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Lisa Landry resigns from RMOW

General manager of finance moves on to "new challenges"

The guardian of the $77 million municipal budget has resigned, the third senior manager to leave the hall in recent months.

Lisa Landry, who has been with the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) for almost 13 years, making her a familiar face both at council meetings and in the wider community, handed in her notice this week.

Her resignation comes in the wake of two other recent vacancies in top municipal positions - Harry Kim, general manager of environmental services, who left the organization in the summer, and former CAO Bill Barratt, who resigned earlier this year too.

"It's a big loss for the organization," confirmed Councillor Chris Quinlan, of Landry's resignation as the general manager of economic viability.

Quinlan said new CAO Mike Furey told council of the resignation in its closed meeting Monday morning. Council was told Landry was leaving to pursue new challenges.

"There's no connection between the relatively recent departures of several senior managers," said Michele Comeau, the RMOW's manager of communications.

She added that the three vacancies were for very different reasons, from retiring to resigning.

Councillor Ted Milner praised Landry's work, saying she was well thought of at the hall.

On the flip side, there has been a lot of criticism of the municipal budget as taxpayers faced four years of consecutive tax hikes.

"There's been a lot of criticism of the RMOW on budget and spending," said Milner.

Landry is not responsible for those budget decisions he added. Council makes those decisions.

"The spending of the money is not up to her," he said.

"I think she did a good job. We wish her well."

Before coming to Whistler, Landry was a manager at KPMG Corporate Finance.

Among her roles at the municipality, she sat on the board of the Whistler Housing Authority and on the board of the 2010 Games Operating Trust Society, which invests more than $100 million for the Olympic legacy venues.

Quinlan also pointed to Landry's CA designation as a major factor in her favour.

"Having somebody with that CA designation has really put the position of general manager of finance in a position where they could properly argue for correct financial direction," said Quinlan.

He believes her replacement should have that same designation.