BANFF – The Town of Banff is hiring a headhunter to find a replacement for Town Manager Robert Earl.
Last week, council approved up to $50,000 for an independent firm to provide executive recruitment services for the position. Earl has accepted an offer to be chief administrative officer of Colwood, B.C. after 15 years in Banff.
“We are going to need some help with this and there are some experts we can attract that will do that,” said Mayor Karen Sorensen.
Earl’s last day on the job is Aug. 5. The Town of Banff hired an independent search firm in 2003 when the top bureaucratic position was last vacant.
Randall McKay, the Town’s director of planning and development, will take on the role of acting town manager on Aug. 6 until the position is filled. McKay, who has been with the municipality since 1993, isn’t applying for the permanent position.
Town officials say that the process to find a fit for the unique and specific skillset required of the town manager position requires the specific skillset and experience of an established external consultant.
“It is very common practice that organizations would go out and seek external expertise to find the highest level position,” said Alison Gerrits, a director with the Town of Banff who sits on the recruitment sub-committee.
“It was deemed as the most appropriate choice to seek that expertise … It’s our understanding there are no more than half a dozen firms in western Canada that have experience in public sector recruitment in this area.”
Coun. Peter Poole said he is happy with the option of having McKay in the acting role given his experience with the municipality.
“Nonetheless, I would suggest we deliberate when we meet in two weeks about not how the different seats around the town hall are filled, but rather as someone who has never seen the scope of work for the CAO,” he said. “I think it’s important to negotiate with the acting town manager what the scope of work is.”
Barbara King, the municipality’s human resources director, said a single interim incumbent for the town manager position provides stability and consistency for staff as well for outside agencies and organizations like Parks Canada and Banff Lake Louise Tourism.
She said this approach alleviates any conflict in rotating the position among existing employees, who must oversee their operational services.
“Designating a single incumbent, not considering the position on a permanent basis, removes any awkwardness of including internal candidates in an interim rotation, who are also applying for the permanent town manager position,” she said.
– With files from Tanya Foubert
