Following an extensive search and hiring process, City Manager Norm Gale is pleased to announce that Cynthia Olsen will be the new Director of Strategy & Engagement (formerly called Director of Strategic Initiatives & Engagement).

Under the direction of the City Manager and as a member of the Executive Management Team, the Director is responsible for the overall strategic management, direction and operation of Corporate Communications & Community Engagement, Community Strategies, including the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, the Thunder Bay Drug Strategy and the Net-Zero Strategy, and Indigenous Relations section, including the Indigenous Relations & Inclusion Strategy and the Anti-Racism & Inclusion Accord. Ms. Olsen has been acting in this role over the last few months, filling a vacancy.

For over 9 years, she led the Drug Strategy program for the City of Thunder Bay, managing its coordination, strategic planning, and implementation. More recently, she assumed the role of Manager of Community Strategies, providing leadership, technical expertise, and coordination support for intersectoral community-based strategic initiatives designed to enhance population health, with a specific focus on Community Safety & Well-Being, Thunder Bay Drug Strategy, Anti-Racism & Equity Advisory Committee, and the Net-Zero Strategy.

"I’m thrilled that Ms. Olsen will continue in this important position on a permanent capacity,” said Norm Gale, City Manager. "She brings a wealth of experience and proven leadership to the Corporation. She has a robust understanding of the City's core leadership competencies and an even deeper comprehension of the Corporation and this specific Division. She will make a valuable addition to the City’s Executive Management Team.”

Ms. Olsen holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and has over a decade of experience in addiction and mental health service delivery, coupled with over a decade of successful partnerships with a diversity of leaders to orchestrate complex community change strategies. She was also responsible for leading a community collaborative response to support the effective management of COVID-19 outbreaks among the vulnerable population through the provision of of isolation shelter services, infection prevention control supports, and access to COVID-19 vaccines.

In this role, Ms. Olsen will also be responsible for the development, monitoring, and communication of the Corporate Strategic Plan. She begins her new role effective immediately.

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Contact:       Stacey Levanen, Supervisor – Corporate Communications & Community Engagement, 625-3650