A veteran administrator is being brought in to be the interim Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) at the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
The municipality named Tony Haddad the top administrator on Tuesday afternoon while the search continues to find a permanent CAO in Chatham-Kent.
The municipality said Haddad will replace retiring CAO Don Shropshire, who was set to retire in December but decided to stay to help with the transition to a new CAO. The transition hit a major road bump when incoming CAO Thomas Kelly became the subject of an investigation in late November for alleged harassment, just a week after he was named as the new CAO.
The municipality announced on March 17, 2022 that Kelly was no longer a municipal employee.
The search for a new CAO is expected to take three months. The deadline to apply for the job is April 22, 2022, according to the firm conducting the search Waterhouse Executive Search.
Haddad's appointment was approved by Chatham-Kent Council on Monday and he starts his new role on April 5, 2022.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff said the municipality is fortunate to have someone with Haddad’s experience to fill the CAO position on an interim basis.
“I have every confidence that Tony and Don will ensure there is a smooth transition, and that the community will be well-served while we fill the CAO’s position on a permanent basis,” said the mayor.
Haddad was the CAO for the Town of Tecumseh from 2007 to 2019 and most recently served as the interim CAO for the Town of Amherstburg.
He also worked as a senior advisor with Strategy Corporation, a public affairs, communications, and management consulting advisory firm.
