City’s Chief Administrative Officer resigns

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The City of Winnipeg’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Michael Jack has submitted notice that he will be leaving City Hall, it was announced Monday.

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Jack’s last day as CAO will be next Friday.

“I feel now is the time for someone new to come in and lead the City’s Public Service with a fresh perspective,” said Jack in a release from the City of Winnipeg. “To paraphrase one of my favourite hockey coaches, as head of the City’s Public Service, I feel I was a good leader and I had a good team, but I have lead this team as far as I can and it’s time for someone new to take them to the next level.”

Mayor Scott Gillingham accepted Jack’s resignation, and will be moving a motion at Tuesday’s Executive Policy Committee to recommend an Interim CAO until a new, permanent CAO is appointed. Gillingham said efforts to recruit a new CAO will begin shortly with the appointment of a new selection committee tasked with leading the recruitment and selection process.

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“I want to thank Mr. Jack for his 24 years of dedicated service to the City of Winnipeg,” said Gillingham. “His contributions as part of our Legal Services and Senior Management Teams have been significant, particularly in guiding the City through the pandemic and our initial recovery phase. The selection process for a new CAO will be comprehensive, and we are committed to finding a leader who will elevate our Public Service to the next level.”

Jack started his career with the City in July 2000, working in various roles until being appointed as CAO in July 2021. During his time as CAO, he was responsible for leading a number of initiatives including:

– The co-development of the Gawijijigemangit Agreement, the Municipal Development and Services Agreement with Treaty One Nation for Naawi-Oodena, the largest urban reserve in Canada

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– The unprecedented foray by the City into the creation and facilitation of housing, from three tranches of the federal Rapid Housing Initiative to the implementation of the current Housing Accelerator Fund

– The resolution of the decade long effort to seek compensation for the misconduct related to the construction of the Winnipeg Police Service Headquarters

– The creation of the Community Safety Team.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to serve the residents of Winnipeg for the past 24 years, and to work alongside tremendously talented members of the City’s Public Service,” said Jack.

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