Joel McKay, City Manager for the City of Quesnel
QUESNEL – The City of Quesnel has announced the appointment of Joel McKay as the new City Manager. McKay has served as the Chief Executive Officer for the past eight years at Northern Development Initiative Trust and is scheduled to start his position as City Manager in January 2025.
McKay joined Northern Development in 2012 as the Director of Communications and was appointed CEO in 2016.
The City of Quesnel began the process of recruiting a new City Manager upon the resignation of Byron Johnson, who accepted a position with the District of Clearwater.
“Joel brings a wealth of connected knowledge and ambition to the City of Quesnel, and on behalf of Council, I am pleased to welcome him to his new role,” said Mayor Ron Paull. “His drive and ambition will be a great asset to the community, and we look forward to working with him on projects and initiatives to help further develop our beautiful city.”
“I would like to express my gratitude and excitement as I enter this new role,” said Joel McKay. “It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to serve as Chief Executive Officer at Northern Development Initiative Trust, and I look forward to utilizing the skillsets that I have developed there to fulfill the role of City Manager for the City of Quesnel. Mayor and Council have provided me with this incredible opportunity to be a part of this exceptional team and community and I look forward to the work ahead of us all.”
Deputy City Manager Kari Bolton will continue to fulfill the role during this transition until Joel McKay starts with the City on January 2, 2025 while the recruitment process for a new CEO for Northern Development is in place.
“The Board and I would like to congratulate Joel on his new position with the City of Quesnel. What Joel has done for the Trust is amazing, he has moved us to fund more programs and encouraged us to look outside the box. He built a phenomenal team and developed incredible relationships with MLA’s and local government officials across the province. Joel has earned the respect due to him, and NDIT is truly sorry to see him leave, but we wish him all the best in his future endeavors, and I am sure that many of us will cross paths with him again,” said Northern Development Board Chair, Margo Wagner.
Source: Business Examiner Staff, Northern Development & City of Quesnel
