O’Donnell is a relatively new addition to the city, as she first took on the role of deputy director of the department in March 2019.
Prior to her time in Vancouver, she served various roles with the City of Dallas over the span of nearly two decades, including the director of planning, interim assistant city manager, and chief resilience officer.
She was also the director of planning and development for Las Vegas, Nevada and Arlington, Texas.
Theresa O’Donnell (City of Dallas)
“On behalf of City Council, I’m beyond thrilled to welcome Theresa O’Donnell as our new director of planning, a role that has never been more critical as we start building back from the COVID-19 pandemic and renew our focus on delivering housing that works for residents,” said Mayor Kennedy Stewart.
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As Vancouver navigates a time of unprecedented uncertainty, the city’s new top boss aims to be less a disrupter and more of a steady hand.
In a city grappling with overdose and housing crises and a world still in the throes of a pandemic, some stability and predictability maybe even a little boredom sound appealing.
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In his first media interview since taking over as Vancouver’s chief bureaucrat last week, new city manager Paul Mochrie told Postmedia he sees himself as a behind-the-scenes administrator, quietly overseeing the organization’s $1.6 billion operating budget and 7,700 employees, and, hopefully, not making too many public waves himself.
“On behalf of Vancouver City Council, I’m thrilled to have Paul Mochrie take on the critical role of Vancouver’s City Manager at precisely the moment when our city needs someone of his professionalism, talent, and dedication to the community,” said Mayor Kennedy Stewart in a statement.
“Over the past two years, I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Paul and have seen how much respect he has amongst our staff team. Paul’s attention to detail and relentless focus on making our city work for everyone will be crucial as we build back from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than before.”
Paul Mochrie appointed as Vancouver s city manager cbc.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cbc.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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She meant to go for two months. But a year later, she’s still there.
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“Available flights consist of 30 hours or more in transit, a 16-hour layover in Tokyo or rerouting through the U.S.A., with its own particular brand of horror,” she wrote in an email. “My options are priced between $5,000 and $7,000 for a one-way flight. Without a vaccine I am going nowhere.”
There have been some positives. Her daughter lives in Brisbane, where cases of COVID-19 have been rare. The weather has been great, and the seashore is nearby.