Just in time for the annual meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario this coming week, the City of Guelph has named the latest addition to its executive staff with Kealy Dedman being promoted as Guelph’s new Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Infrastructure, Development and Enterprise Services.

Dedman, who’s served the City as the City Engineer and General Manager of Engineering and Transportation Services since 2013, will now fill the position vacated by Scott Stewart, who was named the new Chief Administrative Officer for the City last month. The announcement was made Friday in a media release from City Hall.

“Kealy has been an instrumental part of our municipal leadership team in her capacity as City Engineer and general manager,” said Stewart in a statement. “Her strong people leadership, commitment to public service, and extensive experience in the field of public works are just some of the reasons she’s exceptionally well suited for this role. We’re very fortunate to have her on our team.”

As Deputy CAO, Dedman will now supervise Engineering and Transportation Services, Environmental Services, Planning, Urban Design and Building Services and Facilities Management at the City of Guelph.

Among her accolades, Dedman is past president of both the Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA) and the Canadian Public Works Association (CPWA). She came to the City of Guelph by way of Cambridge, where she was Director of Engineering Services, and before that she worked at the City of Mississauga, the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, and Philips Engineering.

Dedman’s appointment comes just in time for the annual AMO conference in Ottawa, which stars on Sunday. Mayor Cam Guthrie, CAO Stewart, and members of city council, the executive team and the intergovernmental affairs staff are all part of the delegation.

According to a City media statement on the conference, the City’s agenda for meetings with members of the Ontario government’s cabinet includes the affordable housing development on the IMICo site, two-way all-day GO Train service, Guelph’s winning Smart Cities bid, and the surplus space at the Guelph court house for provincial hears.

Also on the agenda is a meeting of the Large Urban Mayors’ Caucus of Ontario (LUMCO) and the Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario (MARCO), which will include time for hearing from Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark. The Guelph delegation will also meet with Liberal and NDP caucus representatives, and Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner.

The AMO conference features more than 70 sessions and workshops on municipal topics ranging from cyber security to cannabis legalization. About 2,000 delegates from across Ontario are expected to attend. You can learn more about the AMO conference at its website.