EXSHAW – Robert Ellis has been appointed the new chief administrative officer for the Municipal District of Bighorn replacing Martin Buckley who is retiring at the end of the year.
The move means the MD will need to find a new director of planning services once Ellis takes over the CAO position on Jan. 1.
Council approved all three readings of a bylaw to appoint Ellis during a special meeting held on Nov. 27.
“Robert was our sole candidate very early in the process: it was important to our organization that the new CAO have familiarity with the MD of Bighorn and our many pressing issues, as well as being a strong individual with well-rounded municipal administrative knowledge,” wrote Reeve Dene Cooper in a press release.
“Council is very confident in Rob’s abilities, know his skill set and strongly believe he is the ideal person for the position.”
According to the press release, Ellis has been the director of planning services since December 2001 and served as the acting CAO for approximately eight months in 2017, during Buckley’s leave of absence for medical reasons.
Ellis said he was extremely excited to be appointed to the new position.
“I look forward to continuing to serve council, the organization and the residents in my new role,” said Ellis.
He said one of the most important issues in the coming year will be completing the flood mitigation projects for various creeks throughout the MD, including the $10.8 million project for Exshaw Creek, which is now fully funded by all three-levels of government and is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.
Ellis previously worked for the Town of Canmore in the planning and development and community services departments in the mid 1990s to late 2006 and has also worked in the private sector for Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Three Sisters Mountain Village and the IBI Group.
According to a press release he holds a bachelor of arts degree and a master of environmental design, both from the University of Calgary, and a local government certificate from the University of Alberta. He resides with his family in Canmore.
