HEATHER BOA Bullet News GODERICH – Brenda Orchard is looking forward to her first day of work as Huron County’s top administrator on Jan. 28, after council passed a bylaw to appoint her as chief administrative officer / deputy clerk today.
“I really appreciate their confidence in hiring me and I’m really looking forward to getting there,” said Orchard, who has served as CAO of Annapolis County, NS, since March 2009. “I want the challenge. I’m ready for the next step in my career.”
As chief policy adviser to council and staff manager with a starting salary of almost $155,000, Orchard said she has to set priorities.
“Obviously fresh out of the gate it will be to build that relationship with staff and council and hire the remaining staff that need to be hired and build that sense of team,” she said.
On Sept. 11, chief administrative officer, Larry Adams, director of finance and deputy CAO, David Carey, and director of human resources, Darcy Michaud, employment ended with the county. Its clerk, Barb Wilson, handed in her resignation on Sept. 5.
Orchard said the next priority will be to address recommendations laid out in two consultants’ reports received this year.
In September, James Hoare of Hoare Dalton Litigation and Valuation Services, of London, delivered a detailed review of expense accounts and use of county vehicles by senior management in a closed-door session with council. He later issued a four-page letter with recommendations on ways to reduce risk in how the county runs its business, which was made public.
In May, George B. Cuff and Associates Ltd. delivered 220-page governance review and separate report on personnel in closed session. A smaller report, with 64 recommendations, was released to the public.
During her stint as CAO in the community on the Bay of Fundy, with a population of about 22,000, Orchard put an end to a pattern of three-year lags in annual audits by completing three financial audits in one year and bringing financial reporting up to date. She also implemented a new bylaw and policy development process, with input from staff. In particular, she said staff at all levels had input into the human resources policies that affect them, such as a performance review process that ties in succession planning and training plans.
“I have had some experience in putting in processes that increase accountability and improve transparency for council but also support staff and give staff a voice in that. So that’s why this appeals to me,” she said. “We put some structure here where it needed to be.”
The Maritimer completed a bachelor of science at the University of Toronto, with a double major in quantitative methods and environmental science. She continued studies at the University of Waterloo, where she became a certified economic developer.
In her time in Ontario, Orchard didn’t make it to Huron County. However, she and her husband, Kevin, spent time daytripping across the county on one of her three visits in recent months.
“I don’t have to tell you the beaches are beautiful. What I find charming is that each town is slightly different,” she said.
Orchard is also looking forward to the opportunity to be close to her children, with a son attending the University of Waterloo and a daughter choosing graduate school at University of Waterloo or McMaster University.
“Both of my kids are making their lives in southwestern Ontario and are not coming back to rural Nova Scotia,” she said. “It makes sense to go where my kids are. I want to be part of their lives too.”
Orchard was chosen out of 45 applicants who applied for the job.
“We were very pleased with the calibre of applicants for Huron’s CAO position,” said George Robertson, who is the county’s warden. He was part of the selection committee that worked with consultant Nigel Bellchamber of N.G. Bellchamber and Associates to whittle down the list to two candidates who were interviewed by council on Monday.
Heather Adams was hired June 6 as acting CAO on an interim basis. She will be available to advise Orchard on an as-needed basis.
Other members of the selection committee were: councillors Bernie MacLellan, Paul Gowing, Ben Van Diepenbeek and Dave Jewitt.
2 Comments on "Huron County hires new CAO"
Wow!!! Congratulations, Brenda. So encouraging to have a professional coming to our County without preconceived ideas, no political connections and an open mind. The challenge is yours. The end result is ours, the ratepayers.
Congratulations, Brenda!!! I am very happy that you have been given such an amazing opportunity! I know you will do a fantastic job (I think that goes without saying), and I know that no matter where you go, you will have a positive impact. I will miss you greatly, and I will always appreciate what you have done for me and my home county!