to continue to move our organization forward.”

The CAO provides professional advice and works with Mayor and Council to establish the city’s vision, plans and priorities. The CAO also provides strategic direction and organizational leadership to all City departments and staff.

During her time with the city, Ms. Dixon took the lead on a number of city projects, including leading the city’s COVID-19 pandemic response, planning and construction of the new $132-million Port Coquitlam Community Centre, working with the Finance Department to re-design the city’s budget process and introduce a new two-year capital projects budget, participating on the bargaining committee and labour management committee, and overseeing the redevelopment of the City’s downtown.

“This is one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make – leaving an amazing team at the City of Port Coquitlam, friends and the community I have loved calling home for the last seven years,” Dixon said. “I am proud of all that we have accomplished as a team and want to assure the community they are in very good hands with a strong and committed, hard-working team of staff and Council.”

Port Coquitlam is a community of 61,000 with a strategic location in Metro Vancouver, a healthy base of businesses, new commercial and industrial areas, 271 hectares of parkland including the 25-km Traboulay PoCo Trail, well-established neighbourhoods, and a strong sense of community spirit known as PoCo Pride.

Council has selected three priorities (improving customer service, investing in infrastructure and enhancing community safety) to guide the City’s budget and service-delivery. Overall, the focus is on getting the basics right – planning and providing core municipal services (such as roads, utilities and other infrastructure, safety and recreation) that matter to residents and businesses.

Further information about the Chief Administrative Officer posting is available at www.portcoquitlam.ca/jobs.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Pardeep Purewal
Manager of Communications & Admin Services
City of Port Coquitlam
Tel 604.927.5335 Cel 604.218.0533
Email purewalp@portcoquitlam.ca