The City of New Westminster is once again on the hunt for a new director of finance.
Colleen Ponzini, who was named New Westminster’s directorof finance in April 2019, has taken a position of the director of finance for the City of White Rock.
“It was a fluke that I even noticed it,” she said of the job posting. “It was an opportunity that I saw that was still in line with everything I am doing already, but had a little bit different perspective for me personally. It wasn’t like I was looking or anything. I feel it’s going to be a good fit for me.”
Ponzini’s last day on the job in New Westminster was March 13 and she’s set to begin her new job on April 6. Between the two jobs, Ponzini had planned to go on a bike trip to Texas but that’s been cancelled because of COVID-19.
Ponzini, who had worked in the city’s finance department since 2007, served as acting director of finance when longtime finance director Gary Holowatiuk retired in early 2018. The city hired an executive search firm and engaged in a comprehensive recruitment and selection process for the position, ultimately selecting Ponzini for the top finance job at city hall.
“She will be missed. She had a lot of experience in the city,” Mayor Jonathan Cote told the Record. “I think even our current budget process, council really wanted to step up the public engagement process and I think she has done an amazing job taking that on and raising the level of public involvement in our budget process. Certainly, we are disappointed to see her leave. She has taken a position with the City of White Rock, which is very close to her home and is looking forward to biking to work. I get that part of quality of life, but certainly we will be disappointed to lose Colleen at the city.”
While council has yet to approve the 2020 to 2024 financial plan, Ponzini said staff is comfortable the city will be able to meet the provincial deadline of May 15. In her final days on the job in New Westminster, auditors were also at city hall going over the city’s books.
“The City of White Rock was also good with me in dealing with a transition time that worked both for them and for the city here. That was nice,” she said. “They gave me some latitude to let me fulfill all my professional duties here in a way that the group was supported and nobody is left in the lurch.”
Lorraine Lyle has been appointed as the city’s acting director of finance.
“From the processes that I am involved with, we are in really good stead,” Ponzini said. “Lorraine and the team are very competent and know what they are doing.”
While there are a few more steps to take with the budget, Cote said the city is glad Ponzini was able to get it through most of the budget process before she departed.
A job posting on the city’s website states the finance director will lead and manage a team of about 34 full- and part-time staff and be part of the senior management team. The director leads and manages the city’s financial, purchasing, customer billing and collecting operations.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity to lead a team in enhancing an already highly attractive community and to propel it to new heights,” said the notice posted on the city’s website by Boyden, which is overseeing the recruitment of a new finance director.
