Recruitment announced for Chair of the Special Areas Board

Jordon Christianson, current Chair of the Special Areas Board, has announced that he will not be seeking reappointment as Chair once his current appointment expires in September 2025. He shared this message in a letter to ratepayers this week, available on the Special Areas website.

As a Crown agency, the Special Areas Board is governed by the Alberta Public Agencies Governance Act, and that legislation includes a ten-year term limit on appointments. As a result of this decision, the Special Areas Board will be working with the Alberta Public Agency Secretariat to recruit a new Chair of the Special Areas Board. You can learn more at https://www.alberta.ca/public-agency-secretariat.

As the Special Areas Board is a public (crown) agency, recruitments to the Board are managed through this provincial body. As the Special Areas Board is unique in both mandate and structure as a provincial agency, it is expected that the three current Board members will be directly involved in the recruitment process. This will ensure that local stakeholders, including the Advisory Council, are an integral part of this important leadership recruitment.

The recruitment process is expected to begin this fall, with the intent of having the position filled in early 2025. This will allow for a substantial transition period, and ensure supports are in place to manage this change in leadership. The recruitment will be managed as an open and competitive process and will be widely advertised.

To learn more about Special Areas Advisory Council and Board members, please visit. https://specialareas.ab.ca/about/board-and-advisory-council/

Jordon Christianson

Letter: To ratepayers and residents of the Special Areas,

I wanted to share some important news with you about my role as Chair of the Special Areas Board, and how it will impact our organization over the next year.

It has been my honor to serve as Chair of the Special Areas Board since September 2015. I have the deepest respect for what we do here at Special Areas, and I have made the very difficult decision to not seek reappointment after my current term expires in September 2025. As a Crown agency, the Special Areas Board is governed by the Alberta Public Agencies Governance Act, and that legislation includes a ten-year term limit on appointments.

For me, it is time for a change. For Special Areas, it is an opportunity to find a someone who will lead this incredible organization through the next decade.

Special Areas is known province-wide for the incredible things we accomplish, and for the high level of service we provide. We are unique in our structure as we deliver services traditionally provided by municipalities while also managing public lands on behalf of the province. This unique structure is one of the reasons our region continues to be so successful. Our provincial partners understand this, and I am pleased to share this recruitment will include the three current Board members, along with representatives from the Alberta Government. By having our board members directly involved, we can be assured local decision-making and priorities will be strongly represented in this important leadership decision.

We expect the recruitment process to take place this fall, with the goal of having the successful candidate in place by early 2025. This will be an open and competitive recruitment which will be widely advertised. I am committed to working alongside the Board throughout the recruitment and transition to make sure whoever is asked to lead Special Areas next has the resources and support they need.

Special Areas is not defined by any one person, including the Chair; instead, we are defined by everything done everyday to serve our ratepayers and the public. I feel grateful for the incredible career I have built here at Special Areas, and for all the amazing people I have met and worked with along the way.

Thank you for the support you have given me over the past ten years, and for the opportunity to get to know you and your communities better. I look forward to seeing what comes next, and to find new ways to contribute to the region.

Jordon Christianson, Chair
Special Areas Board