John Thomas, the Chief Administrative Officer for the District of Clearwater, has announced that he is resigning from the position effective Aug. 16.
Thomas, who moved from Yukon to take the Clearwater CAO position almost two years ago, made the announcement on Thursday, June 1 during an interview with Black Press, saying “I have made the very difficult decision to step down as the CAO for the District of Clearwater.”
During the interview with Thomas and Mayor Merlin Blackwell, neither man hid their obvious respect for each other after having worked closely together for the last two years. Blackwell described how the working culture at the district office evolved after Thomas came on board as CAO.
“John has empowered people to be themselves and do their jobs in an independent way that reflects a lot of joy and a lot of happiness, as well as a lot of laughter in this office. That is an incredible work culture, and we want people to be happy coming to their jobs,” said Blackwell.
“It is my firm belief that happy people will work harder for you and be much more loyal to your organization.”
The team has gone through a lot in a relatively short but challenging time that included a pandemic, a huge pipeline project, and wildfires.
“It’s surprising sometimes how we have navigated through this,” said Blackwell. “Clearwater financially is doing well at this point. Trust is a big thing in local government, and what John has managed to do in his time here is create a culture of trust, growth, and confidence in the staff that I would love to see expanded to the community even further.
“Clearwater can only get better by everybody being open and doing their business in an open, transparent way.”
When asked about his recent Facebook post (also published as a Letter to the Editor) regarding homophobia and racism, Blackwell said “I wrote the letter specifically in response to some requests for [the District] not to support LGBTQ+ people with tax dollars. We took on those groups because of roles they were willing to assume as community sponsors, like this year’s May Day parade.
“Equating your tax dollars with LGBTQ+ and not picking on anything else within the budget is not okay with me. That’s why I wrote that. The racism comments were related to doctors and individuals of colour in this town, not directly related to John.”
Both men agreed the joint strategy overall has been to make it comfortable for anybody who walks through the doors, no matter who they are or what they are coming in for, so that each person is treated equally.
“If there is a cultural difference, a different sexual preference, or they are new to the area, the message is that each individual will be welcomed with as much respect as a long-time resident would be,” said Blackwell.
Thomas shared how much thought he has put into his decision.
“I have gone back and forth on it hundreds of times. One of the things that is a value of mine is transparency. I wear everything on my sleeve. My staff certainly saw some of the pressures and stepped up time and again to assist where they could.”
He noted that CAOs carry a lot in the communities in which they serve, and that the mental health impacts of the job have gone “through the roof.”
“The speed at which governance is happening is increasing, capacity is not necessarily matching it, and that disconnect is going to put all local governments at a ‘tipping point’. I love what I do, and I take a very people-focused approach. The reason I went back and forth on this decision was because of my staff, and the team that we have built together. It’s hard to walk away, but it’s important to acknowledge when it’s time. For me, it’s time for a different challenge.”
Thomas has taken a new CAO position working with a First Nation. “I’m very excited about the potential partnerships that can be established, with the District of Clearwater and other organizations within the North Thompson Valley. The work that they are calling me to do is also important.”
When asked about specific details, Thomas said “I can’t tell you where yet, but I will announce it when they are ready to go public.” He will, however, be keeping his home in Clearwater, and is looking forward to being a contributing resident.
“I will be able to be more involved in the community without having the additional weight of the role of CAO that I’ve occupied, because in a smaller town there is no such thing as anonymity.”
Thomas will now focus on supporting “his team” of mayor and council during the transition, before moving on in August.
“I am damn proud to have worked with Mayor Blackwell and council. I absolutely love our people in the office, our staff, and I use that word [love] with intent.” Looking at Blackwell, he added “I love working with this guy.”
“Likewise,” replied Blackwell. “I don’t know how we are going to do this without John. It’s going to be very hard to lose him.”
“At the end of the day, I did the best that I could,” said Thomas. “I used the platform of the CAO to tag on to the message of Mayor Blackwell around inclusivity, to walk in the parade with Valley Pride. Ever since I was a child, I have always spoken truth to power, and I always will. I will never compromise on my integrity, personally or professionally.”
Thomas said he believes that Clearwater has the capacity to deliver a vision and become even more successful.
“I go back to something that my grandmother always said, that charity begins at home. Governance starts with organizing our own house before we can go out there and tell people how to live their lives. We need to lead by example.”
