Byron McCorkell speaking to CFJC crews on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

FULL-TIME CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Newly appointed CAO McCorkell wants to focus on civic tasks, avoid council chamber turbulence

Oct 11, 2024 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — ‘Acting’ no more, with Friday’s (Oct. 11) announcement of Byron McCorkell as the new Chief Administrative Officer for the city. For nearly a year, he’s been working in place of CAO David Trawin, who is on extended leave.

“Really, for the organization as whole, to now have a leader at the helm and not just an acting CAO, there’s a very big difference,” explains Deputy Mayor Mike O’Reilly. “Again, Byron was there acting for David and doing the things that he thought David would be doing. And now it’s going to be Mr. McCorkell coming in and saying, ‘Hey, this is how I think the city should be going and the vision and how things should be done’ and we’re looking forward to him executing on that.”

The decision was unanimously voted on in a closed council meeting, not attended by Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, who had briefly suspended McCorkell in March. Though he was reinstated two days later by council.

“Mr. McCorkell has been working for the City of Kamloops for almost 25 years and he has a proven track record of leading the organization and the departments he works in and we see it being no different in the CAO position,” adds O’Reilly.

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The CAO has had a front row seat to tumultuous interactions around the horseshoe that have made news headlines, but he says he wants to keep himself and staff focused on the task at hand.

“That’s our job. We work with council, we help them achieve their strategic plan. We help them educate themselves in areas where they may not know. Our job is we’re supposed to be the experts so we need to be able to share our experiences and our understandings so that they can make good decisions,” reiterates McCorkell. “The other stuff… we don’t really worry too much about.”

McCorkell has been with the city since 1999 and was involved with the Tournament Capital projects in the 2000s. On the heels of Build Kamloops plans passing the alternate approval process, the new CAO wants to bring his work experience into this next phase of arts and recreation facility expansion.

“We’re able to interact with people in various ways, supporting them achieving what they want to have for a quality of life,” McCorkell said, when asked why he’s chosen to continue working for the municipality. “And it’s really interesting work. It’s not always fun but, at the same time, there’s always something new happening. It’s not routine. That’s always been the draw for me.”

The city says McCorkell will be officially moving into the role as of October 15, 2024.