CAMA E-Brief Newsletter: CAMA President Honoured with Prestigious R.W. Hay Award

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE: CAMA PRESIDENT TONY KULBISKY HONOURED WITH

PRESTIGIOUS R.W. HAY AWARD

From Left to Right: Councillor Isaac Skuban, Deputy Reeve Ray Marquette, Tony Kulbisky - CAO, Reeve Christine Wiese, Councillor Sherri Provencal,

Councillor Francis Cloutier all representing Westlock County, AB

CAMA proudly celebrates Tony Kulbisky, Chief Administrative Officer of Westlock County and current CAMA President, as the recipient of the prestigious R.W. Hay Award for Rural Administrative Excellence presented to him today at the RMA Convention. With over 30 years of municipal administration experience, including 25 in senior leadership, Tony's exceptional dedication has profoundly influenced municipal governance and community development.

Tony's extensive contributions include leading innovative municipal projects such as strategic planning initiatives, enhancing citizen engagement, and securing pivotal grants to improve infrastructure. His commitment to reconciliation and fostering relationships with Indigenous communities earned Westlock County the 2021 Minister’s Award for Municipal Excellence. Additionally, his efforts in public safety, community involvement, and recreation underscore his dedication to building vibrant communities.

Tony’s leadership extends beyond municipal boundaries through active participation in organizations like CAMA, SLGM, and ARMA. His service as President of CAMA has set a benchmark for advocacy and collaborative leadership, ensuring the needs of rural municipalities are effectively championed. This recognition is a testament to Tony’s innovative, inspiring, and community-focused approach that continues to make a significant impact on Westlock County and beyond.

UNLOCK STRATEGIES FOR TALENT RETENTION AND SHAPE THE FUTURE: JOIN ICMA'S NOVEMBER WEBINAR AND SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS FOR THE 2025 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

ICMA Coaching Webinar on November 17

Join ICMA’s Coaching Program for the free webinar, “Talent Retention Toolbox - Strategies for Keeping Your Best Talent” on November 17 at 1:30 p.m. EST. Hear about the essential tools and proven strategies to foster a workplace environment where top talent not only thrives but remains committed, engaged, and motivated. The webinar takes place live but all who register for the webinar will receive the recording which can be accessed at any time. Register here.

Call for Proposals for 2025 ICMA Annual Conference

For the 2025 Annual Conference in Tampa/Hillsborough County, Florida, USA, (October 25-29, 2025) ICMA is soliciting innovative, future focused ideas for training workshops and educational sessions; leading ideas talks, and roundtable discussions centered around innovations of today and future proofing for tomorrow.

The 2025 Annual Conference is centered around the following themes:

Empowering Future Civic Leaders
Enhancing Community Engagement and Public Trust
Ethics and Governance in a Complex World
Fiscal Innovation and Sustainable Economic Development
Future of Work in the Public Sector
Mindfulness and Self-Transformation in Public Leadership
Modernizing Public Infrastructure Through Technology

The submission deadline is Friday, November 22 at 11:59 PM EST. For more information and to submit your proposal, visit this link.

MISSED THE EMPLOYMENT LAW UPDATE? KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR CAMA MEMBERS INSIDE!

Don Lidstone's presentation to CAMA members provided an in-depth update on recent developments in Canadian employment law, emphasizing key areas like duty to mitigate, bad faith termination, and privacy concerns. Notable cases discussed include those related to mitigation obligations, the emerging tort of harassment, and charter rights breaches in workplace investigations. Lidstone also outlined implications for local government administrators, particularly around employment agreements, employee terminations, and the need for good faith in all employer-employee interactions. The presentation and recording of the webinar are available in the CAMA Member's Section.

EXPLORING STRONG MAYOR POWERS IN ONTARIO: AN AMCTO UPDATE

The Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) recently released an insightful report examining the use and impact of strong mayor powers across 46 municipalities in Ontario. The findings highlight challenges related to operational burdens, blurred lines of authority, and inconsistencies in decision-making, underscoring the need for clearer legislative frameworks. AMCTO’s analysis emphasizes the importance of distinguishing political roles from administrative ones, aiming to enhance accountability, strengthen relationships, and support effective governance. For more details, read the full report here.

MEET MARJORIE TURNER

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

SUNBURY-YORK SOUTH RURAL COMMUNITY, NB

How long have you been a CAMA member?

I have been a CAMA member since 2022.

What do you like most about being a member?

I love having a national perspective of municipal matters. I especially love the opportunity to connect with other municipalities across Canada. And the very helpful kits and information and sessions provided by CAMA.

What career advice do you live by? Who gave it to you? During my years in business, I have received much career advice from many great leaders. One comment that has always resonated with me was when Oprah said, " Always sign all cheques." Another that resonated with me was, "Play chess—not checkers." Another was, " Don't spend $60 correcting a $6 discrepancy."

What is the favourite place you’ve travelled? Maiori Italy.

What would be the theme song of your life right now? "I Will Survive" cover by CAKE. For two reasons: I love " Cake as a dessert," and I will survive!

What advice would you give to someone considering a career as a CAO or senior manager in local government? Connect with as many other folks as you can in municipal government!

What experiences and past roles have led you to where you are today? I have been an entrepreneur, artist, and academic. I have also held many management positions in the private business sector and worked for the provincial government in legislation, business development promotion, exporting, research, and finance.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be? Why? Queen Elizabeth the First- yes, I know she is not alive. Why? She was a trail blazer, a true leader of her time. She created processes to solve big issues- such as creating a new religion to solve the conflict between Catholics and Protestants. Her ability to lead the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Her adventurist spirit enabled Sir Walter Raleigh and Drake to explore other places. She was skillful at managing foreign relations and creating alliances. She created economic stability and bolstered England's Financial position. She implemented reforms addressing poverty and social issues. ALL OF THIS AS A WOMAN DURING THE 16th Century! Managing foreign relations and creating alliances. She created economic stability and bolstered England's Financial position. She implemented reforms addressing poverty and social issues. ALL OF THIS AS A WOMAN DURING THE 16th Century!

Describe what a perfect day outside of work would look like for you?

Travelling, exploring, creating.

MAXIMIZING MUNICIPAL REVENUE: THE WSC® MUNICIPAL SPONSORSHIP SUMMIT - APRIL 1-2, 2025

PETERBOROUGH, ON

The 2025 WSC® Municipal Sponsorship Summit being held in Peterborough, Ontario is a key event for municipal and public sector sponsorship professionals and features sponsorship focused half-day workshops, panels, breakout sessions and keynote presentations led by industry experts. Experience our networking opportunities as well as learning sessions. We are currently running our early bird special, offering 35% off all registration costs. Be sure to share this with your applicable administration team! To learn more and to view the entire Summit schedule and all its sessions, please visit our Summit website.

BUILDING FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT INTO MUNICIPAL SERVICES: A SOLUTION TO CANADIANS' STRESS OVER PERSONAL FINANCES

Many Canadians report that personal finances are the leading cause of stress in their lives, with 44% of Canadians naming money as their biggest problem.

Municipalities can respond to this problem by building financial help into the services they offer. In one municipality, for example, financial empowerment services helped 1,350 residents build their financial health by accessing $3 million in government benefits. Evidence also shows that building financial help into municipal services increases positive service outcomes overall.

Prosper Canada uses a human-centered process to identify, design and integrate financial empowerment services into existing municipal programs. Click here to learn more.