ABERFOYLE – After a four month search process, Puslinch Township council has selected Karen Landry to be the township’s new CAO/clerk.
Landry is currently the director of administration and clerk in the Town of Caledon. She takes the reins as head of Puslinch staff from longtime CAO Brenda Law.
“Karen has been a municipal clerk in three different municipalities, stretching over 13 years,” Mayor Dennis Lever said in a press release.
“Her experience as a supervisor is equally long. In Caledon she manages a department comprising clerks, customer service, legal services, and the provincial court. Both her interviews and her references tell us that she is very pleasant, astute, a dedicated public servant and a strong supporter both for council and staff.”
Landry and her spouse live in Elora. Before Caledon, she worked in Halton Hills, Georgina (Keswick) and a small township near Midland. She has a certificate in municipal leadership from York University and a law clerk certificate from Humber College, and has been active in the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks, and Treasurers of Ontario.
Lever congratulated council on the recruitment process.
“We received a large number of excellent applications, which we whittled down to 10 that we interviewed in December, and then four that we interviewed in January,” said Lever.
“It is a difficult process for this council because Brenda is so well liked and well respected; we knew it was going to be a challenge to find a replacement. The high calibre of people we interviewed also made it difficult. We know Karen will be an outstanding addition to the township; we look forward to working with her.”
Landry said, “This is an exciting opportunity. I have heard good things about the township staff and I look forward to working with them, with council, and with the residents and volunteers in the township.”
Landry starts at Puslinch on March 4.
