Sustainable development: that's the key concept for the new Chief Administrative Office (CAO) of Squamish, Kevin Ramsay.
Ramsay, who took charge of his new post on Monday (Sept.14), said he finds the idea and practice of sustainable development quite alluring.
For most, the term sustainability brings up notions of the environment, but for Ramsay, the concept is broader.
"It's also the human side. How do you develop sustainable communities that link transportation, recreation, public amenities, commerce and business? The perfect sustainable community is where you work, live and play," he said.
Squamish will be the template on which he might bring some of those concepts into practice.
"Squamish has some areas that meet the objective. One example is the official community plan and the downtown core that works as a sustainable community," he said.
Before coming to Squamish, Ramsay was the manager of human resources at the City of Vancouver. In the last 15 years, he has worked at senior positions there, including the manager of waterworks, the manager of streets, manager of sanitation, and director of emergency management.
Ramsay said he wasn't looking for a new job, but when a colleague told him about the opportunity in Squamish, he thought of putting in his application.
"I have had a number of positions, and I like positions that are interesting and I think there are a number of incredible opportunities to transform Squamish in a positive way," he said.
He said he found Squamish at the crest of change with new developments planned, adding some of the projects, like public access to waterfront, are exciting projects for a city manager to work on.
Ramsay grew up in North Vancouver and says he's very familiar with the Sea to Sky Corridor.
"Squamish is absolutely beautiful and it's close to Vancouver and Whistler. I'm absolutely thrilled and very fortunate to be here."
Some bloggers lamented his loss, pointing out that he was the fifth senior city manager to leave since Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson's election in November 2008, and suggesting the new mayor's approach had to do with the resignations.
"Mr. Ramsay was tough on issues, but fair," said one respondent to the State of Vancouver blog. "He genuinely cared about this city and the people who chose to dedicate their careers to public service here. Those who squared off against him knew what to expect: he always reflected the interests of the taxpayer."
Ramsay dismissed those rumours, saying he left because of the "incredible opportunity" available in Squamish.
"I was well respected and well liked by all the councillors there. I came to Squamish because it's broader in scope. It's like going from a medium size fish in a big pond to a big fish in a medium size pond," he said.
In the council meeting on Tuesday (Sept.15), Mayor Greg Gardner welcomed the new CAO, saying his addition to Municipal Hall is an exciting new step for the district.
