The Village of Pemberton has hired a new Chief Administrative Officer. Lori Pilon, whose most recent post was as administrator for the Village of Lions Bay, will move into the position April 18.
The hiring was announced at the March 7 council meeting. Both mayor and council appeared pleased with the decision.
"We are really excited that Ms. Pilon accepted our offer and will be joining the Village team," said Mayor Jordan Sturdy. "Lions Bays loss is our gain."
Pilons hiring comes less than four months after the position was initially advertised. The outgoing administrator had suggested that it could take the better part of a year to find a suitable candidate. Finding the right fit for a municipal administrator can be extremely difficult and qualified candidates are in short supply.
"The interview process was very extensive and thorough. Council and I believe we found the right person to guide the village forward and look forward to working with her over the next three years," said Sturdy.
As administrator for Lions Bay, Pilon initiated a thorough assessment of the communitys infrastructure. The result of this action was $1.3 million in provincial funding to upgrade the water treatment and distribution centre.
She holds a degree in public administration from Simon Fraser University and is planning to pursue a masters in the field later this year. She has worked extensively at the senior management level within municipal government and First Nations organizations. Partnered to a First Nations man, she is also fluent in an Interior Salish language.
Pilon replaces former administrator Bryan Kirk, who retired at the end of December after serving the community for more than 11 years.