North Grenville’s Corporate Media Relations Officer – Jill Sturdy – has accepted an exciting new career offer that ultimately means her departure from the Municipality. Jill held her position with the Municipality for 4.5 years working alongside Mayor Nancy Peckford.
“When I started in 2019, it was a new position to increase communication capacity and better communicate municipal updates with residents,” Jill explained. “I am passionate about building community and one of the things I loved about working for the Municipality was the opportunity to engage with and support the community.”
Indeed, most of the Municipality’s press releases which have been printed in the Times over the years were written by Jill.
“I enjoy the thrill of politics, so I had a lot of fun working alongside the Mayor and Council,” Jill added. “The Mayor and I figured out very quickly how to work well together and we got a lot done in these few short years! It was a lot of work and even a bit crazy at times, but when I look back, I can say with confidence that overall, it was a rewarding experience.”
When asked about the highlights of her journey in her municipal role, Jill had much to say. She listed several projects that she is proud of, including helping to secure the federal funding for the County Road 43 expansion, being crowned Canada’s Most Active Community in 2021, and helping to organize the Civic Awards as an opportunity for the community to “celebrate one another”.
“When I first started in 2019, we still needed the final piece of funding for County Road 43,” said Jill. “We launched a federal petition to gather public and business support for the project. We were successful in getting the funding – and after a number of approvals and County Council votes, fast forward to 2024, the construction has just begun!”
Jill also expressed that the visit from Elizabeth Dowdeswell to the community in 2022 – when she was serving as Lieutenant Governor – was an honour. “She was thrilled to attend Kemptville LIVE and listen to Burton Cummings!” said Jill. “When we arrived, we got to the front gates and suddenly the sky opened up and it started pouring rain! We decided to wait it out under the tent, which gave the Lieutenant Governor and Mayor Peckford the opportunity to meet and thank the volunteers.”
Jill is community oriented, and recalled one instance when she was proud to be involved in her community, even before being employed by the Municipality – the Riverside Park Expansion Project. “I was part of a group of local parents who advocated for more outdoor recreational amenities in town,” said Jill. “We met with staff and the former Mayor and asked for more amenities such as a splash pad, basketball net and even an outdoor rink. It was almost 10 years in the making and I am so thrilled this Council made it happen.”
“The greatest highlight was of course working in and for my community,” Jill added. “There are so many incredible people doing amazing things. My role at the Municipality was at many times ‘outward facing’, which gave me many opportunities to participate in community events.”
The question remains – which opportunity managed to snag Jill away from her role with the Municipality? She will be working with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), supporting municipalities to become more climate resilient. There are a number of streams through a program called the Green Municipal Fund, and Jill will be part of the team launching a new initiative called “Growing Canadian Community Canopies”. Jill explained that in essence, this initiative will support the planting of trees in communities. Jill has a degree in Conservation Biology.
“My background is in conservation, and this role is going back to my roots and my passion for conservation – in particular, forests,” explained Jill. “I spent most of my career working for national conservation organizations, including Nature Canada and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, to raise awareness and gather support for increased protection of wilderness and wildlife. I am a nature lover at heart and one of the things I love about NG is being surrounded by forests and wildlife.”
Jill asserts that she will still be active in the North Grenville community – her community – but just in another capacity. Her last day with the Municipality was April 12, and she began her new job earlier this week. Best of luck on your new adventure, Jill!
So, we get a writeup about a person that has been there for 4.5 years. But not a word on employees that have been there for years and years and suddenly disappear or a CAO that comes out of retirement to work at NG and the leaves?