A familiar face will soon oversee Belcarra's day-to-day operations on a full-time basis.
After serving four months in an interim role, Paula Richardson is set to officially be promoted Nov. 1 as the village's new chief administrative officer (CAO).
In a release on Monday (Oct. 24), Belcarra Mayor Jamie Ross said he's looking forward to working with Richardson, who already has more than six years of experience with the village.
"Paula is well respected by council and her peers, and has a good rapport with members of the community," he added.
As CAO, Richardson is set to manage the village's finances, and create policies and procedures that aid in a more effective municipality.
In any organization, as a top-tier executive, the CAO is ultimately responsible for its performance.
Richardson was appointed as acting CAO in July while the village conducted its recruitment process and "demonstrated her ability to fulfill the responsibilities of the position in a very competent and professional manner.
"It was the opinion of council that Paula represented the best fit for the position given her deep understanding of local issues, and the fact that she has proven her ability to work closely with council and the community," the village added.
Richardson's résumé with Belcarra dates back to 2016 when she was first hired as an administrative services assistant.
She earned a promotion roughly five years later to the village's municipal coordinator position prior to this week's announcement.
She officially replaces Lorna Dysart, who retired in June after seven years as Belcarra's CAO.
The village explained the decision follows an "extensive" recruitment process as several candidates put their names forward for the job and were interviewed by council.
For more information, you can visit Belcarra's municipal website.
Richardson is likely to make an appearance at Belcarra's council meeting next month when Ross and the four councillors-elect will be inaugurated following the results of the 2022 election.
It's set for Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. at Belcarra municipal hall (4084 Bedwell Bay Rd.).
