Joining the team: Municipality of Clarington welcomes Mary-Anne Dempster as the new CAO

Clarington, Ontario – On behalf of Council and the entire Corporation, I am pleased to welcome Mary-Anne Dempster - Clarington’s new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), to our team.

Ms. Dempster joins Clarington from the City of Richmond Hill, where she has been the City Manager since 2020. She has spearheaded the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been instrumental in improving service delivery through innovative ideas and the use of technology. Ms. Dempster has 26 years of managerial experience in public and private organizations. Before taking over as the top manager in the City of Richmond Hill, Ms. Dempster was the Commissioner of Corporate and Financial Services. She was also a member of the senior leadership team with the City of Kawartha Lakes, serving as the Director of Corporate Services. Ms. Dempster was also an internal auditor and a consultant for the Province of New Brunswick.

“With her vast experience in leadership in both medium-sized and large governments, Mary-Anne brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Clarington. Our community is on the cusp of immense growth and change. I know that Mary-Anne will guide us and provide a vision to support our Corporation and our Municipality as we charter a new course and continue to prosper,” said Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster.

“I am thrilled to join the Municipality of Clarington and my new colleagues. As a resident of the Region of Durham, I am happy to help steer this community and support the area as it grows and expands. The Municipality of Clarington is a wonderful community – one that I’ve been watching for a while. I am excited to work here and help shape the path ahead,” said Mary-Anne Dempster, Chief Administrative Officer, Municipality of Clarington.

Ms. Dempster will officially start in her new role on Monday, January 31, 2022. She will hit the ground running and join the Special Budget meeting as Clarington Council hears from staff and examines the proposed budget for 2022. Ms. Dempster replaces outgoing CAO Andrew Allison, who is retiring.

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Media inquiries:
Municipality of Clarington
Basia Radomski
Communications Manager
905-623-3379 ext. 2214 or bradomski@clarington.net