A long-time city manager is calling it a career.
The Township of Esquimalt announced that its chief administrative officer, Laurie Hurst, will be retiring this fall after nearly 20 years with the municipality and more than 30 years in local government.
Hurst first joined the township in 2004 as a director of finance and was promoted to chief administrative officer four years later. She also held positions with the Capital Regional District, Town of View Royal and the District of Sooke during her career.
“It has been one of the most challenging roles of my career, but also the most rewarding,” Hurst said in a press release about her time as CAO. “The opportunity to be part of such growth and positive change, both in the organization and in the community has been the most fulfilling role I could have imagined for myself. I am so proud to have been able to contribute to what has been accomplished over the years.”
Hurst’s career highlights include overseeing the town square project, negotiating terms for a $17 million Mcloughlin Amenity Funds agreement with the regional district that resulted in the soon-to-be-completed public safety building and the Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion. In 2019, she received a professional Service Award for Leadership from the Board of the Local Government Management Association (LGMA).
“As Mayor, I could always rely on her leadership and commitment to the township and our residents”, said Mayor Barbara Desjardins. “She has been an exceptional administrative leader of the organization guiding our township and six different councils through many challenging issues. This is exemplified most recently in the steady approach she used to guide us through the pandemic. Her diligence, keen wit and expertise will be missed.”
The recruitment process to replace Hurst will begin later this month, according to the township.
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