A retired major-general from the Canadian Armed Forces will take over a big role within the city of Saint John in January.
Council appointed John Collin as the new city manager during Monday night’s council meeting.
Darling said it comes after an extensive search in which the city received more than 70 applications from across Canada.
“I’m pleased to tell you that we believe we’ve selected someone that meets this council’s very high expectations,” Darling said. “Our new city manager was fully briefed on our opportunities and our challenges.”
Collin will replace former city manager Jeff Trail, who retired in August and is now the deputy chief administrative officer for the city of Fredericton.
#SaintJohn has voted to appoint a new city manager. John Collin spent 35 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and later worked with Bruce Power in #Ontario. Mayor Don Darling says Collin and his wife plan to live in the uptown. #sjcouncil
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) December 3, 2018
Darling said Collin was chosen for his leadership track record and commitment to creating an exceptional customer service culture.
“[Collin] has been responsible for organizations with upwards of 15,000 personnel, budgets in the many hundreds of millions of dollars, and assets valued in the billions,” he said.
Collin spent 35 years with the Canadian Armed Forces, where he served in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Bosnia and Afghanistan before retiring as a “two-star” general.
He then joined Bruce Power in Ontario, the world’s largest nuclear power generator, where he was responsible for emergency services.
Collin also designed and operated a fine-dining restaurant in Ontario with his wife.
The Montreal native will begin his new role on Jan. 7, 2019.
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Story by Brad Perry
Twitter: @BradMPerry
Email: perry.brad@radioabl.ca
(Photo: City of Saint John/submitted)
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