Josh Pyrcz, the Town of Athabasca’s new chief administrative officer, is looking forward to helping the town move ahead.
He officially took over as the CAO last Tuesday.
He said the things he brings to his new job is “an energy, is a new way of doing business and a real commitment to getting things done.”
“I am definitely results orientated and I can tell this council is as well,” he said in an interview last Wednesday.
“They have a lot of big projects on the go right now and they want things to happen and they, and the community, have a vision for the future. So, I think I bring the energy and the competency to make that a reality.”
Pyrcz was born in St. Albert, but moved to Wolfville, Nova Scotia when he was very young.
In 2003, he moved back to Alberta to get his Master’s in Political Science from the University of Alberta – specializing in municipal government.
From there, he went on to work in Barrhead, Leduc and then back to Wolfville. He stayed there for eight months, before coming back to the province.
Although Pyrcz hasn’t officially moved into the town, he was at his first council meeting last Tuesday.
“It’s really great to be back in Alberta and you really get a sense when you move to the East, the East Coast in particular, just how fortunate we are to be in a province like this,” he said.
“A province that has a dedicated government, such active individuals within the community, such a great volunteer spirit. But also still has that drive, that hard work ethic that really defines this province.”
He explained that he is looking forward to taking on the bigger projects around town – like the new school – and helping them move forward.
He also believes that Athabasca has a unique opportunity in its location to deal with infrastructure issues.
“It’s something that every municipality faces in this province, but I think Athabasca is really a hub to the north,” Pyrcz added.
“We have a unique opportunity to capitalize on that and the growth and development in the community, it’s just such a positive sign of the future.”
