The City of St. Thomas announced at the beginning of February that clerk Maria Konefal would retire on May 1, marking 38 years in the role.
To fill the vacancy, the hiring team did not have to cast their net all that distant.
On April 2, it was announced Thomas Thayer had been hired as the new Clerk/Director of Legislative Services and would begin those duties on May 11.
One month to the day after moving into his new office overlooking Talbot Street, myFM sat down for a conversation with Thayer, who had previously served as CAO and Deputy Clerk at the Municipality of Bayham.
Prior to that, he had been the Deputy Clerk in the Municipality of Trent Hills, east of Peterborough.
Thayer admits the time has flown by since his arrival, starting with a council meeting on that first day .
During his five-year tenure in Bayham, Thayer had the opportunity to, on occasion, cast a glance to the west at the quickly evolving developments taking shape in St. Thomas.
His leadership skills played a critical role in Bayham being the recipient of the E.A. Danby Award, presented by the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario.
Named after the organization’s inaugural president, the awards are presented annually to one or more municipalities that demonstrate an initiative or a willingness to explore innovative techniques that produce tangible results related to the efficiency and effectiveness of the municipal corporation.
Thayer explains what let to the prestigious recognition.
We talked about his immediate priorities, ever cognizant of this being a municipal election year across the province, and a vacant mayor’s seat.
The head of city council has been granted strong mayor powers by the provincial government, an authority that Mayor Joe Preston has indicated he would never employ, insisting on working in tandem with what he has referred to as a ‘dream council.’
Thayer stresses that your vote matters most at the municipal election level.
And voting has never been easier confided Thayer.
This is an exciting time for the city and Thayer is confident he brings much to the table moving forward.
Thayer’s background includes extensive work in municipal management, election administration, policy development, public engagement, legislative compliance.
Written by Ian McCallum
