Warren Waycheshen is the newest member to the District of Kitimat team, taking on the role of deputy chief administrative officer.
Waycheshen is settling into Kitimat after arriving here from Gibsons, B.C., where he was that community’s chief administrative officer (CAO).
Waycheshen explains his role as assisting Kitimat’s chief administrative officer Ron Poole with the operations of the city, as Poole puts his energy into dealing with Kitimat’s construction expansion.
“With all the industries investigating and locating around Kitimat [Poole] needs to dedicate most of his time to working with those opportunities,” said Waycheshen in an e-mail interview.
He also takes on the role previously held by former municipal clerk Walter McLellan as the town’s Corporate Officer.
Waycheshen, aside from spending the last year and a half in Gibsons, was also the CAO in Mackenzie, a title he held for 15 years. (He notes he also had other roles, such as corporate officer and director of finance.)
“We always liked the Northwest area and first starting coming here while living in Houston in the mid-1990s,” he said.
His time in Mackenzie also saw the closure of the saw mills and pulp and paper mills. His experience with industry shut down made him a knowledgeable source when Eurocan closed their pulp and paper mill here.
“When Eurocan shut down here we had a few video and teleconference meetings with Kitimat to discuss how we worked through the down turn and were able to get the mills restarted,” he said.
He said he and his family believe Kitimat is well-poised to having a strong future.
As for the things he has enjoyed since moving here, he points to the “great trail system” and abundance of open spaces in the residential areas.
“The community has a strong balance between being a beautiful place to live with many amenities...and understanding that industry provides great opportunities.”
Waycheshen’s wife and two kids will arrive in Kitimat shortly after they deal with the sale of their home in Gibsons.