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Furey to take new role as chief of strategic policy and partnerships

RMOW to begin search for new CAO this week
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Whistler's CAO Mike Furey is taking on a new role at the Resort Municipality of Whistler. Photo courtesy of the Resort Municipality of Whistler.

After eight years as chief administrative officer, Mike Furey is preparing to take on a new role with the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW).

Furey's new title will be chief of strategic policy and partnership, under which he will be tasked with "accelerating strategic initiatives, policy development and furthering RMOW relationships with regional, provincial, federal and First Nations partners," according to a release.

The RMOW will begin the recruiting process for a new CAO this week.

In his new role, Furey will report to the new CAO, while providing leadership to the RMOW's economic development department, which is primarily responsible for project management and initiatives related to the resort economy, housing and strategic planning.

Furey's new role will also help in the transition of the new CAO, and will end in early 2021.

"Myself and [Mayor Jack Crompton] and council are constantly in dialogue on how we move forward on major initiatives, how we achieve the ambitious policy agenda and project agenda that council has come up with," Furey said on July 25.

"By stepping away from the day-to-day operations and management, it frees up my time to focus specifically on those [major policy and project initiatives], and hopefully move those forward in a substantive way."

Furey has served with "tremendous class," and for that the RMOW is grateful, Crompton said.

"Council, as we consider the large work plan that we have in front of us and the tremendous amount of the high number of strategic and important projects that we have to take on, thought this was a great way to get that important work done, and to provide a strong transition at CAO," he said.

"I think it's evidence of Mike's great working relationship with council and with the RMOW overall."

Though creation of the new role amounts to a new senior management position at municipal hall, Furey said he will be carrying on in the same terms and conditions as he is right now.

"If a new CAO starts before the end of the calendar year, which very well could happen, we will find the funding for that within the existing budget," Furey said.

"And then it will be considered as part of the 2020 budget."

Check back with Pique for more.