Loyalist Township welcomes new Chief Administrative Officer
Loyalist Township Council has announced their next Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Rebecca Murphy has been appointed to the position and will assume her responsibilities as CAO on February 21, 2023.
In a media release dated Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, Loyalist Township Mayor Jim Hegadorn stated, “I want to welcome Rebecca to Loyalist Township on behalf of Council. We are thrilled that Rebecca will be leading our municipality. Loyalist is currently experiencing rapid growth and we are confident that the municipality will thrive under her direction.”
Murphy is a graduate of Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Laws and McMaster University with a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science. She comes to Loyalist from Bradford West Gwillimbury, one of the fastest-growing small municipalities in Ontario, according to the release.
As a member of their Senior Management Team and Town Solicitor, Loyalist Township said that Murphy brings with her extensive experience in planning and development, including land acquisition for Town infrastructure projects such as a new Highway 400 interchange, water tower, pumping stations and many kilometres of road and linear works. Murphy was also integral in delivering important community projects, such as BWG Transit, a new Family Health Centre and recruitment of new physicians and implementation of several customer service technology solutions, according to the release.
Murphy is a seasoned municipal administrator who has experience in all facets of municipal service delivery and in developing teams committed to customer service excellence, the Township added, noting that she is also very familiar with Loyalist Township having previously worked at Bombardier Transportation and the Town of Greater Napanee.
“I am very excited to be returning to Loyalist Township; an area that my family calls home,” Murphy stated. “I look forward to working with Council and staff to serve the residents and businesses of Loyalist and to help build a smarter, stronger and more resilient community.”
According to the release, the CAO selection committee, which was comprised of Mayor Hegadorn, Deputy Mayor Townend, and Councillor Proderick, participated in an extensive candidate search process with support from Legacy Executive Search Partners. All members of Council met with Murphy ahead of an Offer of Employment.
Fred Stephenson will continue to serve as the interim CAO until Ms. Murphy assumes the CAO role on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023.