BANFF – The federal government’s changes in the senior ranks of the public service includes a new chief executive officer for Parks Canada who is a familiar face to the mountain national parks.
Last Wednesday (Aug. 28), Ron Hallman took over from Michael Nadler who was interim CEO for the past 11 months while a recruitment process was underway.
Hallman is no stranger to Parks Canada, including the mountain national parks, having worked as vice-president of the agency’s protected areas establishment and conservation from 2009-11 and executive director of the mountain parks from 2006-09.
Parks Canada’s national media relations office said there would be no interviews with Hallman on his appointment, but in an email sent all Parks Canada staff, Hallman said that over the coming weeks and months he looks forward to sharing his vision for the agency.
“Some say ‘you can never go home.’ I am delighted to say that they are wrong. I am delighted to be home,” he said.
“Parks Canada has long held a special place in my heart, beginning back when I was a ministerial exempt staff member during the development and passage of the Canada National Parks Act (2000).”
Hallman said that experience so captured his imagination that he joined the public service in 2002.
Following his roles with Parks Canada from 2006-11, Hallman spent some time away from Parks Canada when he was senior assistant deputy minister of regional operations for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development from 2011-13.
More recently, he has been president of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency since 2013.
