Chatham-Kent’s new chief administrative officer is officially on the job.
Thursday marked the 1st day of work for Michael Duben.
Duben said while there are a lot of exciting things happening in Chatham-Kent, the municipality has its share of challenges.
“Wheatley (is) a significant challenge and I think there’s still vestiges of amalgamation,” Duben said. “It’s going to take a couple of generations for people to hopefully, finally buy into the idea that there’s one single organization now.”
Duben most recently worked as the top administrator in Oxford County with several smaller communities under the county’s umbrella. He said he likes the single-tier system of communities like Chatham-Kent where it’s clear who is responsible for what.
Past experience also includes serving as CAO in the District Municipality of Muskoka for seven years, 5 years as a GM with the City of Windsor, and 10 years as a senior corporate law partner in Windsor.
Duben will be spending at least part of the day Friday meeting with former CAO Don Shropshire to discuss the weekly situation, among other things.
He says his first priority is to listen and learn.
“It’s a big organization, and while I have a lot of knowledge about municipal government, Chatham-Kent has its own unique opportunities and challenges.”
Duben plans to meet with with municipal staff in each of the wards and work stations across Chatham-Kent.
“Council sets the vision, they’re entitled to do that, they’ve been elected, they’re the ones under the mayor’s leadership that have to tell us where the community’s going. My job is to make sure we deliver on what council’s vision is, professionally and efficiently and effectively.”
