The City of Cranbrook’s new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is now on the job.
Mark Fercho formally took his Oath of Office in Cranbrook City Council Chambers on Monday to officially start his first day of work. Fercho was joined by Cranbrook Mayor Lee Pratt for the first formality.
Originally from Cranbrook, Fercho was formally the CAO in Jasper, AB since 2014. Fercho was also the CAO for the District of Mackenzie, B.C. from 2011 and served from 2002 to 2011 with the City of Prince George in a number of roles. While in Prince George, Ferch held titles of Manager of Sustainability, Manager of Parks and Recreation and Environmental Services Manager.
Joining the team in Cranbrook, Fercho is one of 12 CAO’s certified by the B.C. Government in Local Government Executive Management, which is the highest level of certification available for B.C. CAOs. Fercho is also a Certified Civil Technologist by the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of B.C. (ASTTBC).
When the City of Cranbrook first announced Fercho’s hiring, the new CAO said he was excited to join the team.
“Mayor and Council are bullish on the future of Cranbrook. That is what interested me to apply to be a part of making that future happen for my hometown,” said Fercho in an August press release. “I am a ‘my door is always open’ person informally connecting with staff and the community with very minimal public profile or recognition. Developing a relationship with all City staff, while respecting the chain of command for actual workflow is what the team can expect from me.”
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“We went through a very extensive process and interviewed many individuals before choosing Mark for the CAO position. Council felt Mark would be a very good fit with our strategic priorities and the mission we want to achieve in serving both our staff and the residents of Cranbrook,” said Mayor Lee Pratt. “We are very pleased that Mark has accepted the job as CAO for the City.”
While November 2nd is Fercho’s first day as CAO, his first City Council meeting will be next Monday, November 9th.
Ron Fraser was serving as the interim CAO for the City of Cranbrook while the position was being filled, following David Kim’s departure.
