2024 LGP Alumni Society's Executive Committee
At the Annual General Meeting, the membership elects the year's Executive.
- President:
Erin Britnell, MPA (2015)
Erin is currently the Manager of Corporate Performance and Strategy at the City of Guelph. Her team is responsible for oversight of the Strategic Plan, corporate performance reporting, business planning, the project management office and the continuous improvement office. Throughout her career, she has focused on enabling data-driven decision making, and improved municipal service delivery by building and leading high-performance teams and cross-corporate collaboration. Erin also holds a BA (Honours) in Political Science from the University of Guelph, a Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from Humber College and is a Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt. Erin started her career as an AMCTO Municipal Management intern and has previously worked at the Niagara Region in various analyst roles and as a Senior Business Analyst, Manager of IT, and Director of Corporate Strategy and Innovation at the Town of Caledon.
- Vice-President:
Sandra Datars-Bere, MPA (2006)
Sandra is the City Manager for the City of London where she leads and oversees all administrative and operational functions of the City. She was previously the CAO for St. Thomas and Bruce Country and led the provision of social, housing, and long-term care services for the City of London for seven years. She has more than 33 years of public service experience, including 19 years with the Province of Ontario, where she began as an OPS Intern and later worked in many roles including as the Regional Director for the Ministries of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Community and Social Services/ Children and Youth Services. She holds a BA (Honours) in Psychology from Western, in addition to her MPA. Sandra is active in governance roles, having just been elected to a second term on the Boards of Directors of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA). She remains connected to Western, serving as an Executive Member of its Alumni Association, chairing its Legacy and Alumni Awards of Distinction Committees and recently completed a 3-year appointment to Western’s Senate.
- Treasurer:
Adam Mobbs, MPA (2013)
- Toronto Area Representative:
Kathy Deschamps, GDPA (2021)
Kathy brings over a decade of experience in the transportation industry, with a significant portion of her career spent in diverse roles within the City of Toronto's Transportation Services. Graduating from Mohawk College with an Advanced Diploma in Transportation Engineering Technology, Kathy has established a strong foundation in the field. Her dedication to professional development is evident through her attainment of the Certified Engineering Technologist designation with OACETT. Throughout her tenure at the City of Toronto, Kathy has consistently demonstrated her expertise and commitment to excellence in transportation-related projects. Her roles have encompassed various aspects of transportation management and planning, providing her with a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved. In 2021, Kathy further expanded her knowledge and skill set by completing a Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from Western University. Currently pursuing her Master's in Public Administration, she remains dedicated to advancing her qualifications and staying abreast of the latest developments in the field.
- Student Representative:
William Gardiner, MPA Student
I am currently pursing my master's degree in public administration at the University of Western Ontario. After I graduate in the summer of 2024 I aspire to work in Ontario's municipal sector. My experience working alongside prominent figures in municipal government through the Local Government Program and Alumni Society has been a fantastic opportunity to expand my network and learn from seasoned professionals.
- 2024 Conference Co-Chairs:
Rob Adams, MPA (1992)
Rob Adams is currently the Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Erin where he leads and oversees all administrative and operational functions. Rob is the founder and CEO of Town Hall Consulting Inc., specializing in Strategic Plans, Service delivery reviews, Council-Staff relations and High-performance Team training. He was previously the CAO for Stouffville, where he led one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities. He is a passionate and innovative leader who uses outside-the-box thinking to leverage success. Rob is a unique leader, having served as both a multi-term Mayor and Warden on the political side and as a business executive running the operations of Canada’s most prominent technology software company and inspired his team to achieve the Profit 100 Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies rankings 2 years in a row. Rob holds a BA (Honours), Ivey-AMCTO Municipal Leadership and an MPA in Local Government from Western University. Rob has been awarded the Award of Excellence by the Western University Local Government Alumni Society, the OMAA -Ontario Municipal Administrators Association Achievement Award, the AMO Peter J. Marshall Innovation Award, and the AMCTO E. A. Danby Award for Outstanding Achievement in Improving Performance.
Kyle Pratt, MPA (2007)
Kyle Pratt is currently the Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Tillsonburg, in Oxford County. Kyle has held the position of CAO for over 14 years, in three different municipalities. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario where he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Public Administration in Local Government. He is also a graduate of the IVEY/AMCTO Executive Municipal Leadership Program and Economic Development Program (Certificate in Economic Development) from the University of Waterloo. Kyle holds the Certified Municipal Officer, Certified Municipal Manager – Human Resources Professional and Certified Human Resources Leader designations. He is also the recipient of the AMCTO Municipal Law award. Kyle began his career in municipal government over 16 years ago, as an AMCTO Municipal Management Intern with the County of Hastings, and now serves on the AMCTO Board of Directors.
- Past-President:
Stephanie MacKenzie-Smith, MPA (2018)
Stephanie received her MPA in 2018 and was the recipient of the Allan O’Brien Academic Award in Public Administration for the graduating part-time student with the highest academic average. She also holds an undergraduate degree in journalism and is currently completing her PhD in Communication and Culture, where her research focuses on social media and policy change. Stephanie spent more than a decade in municipal management with York Regional Police as Supervisor of Strategic Communications, and as a member of the executive leadership team in the Town of Aurora. She now teaches at York University in the School of Public Policy and Administration and at Conestoga College in the Communications Department.
- Directors-at-Large:
Patrick Brault, MPA (2012)
Shivi Darubra, MPA (2020)
Shivi Jawanda is a distinguished policy and project management professional with extensive experience in local and provincial government. Currently serving as a Senior Policy Advisor with the Ministry of Long-Term Care where focuses on Quality Improvement and Strategy. In addition to her advisory role, Shivi is a part-time professor at Seneca College, where she teaches project management in the Local Government program. Specializing in process improvement, strategic planning, and evidence-based policymaking, Shivi has dedicated her career to enhancing system and collaborative policymaking. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from Seneca College, and a Master of Public Administration from Western University. Her diverse professional background includes positions with the City of Vaughan, the Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO), the City of Markham, and the Ministry of Transportation.
Nina Lecic
Nina has worked in the municipal sector for over 15 years, including three municipalities of varying sizes, challenges, and budgets. Nina prides herself on working on innovative, change management solutions, and enjoys working with staff throughout corporations to determine practical, efficient solutions. Nina has served on the AMCTO Board of Directors, has obtained her CMO, AOMC and CMM III and is in the process of completing her Masters in Public Administration.
- Communications Director:
Ashley Bilodeau, MPA (2022)
Ashley is the Senior Municipal Director for the Municipality of Callander, which functions as the Chief Administrative Officer role. She is native to Northern Ontario, having experience working in the Town of Gravenhurst, the City of North Bay and the Town of Kirkland Lake. She possesses a Bachelor of Arts from Laurentian University, a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Queens University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Western Ontario. - Secretary:
Kelly Sutton, MPA (2023)
After completing her GDPA in 2022, Kelly went on to complete her MPA in 2023 and was the recipient of the Andrew Sancton Academic Award for full-time student with the highest grade. She also holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Toronto Metropolitan University, Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation and Certified Municipal Manager (CMM) level three accreditation from the Ontario Municipal Management Institute. Kelly is the Manager of Strategic Planning and Corporate Performance Measures for the City of Vaughan, responsible for the term of council strategic plan, OKR business planning framework, corporate performance measures, and data analytics program. She has over 20 years of local government experience, including roles as Budget Analyst at York Regional Police and Manager, Business Planning and Performance Measurement (Corporate Operating Budget) at the Regional Municipality of York, prior to joining the City of Vaughan in 2020. - Director of the Local Government Program:
Joe Lyons, PhD
Joe Lyons became Director of the Local Government Program in July 2017. Having taught in the program since 2013, he has a strong appreciation for its unique and important role in training local government administrators. Joe is responsible for all academic aspects of the program, including its curriculum and admission and progression requirements.
LGP Alumni Society Constitution
The Constitution can be viewed here
