The Town of Ponoka’s Mayor and Council are pleased to announce that Rachel Kunz joined the town as new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Kunz has a degree in mining engineering from the University of Montreal and a certificate in Local Government Administration from the University of Regina. Most recently, she has been the CAO for the Rural Municipality of Sherwood which encompasses the City of Regina and includes a variety of industries from farming and manufacturing to tourism. Prior to that, she worked as administrator for northern Saskatchewan municipalities.
“Please join us in welcoming Rachel in her new position as the CAO of the Town of Ponoka,” says Mayor Rick Bonnett. “We believe she will be a great asset to council, the staff and to the town with her previous CAO experience, her strong strategic leadership skills and her great knowledge of the unique issues of northern municipalities.”
“I am looking forward to my new responsibilities, and to working alongside council and staff,” says new CAO Rachel Kunz. “I also look forward to putting down roots in the Town of Ponoka and getting to know the community.”
“Council was impressed by the number of quality candidates who applied for the position from across Canada,” added Mayor Bonnett. “We are very excited to begin working with her on many of the projects and initiatives that form this Council’s vision for Ponoka’s future. She is joining an exceptional team of dedicated staff and we are confident she will be a great fit in our organization and our community.”
Director of Corporate Services, Betty Quinlan has been working as the acting CAO since January. “We are extremely grateful to Betty for shouldering this big responsibility during a time of transition for the Town of Ponoka,” Bonnett noted. “Betty skillfully stepped into the role, giving council time to settle into our roles. This enabled us to review the organization, set strategic priorities and determine what we needed in a new, permanent CAO to help guide Town administration.”
Rachel Kunz starts in her new position immediately, with Betty Quinlan assisting with the transition. Kunz accompanied council to the annual AUMA Convention in Edmonton last week.