After 11 years of service to the residents of Ritchot, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Mitch Duval is hanging up his hat. His replacement, announced at the March 19 council meeting, is Shane Ray.
Ray currently serves as Director of Recreation Services for the RM, so council didn’t have to go far to find him.
Still, the role shift wasn’t an obvious one to council at first.
Councillor Shane Pelletier was on the selection committee. The key to finding just the right person, he says, is to hire a good head-hunting consultant.
After some due diligence, the consultant submitted 12 applications to the selection committee. From that group, four were singled out for in-person interviews.
Applications for the position were not limited to Ritchot residents.
“For that kind of role, you can’t limit it that much,” Pelletier says. “There’s probably about 40 open spots for CAOs in Manitoba.”
That Ray, as an RM employee, rose to the top of their selection list was a pleasant surprise, Pelletier says.
“We weren’t aware of [Ray’s eligibility],” Pelletier says. “We had never had any conversations where that came up. He interviewed well and he’s got a lot of leadership experience.”
Ray’s start date as CAO will be April 30.
“I’m excited to take on this role and work alongside council, staff, and the community to build on Ritchot’s many strengths and create opportunities for sustainable growth,” says Ray. “This is a vibrant and evolving municipality, and I look forward to supporting initiatives that enhance the quality of life for all residents.”
According to the RM, Ray comes with more than 25 years of experience in municipal administration, financial management, and community development. Prior to Ritchot, Ray worked with organizations such as Recreation Manitoba, Red River College, and CurlManitoba.
For Duval, stepping away from his CAO position doesn’t necessarily mean full-time retirement. In the beginning, he says he’ll take a few months to consider what comes next.
He certainly won’t rule out the possibility of using his skills and years of experience to offer consulting services to municipalities where they’re needed.
“The future is mine to control,” Duval says. “I’d be happy to… help municipalities [work through] certain projects.”
Still, he admits, there will be aspects of his position in the RM of Ritchot that he’ll miss.
“What I will miss the most are the great staff at this municipality, other municipalities, and the many connections I’ve made with council members, developers, and provincial departments,” Duval says. “It’s been an incredible journey.”
In total, Duval has spent 29 years of his career working in municipal services. Prior to Ritchot, he worked as CAO in the RM of Montcalm and as Municipal Services Officer for the province before that.
“[The CAO role] is the foundation of community and it is near and dear to my heart,” Duval says.
Duval was instrumental in seeing the RM through many projects over his years of service. Some of the most memorable include the project that expanded St. Adolphe’s ring dike to make room for growth.
The Ste. Agathe firehall project helped to improve emergency services in the municipality.
Duval was there to help council find innovative ways to expand on the area’s childcare services. And most recently, he helped orchestrate the expansion and modernization of the municipality’s civic office.
Almost any council member will tell you that the position of CAO is arguably one of the most important hin municipal government.
The CAO provides an imperative resource for council members due to their knowledge and understanding of municipal law.
At the same time, the CAO exercises overall municipal management to ensure government operates effectively and efficiently.
The CAO, too, needs to be a visionary in terms of finding innovative ways to enhance resident services while at the same time managing public expectations.
