Sundre's new interim chief administrative officer aims to put his 30-plus years of experience to help steer the municipality forward.
Al Harvey assumed his temporary role as the municipality's top administrator on Monday, March 13.
"We're grateful that he's given us a hand until we get a permanent CAO in place," Mayor Terry Leslie told the Round Up last week.
"He's coming to help us on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays."
When running a municipality, there will occasionally be instances when temporary relief is required for a short period of time to ensure existing staff are not stretched too thin, he said, adding such assistance also tends to come with new points of views.
"It's really nice to get another set of eyes to come in, a fresh set of eyes that can offer fresh perspective. We look forward to hearing from him," the mayor said.
Harvey, who is semi-retired, told the Round Up the position was brought to his attention through word of mouth, and that he ended up deciding to provide information on his lengthy work history to council, which in turned offered him the opportunity.
The first couple of weeks have gone by well, with the administrator busy working to get a feel for the files and projects council wants completed as well as getting to know municipal staff, he said.
As a high school student, Harvey had initially thought about embarking on a career in physical education, although a guidance counsellor had urged him to instead consider recreational administration. Pursuing that path for about 15 years, he said, "I decided I'd be happier as a chief administrative officer."
Not looking back since, he has spent more than 20 years helping to administer numerous rural and urban municipalities.
"It's been a good career."
While some people might consider the heavy responsibility of handling multi-million dollar projects to be a source of stress, Harvey seems to thrive in such environments.
"It's always been a case of enjoying what I'm doing," he said, adding that it's "exciting to face new challenges."
Starting his career in Lac Ste. Anne, Harvey has also worked in other municipalities including Vermillion, Consort, Bonnyville and Lamont County, where he currently lives. During his time in Bonnyville, he said he was involved in making a reality a $26-million centennial centre as well as plenty of infrastructure work.
"There are very few files I haven't had some opportunity to work on," he said, adding, "There's not a lot that totally surprises me."
The municipality's former administrator, Dave Dubauskas, officially retired in January following health complications, although he had been on a medical leave for many months prior. So those duties were for the better part of a year shared by Angie Lucas, director of planning and operational services, as well as Vic Pirie, director of finance and administration.
With assistance from a consultation firm, local officials continue the process to find a full-time candidate for the position, the mayor said.
"We're hoping for an announcement in a short while."
In the meantime, anyone with questions or concerns is welcome to contact Harvey at the town's office, which can be reached by calling 403-638-3551.
The interim administrator said he's pleased to have the opportunity to serve the residents and council of Sundre, and that he hopes he will be able to offer leadership.
