Just a little over one year later, Scott Hildebrand is moving on to bigger pastures.
The City of Merritt’s Chief Administrative Officer is leaving his seat to become the Thompson-Nicola Regional District CAO, after taking the Merritt CAO position in May of last year.
“I’d just like to say how great it has been to have you here, for a very short time,” said Mayor Linda Brown before Hildebrand gave his final update to council on Tuesday.
“You’ve brought our team together, and brought passion into the organization. It has brought us leaps and bounds into our next phase of growth, and I can speak for all of us where I know we’re all saying thank you for what you’ve done. We are really, really pleased to have had you here.”
Mayor Brown will still continue to get to work with Hildebrand through TNRD, a position he officially took in mid-July and will be assuming on Aug. 10. Former Deputy CAO, Sean Smith, will be assuming the CAO position.
Hildebrand said that he was very appreciative of his time with the Merritt team.
“It’s an honour working with the City of Merritt,” said Hildebrand. “I understand it was a short time, but I won’t be that far away, and I’ll still get the interacting (with Merritt council)…it’s been a great experience.”
Hildebrand added that he expects to see Merritt grow exponentially in the near future, economically, socially, and otherwise.
“The City of Merritt is set up for some huge success. There are a lot of initiatives, and a lot of projects going on right now, and the public truly understands that they will really put Merritt on the map.
“We’ve got a great team, we’ve got a great council, and I think we’ve got a lot of good fortune ahead of us. So I will be keeping an eye on the city as well, making sure I stay close to it.”
In a written statement, Hildebrand added:”The City of Merritt and this community have been outstanding, and I will miss this team. We have built a solid foundation with Council, our staff and the projects and initiatives we are working on. We have tremendous momentum right now, with so many opportunities for growth and I look forward to watching that unfold.
“Personally, this will not be the end of my work with Merritt. I am looking forward to future opportunities where Merritt and the TNRD can work together for the betterment of the entire Nicola Valley. Thank you for the opportunity.”
Smith jumps into the role after a year of tutelage under Hildebrand as the Deputy CAO, for which he called Hildebrand a “phenomenal mentor.” He has been the Director of Corporate Services in Merritt since 2017, a position he took after working at a municipal law firm in Victoria.
