The City of North Bay has hired Keith Robicheau as its new chief administrative officer (CAO).
“This is a very important leadership role within the city and we are delighted to add an individual with the breadth of experience Mr. Robicheau has to our team,” said Mayor Al McDonald in a release.
“Mr. Robicheau’s proven leadership skills at other municipalities, combined with his passion for serving the community, will be an asset to our city and will be key in assisting council in meeting our goals for the future.”
Robicheau takes over the position from Jerry Knox, who officially retired in June.
Originally from New Brunswick, Robicheau holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Mount Allison University. He became a municipal manager in 1983 at the age of 24, when he took on the role of CAO for his hometown of St. Andrews by-the-Sea, N.B.
Prior to his appointment as county manager for Norfolk County, Ont., in 2011, Robicheau was a CAO in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley with the Town of Kentville and the County of Annapolis over a 17-year period beginning in 1994.
During his career, Robicheau also spent four years, from 1990 to 1994, as an internal management consultant and policy advisor for the Government of New Brunswick. In 2015, Robicheau was one of five municipal leaders across Canada profiled in the book Leaders in the Shadows: The Leadership Qualities of Municipal Chief Administrative Officers, which recognized his leadership, interpersonal, collaboration and process skills.
“I am delighted to be North Bay’s new CAO and to have the opportunity to work with Mayor McDonald and the other members of a very progressive and hard-working council-staff team,” said Robicheau in the release.
“My wife Kathryn and I look forward to relocating our home to North Bay and living in this beautiful community and such a stunning landscape. North Bay has impressive community assets, enviable quality of life and appears well-positioned for growth in business and other key sectors of the economy and community.”
Robicheau will assume his responsibilities on Feb. 6, 2017.
