Scott Donselaar new Stirling CAO

By Nikki Jamieson
Westwind Weekly News

The Village of Stirling has a new CAO.

Scott Donselaar started at the town on Aug. 17. Previously, he held roles such as the Planning and Development Officer and Director of Emergency Management with the Town of Fort Macleod, was a member of the Southern Alberta All Hazards Incident Management Team and spent almost 15 years in the role of Peace Officer, mostly in supervisory and management roles.

“I believe my previous experience will benefit me as a CAO as I have learned how to manage stressful situations, I’ve had opportunities to interact and develop relationships with people from all walks of life and backgrounds, and I have a solid understanding of the legislation required to operate a municipality,” said Donselaar.

“The role differs in the actual functionality. In my previous life it was about responding to day-to-day complaints and dealing with intermittent high stress situations and resolving them. Now I look to find ways to implement council’s objectives and strategic plans and look long term to finding efficiencies and resources which will benefit the residents of the Village of Stirling long term. This role has a much broader base of responsibilities.”

Over the years, Donselaar has worked to acquire his Certification in Local Government Authorities with the University of Alberta for both the Level 1 and 2 programs, and is currently finishing his last two courses to obtain the Applied Land Use and Development Certificate. His trick to balancing his studies, home and work life is to take care not to take on to much at any given time.

“My only tip is to not overextend what you’re capable of doing and be honest with yourself on what you’re able to achieve and set your goals accordingly. I’ve found for me it’s allowed me to excel at work, school and spend the time with my family we need.”

Outside of work and studies, Donselaar enjoys spending time with his wife and three children and their friends. He says they spend a lot of their time either entertaining or outdoors, and he enjoys getting into the back country and doing a lot of hiking.

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