The Municipality has announced the appointment of a new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), and she is a familiar face in the community. Karen Dunlop, who has been acting in the position since the departure on leave of CAO Gary Dyke in January, has taken over as the permanent CAO following Gary’s decision not to return to the Municipality.
Mayor Peckford issued a statement on Karen’s appointment, calling on the community to welcomesomeone who has worked her way up through municipal staff positions over many years.
“On behalf of Council, please join me in congratulating Karen on this permanent role. She knows our community and our municipal staff team very well. Not only has she demonstrated important leadership skills since stepping into the role, she also brings decades of experience and is well respected throughout the organization,” said Mayor Nancy Peckford. “Council is confident that she is the right person to lead the organization at this time.” The appointment of a local resident with long and varied experience in the workings of municipal government is a welcome initiative, as Karen has been involved in the growth of North Grenville since her move here in 1997. She knows both staff and the needs of the community, having spent fifteen years as the Municipality’s Director of Public Works.
In announcing the appointment, a press release from the Municipality noted Karen’s more recent engagement with municipal affairs.
“Over that past several years, Ms. Dunlop has led a variety of key projects for North Grenville, such as the rebuild and replacement of many urban and rural streets, increased efficiency and reliability of the municipal sanitary and water systems, growth management in rural and urban subdivisions, and more recently, the emergency response for the 2023 ice storm as well as overseeing the 2023 budget process.”
In accepting the position, Karen paid tribute to her colleagues on staff.
“I am honoured by this vote of confidence and am excited to continue in the role of CAO on a permanent basis,” she said. “I have an incredible team who works alongside me and I look forward to leading the daily operations of the Municipality, overseeing sustainable and responsible growth, as well as achieving our goals of maintaining a high quality of life in North Grenville for the years to come.”
