CAO Statement on International Women's Day 2023

Today we celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women in our community on International Women’s Day (IWD).  As the head of one of our community’s largest employers, I am proud to recognize our female employees and the hard work they do every day.

This year’s IWD theme is Gender Equity, a process that ensures people have access to resources, programs, and decision-making regardless of their gender.  It also seeks to address imbalances in how people are compensated.  That’s why we have recently updated our job evaluation process; we want to ensure our compensation practices are equitable, regardless of gender.

We also need to ensure that women have access to leadership positions, in order to build influence and wealth.  Currently, forty percent of our management team are women, as well as a third of our Council members. It goes without saying that we would like to see this number grow.

After working for almost 25 years in government, I am encouraged to see more and more women when I sit down at a table with other municipal leaders.  It is imperative that those who speak for – and work for – our citizens reflect those whom they represent.  On this International Women’s Day, I ask the community to join me in thanking the women who strive to make this Town a better place for everyone.