Calgary's city council endorses shortlist for next chief administrative officer
Council's executive committee voted 14-0 Monday to endorse three confidential candidates to replace David Duckworth, whose last day is Dec. 1.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Calgary city council's executive committee has endorsed a confidential shortlist of three candidates to replace chief administrative officer David Duckworth, voting 14-0 on Monday. Council is due to approve the shortlist at its regular meeting Tuesday.
Duckworth, the top administrator since 2019, has a last day of Dec. 1, 2026. The CAO is the highest-ranking administrative position at the City of Calgary, overseeing all departments and the executive leadership team and reporting to council. The city has roughly 15,000 employees and an operating budget of roughly $5 billion.
The recruitment subcommittee, chaired by Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Yule, was struck this summer and retained the recruitment firm Boyden Canada. The search drew 228 applicants. The subcommittee reviewed resumes of leading contenders in early September and interviewed them over two days last week. The shortlisted candidates will be interviewed a second time in mid-November, shortly before multi-day budget deliberations.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas confirmed the three finalists. He said he is looking for someone who can "inspire confidence in our city administration" and "work more closely with the community." Yule said, "We're needing good leaders."
Duckworth's contract runs until mid-2027, with severance of 16 months. His base salary last year was $410,000. In April, Farkas denied that Duckworth was forced out, describing the change as a "mutually agreed" transition.
The candidates' names have not been disclosed. The source does not say whether Tuesday's council vote took place or what it decided.
