Karen DePrest was hired earlier this month, starting her job on April 1st.
EAST ZORRA-TAVISTOCK - Karen DePrest is the new Chief Administrative Officer of East Zorra-Tavistock.
DePrest was hired earlier this month, starting her job on April 1st.
DePrest says she's excited to be in her new role.
"It feels fantastic. I'm on day nine already now of being in the job and I absolutely love it. I feel very welcome here, the team is amazing. I plan to get out into the community next week and to do a bit of road tour, a facility visit. So, I'm honestly loving it. I'm very flattered and honoured that they chose me."
DePrest says there are a few pressing issues she plans to address, including the regional review and assisting with the 2019 budget development.
"Obviously the two biggest pressing issues right now are the regional review, which is ongoing. We did actually meet as a group of CAO's in Oxford County last Thursday and we've got a preliminary report going forward to each of our councils indicating that we'd like to work, collaboratively, on a service delivery review. So all of the municipalities in Oxford County will contribute equally to hiring a consultant to take a look at all of the services across all of the municipalities and see whether there is a efficient way to deliver them, or if there is changes or recommendations that comes out of that, we'll be bringing that back to our councils for discussion."
"And closer to home, East Zorra-Tavistock has actually been without a Treasurer for a while as well. So, given my financial background, I've been asked to come in and start trying to help get caught up on last year's audit, so 2018's audit, as well as working on 2019 budget development. So those are my big things right now and all of that is all subject to working collaboratively with everybody here."
The regional review is a topic of concern for communities across Oxford County, however DePrest says she is not fearful of it.
"As a public servant my whole life, I've only been in public service since I graduated university. I know ultimately the rate payer is the person that we all serve so if there are changes, recommendations, etc that involve positions, then as long as the best interest of the rate payer is at heart, that's kind of where I'm coming from. I'm not afraid to be on the street looking for a new job in six months if that's what they determine is the best way to go about it."
East Zorra-Tavistock's office has seen a high turnover rate and DePrest says that while she enters the role with no preconceptions, she does plan on addressing the issue.
"I'm going to use my own leadership style to make sure staff all know that we're on the same team and we're all going to be working together. And I don't use the word team as a buzzword like some people do, I actually genuinely mean it. We're all human, we all put our pants one leg at a time per se and I think that everyone knowing that they're valued, that I appreciate what they bring to the table, that we're all going to be working together to solve the problems that arise, should help to calm the waters if there's been problems in the past."
DePrest has held a range of roles in her career, which she began in 1992.
Before she became the CAO, DePrest was the Director of Finance and Treasurer of Central Elgin in the County of Elgin for seven years.
Although this is the first time she has held the title as CAO, DePrest says she's looking forward to her new role.
"I hope that I bring a collaborative approach to all of the things we're going to address in the future. I hope that I bring some financial stability to the finance department, which has seen some turnover definitely over the last few years, so I think that expertise will help out to set the ship going in the right direction and then all of the people to take over and steer it going forward. I hope that I bring the financial support that the other managers need in their departments because they haven't had that over the last little while. And I hope I bring an open and learning opportunity for myself because I've never been a CAO before, I've been a Director of Finance and I believe that overall view is what benefits me in the role currently."
Dairy Capital Run Returns to Discovery Farm Woodstock
LPS Officer from Woodstock Charged by OPP
Golf Carts Stolen and Damaged in Ingersoll
Rural Engagement Survey Closing Soon
Tickets Available for Woodstock Mayor's Breakfast
Oxford MP Responds to Federal Budget
Norfolk OPP Briefs - April 17th
Gas Hike on the Horizon for Ontario
Crime Stoppers Launches Virtual Jail & Bail Fundrasier
Impaired Driver Busted in Ingersoll
Local Realtor Wins National Realtors Care Award
Budget 2024 Tabled in Ottawa
Local U18 Girls Hockey Teams Wins Gold
OPP Investigate Mischief in SWOX
WPS Searching for Stolen Truck
UPDATE: Suspect Arrested in Delhi
OCL to Celebrate Oxford Local History Day
OCNVA Receives Grant to Support Fishing Derbies
Introducing eDash at TDMH and Alexandra Hospital
Federal Budget Day on Parliament Hill
Comments
Add a comment