- Organization: Kneehill County
- Posted: May 23rd, 2019
Council has announced that Mr. Mike Haugen has been selected as the new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for Kneehill County. He will be assuming his new role and responsibilities on May 1, 2019.
Beginning his municipal career in the Alberta Municipal Affairs Internship program, Mr. Haugen has been serving in a leadership capacity for over 13 years. After successfully completing the Municipal Internship Program, he spent just under two years as the CAO with the Village of Caroline, while also concurrently serving as the Community Services Coordinator for Clearwater County. Following that, he moved into a Director role with Clearwater County, based out of Rocky Mountain House. He was then recruited as the CAO with the MD of Greenview (the Province’s third largest rural municipality based on geographical footprint), where he spent the past five years.
In addition to many relevant courses, Mr. Haugen has a Certificate in Globalization & Governance, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, his Certificate in Municipal Management & Leadership, as well as his National Advanced Certificate in Local Authority Administration which earned him his Certified Local Government Manager designation. Council feels that Mr. Haugen brings the right mix of education, hands on experience, and leadership to Kneehill County and that with his addition to the team, he will be an asset to the organization and the County.
He comes with a vast professional network of contacts, as well as a solid understanding of central Alberta and local government best practices. Council is confident that with the addition of Mr. Haugen to the existing team, Kneehill County is well positioned for the future.
Council wishes to thank Interim CAO Mr. Peter Tarnawsky and County administration for their on-going support throughout this recruitment process over the past three months. With Mr. Tarnawsky’s recent departure, Ms. Laurie Watt (Director of Municipal Services) will serve as the Interim CAO until Mr. Haugen begins fulltime next month.
