Mayor Steve Ferguson announced today that Council and Marcia Wallace have mutually agreed to end her contract. As a result, Ms. Wallace has resigned from the County of Prince Edward, effective April 30.
 
“We thank Marcia for her excellent leadership in her five years of service and wish her well in her future endeavours,” Mayor Ferguson said.
 
The municipality will begin the search for a new CAO immediately. Details regarding the appointment of an interim CAO will be announced in the coming days.
 
“During this transition period, it is our expectation that senior management and staff at the municipality will carry on and continue to offer the high level of service that our residents and businesses rely on every day,” Mayor Ferguson added. 

 In 2022, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario presented Ms. Wallace and a delegation from the municipality with the Peter J. Marshall Innovation Award for its efforts to support new housing development in the municipality.

The award is an annual, competitive process acknowledging municipalities who have developed new and creative ways of serving the public.

Debt financing for critical and development spawning infrastructure is risky for rural municipalities. AMO determined the County’s innovative solution of negotiating upfront financing agreements with developers to pre-pay development charges at the draft subdivision approval stage, rather than when building permits are issued, was worthy of its top laurel.

The award-winning concept was the brainchild of Ms. Wallace and among her many successes during her six year tenure as CAO.

Ms. Wallace, who holds a PhD in Urban Planning from the University of Waterloo, was hired by the municipality in November 2019.

She joined the County with more than 20 years of experience in the Ontario Public Service. Prior to her CAO appointment, Ms. Wallace served as the Assistant Deputy Minister for the municipal services division within Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

As Assistant Deputy Minister,  Wallace provided leadership to the division responsible for the Ministry’s regional offices, the Building Code, and disaster recovery programs.

Prior to this, she led high profile policy and program initiatives at the Ministries of Municipal Affairs, Housing, and the Environment. Highlights from that work included designing site-specific solutions with municipalities in Central Ontario and a sector-wide transformation of government services in areas including brownfield redevelopment, energy projects, and environmental compliance.

Former Roads Director Robert McAuley was acting CAO after the working relationship between the municipality and former CAO James Hepburn had ended. Mr. Hepburn replaced ousted CAO Merlin Dewing in 2015. Mr. Dewing arrived from Sioux Lookout in 2011 and was relieved of his role four years later after he and Council agreed his leadership approach no longer aligned with the vision the current council. 

Council unanimously approved the hiring of Ms. Wallace, who is a Registered Professional Planner with the Ontario Professional Planners Institute. She began her career as an assistant professor at York University in 1999 before joining the Ontario public service.