Senior civil servant with long military career hired as Edmonton's new city manager
Search for new city manager was derailed by the pandemic
The City of Edmonton has hired a senior civil servant from the Alberta government to take over as its new city manager, beginning in January 2021.
Andre Corbould, the province's deputy minister of education, will take over the position on Jan. 18.
Before joining the Alberta government, Corbould had a 28-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces where his duties ranged from managing security for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and nation-building efforts in Afghanistan.
"Every organization can periodically benefit from a fresh perspective on how to streamline services to best serve our community, particularly under these difficult economic and public health circumstances," Mayor Don Iveson said in a statement released Friday morning.
"That is why we're happy Andre will be joining the team as his vast leadership experience, as well as experience working with other orders of government, will help advance City of Edmonton priorities at a provincial and national level."
Council unanimously approved the appointment on Friday morning.
In the statement, Corbould noted that he is looking forward to the new challenge.
"I've had the privilege of serving in the public service for more than three decades — first with the Canadian military, then the province of Alberta," he said.
The city's previous city manager, Linda Cochrane, retired at the end of December 2019 and the reins were handed over temporarily to longtime city employee Adam Laughlin. The interim appointment stretched longer than expected when the pandemic put the city's hunt for a new city manager on hold.
"Interim city manager Adam Laughlin, who has led superbly through the pandemic, continues to have the full confidence of council to lead through the ongoing public health crisis and through the difficult budget deliberations ahead," the statement added.