Paul Emerson, the Chief Administrative Officer of the Grand River Conservation Authority has announced he is retiring from the job he’s held for the past decade.
“I have mixed emotions about leaving,” Emerson said. “This is a wonderful place to work; the staff and board are superb and the GRCA has an international reputation as one of the best of its kind.”
But Emerson won’t be putting his feet up. He has been hired by Brant County to be its new CAO, effective Sept. 7.
“I would have been quite happy to work here for a few more years until my regular retirement date,” said Emerson.
“But the opportunity to work in my home community came along, and that might not have been there down the road.”
Emerson, 57, grew up in Paris. He received a Bachelor of Environmental Studies degree from the University of Waterloo in 1977 and has worked for the GRCA since April 1977.
He held positions ranging from conservation labourer to manager of the planning and regulation programs before he was named CAO in 2000.
Two events that took place in 2000 around the same time Emerson became the GRCA’s CAO helped establish the framework for a lot of the work done by the GRCA during his tenure.
The first was the Walkerton tainted water strategy in May 2000. One outcome of that was the recommendation that conservation authorities play a key role in developing drinking water source protection plans. The development of those plans continues and is expected to be complete by 2012.
The second was the naming of the Grand River as one of the best managed watersheds in the world when the GRCA was awarded the Thiess RiverPrize in 2000. That prize recognized the work by the GRCA, municipalities, and others to protect and improve the Grand River watershed.
That drew attention to conservation authorities across the province and their successful approach to environmental issues, said Emerson. It also gave the GRCA national and international attention which has led to ties between the GRCA and countries as diverse as China and Argentina.
One major challenge Emerson faced in becoming CAO was coping with the fallout from provincial government cutbacks of the 1990s.
“We had to continue the job of making this organization financially sustainable, and to strengthen our partnership with the member municipalities, provincial agencies and others,” Emerson noted.
He leaves the GRCA just as it is embarking on creation of a new water management strategy to address flooding, water supply, and water quality issues in an era of population growth and climate change. Emerson championed the project and worked with municipal, provincial, federal and First Nations officials to get it started.
GRCA chairman Alan Dale said Emerson has been “a distinguished employee for more than three decades. His positive outlook and co-operative approach have left a lasting impression and his influence will continue to be felt,” said Dale.
“He has contributed greatly to the success of the organization and of his colleagues. Paul’s knowledge of, and passion for, the conservation movement has benefitted all conservation authorities, our partner organizations and our member municipalities.
“Paul will be missed and we wish him well with his new position. We look forward to working with him in his new role at the County of Brant.”
Dale and the two GRCA vice-chairmen, Vic Prendergast and Jane Mitchell, will meet shortly to consider steps for filling the position. They will report to the full GRCA board at its next meeting on July 23.
