Incoming General Manager at Wakamow Valley Authority transitions into new role
As Todd Johnson transitions into his new role at Wakamow Valley Authority as the new General Manager, he is looking forward to working again in the city he once called home. He replaces long-time employee and manager, Margaret Moran who will be retiring in May. Johnson comes with 17 years of experience in non-profit organizations. He officially started at Wakamow Valley Authority on January 15th and has since been going through the transition process. “I have 17 years in non-profit organizations and volunteer groups. I’ve recently worked with Basketball Saskatchewan in Regina before coming here to work at Wakamow. I’ve been in the transition process working with Margaret and the team here at Wakamow,” said Johnson in an interview at his new office. “For now, I’m familiarizing myself with the operations; what Wakamow has to offer and the different facets of it. I will be working with our partners, volunteer groups to put on events and all the infrastructure within the park, working to ensure that those are maintained,” he added. Describing the new experience as a “steep learning curve”, Johnson says it is exciting to see the different avenues through which Wakamow Valley Authority operates in the community. “The transition process so far has been very good. The Board has been welcoming and a great team of people work here. It is a steep learning curve, but it is very exciting. There are a lot of different avenues at Wakamow to be managed everyday and I’m learning as I transition into the role to ensure all these different facets are looked at.”
Johnson says Wakamow Valley was an important part of his childhood and getting an opportunity to work with the Authority is exciting and has already proven to be fulfilling. “Being from Moose Jaw, I used to play here at Wakamow park as a kid. When I saw the job posting, I jumped at the opportunity and applied. It’s nice to be back here. I’m looking forward to spring to see exactly how the park looks. I’m excited about the opportunity and working with the Board, partners and volunteers to keep the success of the park.” In the meantime, Margaret Moran is helping with Johnson’s transition over the next few months as Wakamow gears up for another busy year. Moran will be retiring soon. Her last official day at the Authority will be on May 17.
Moran started working at Wakamow Valley Authority in 2006 and took up the position as General Manager in 2013. Since then, she has worked on many projects which she says was “a privilege to be part of.”
“During my time at Wakamow Author- ity, I’ve had the privilege of being part of some great projects. One of the things I’m very proud of is that we managed to replace all of the old-style playgrounds and we have very modern and innovative playgrounds now such as: the pirate playground, the fully accessible playground at the Rotary Park, then we have the Wellesley playground and finally at Connor Park this last summer, we put in that challenge course which replaced all of that old wooden structures that were completely out of date. Now people can enjoy some really great playground facilities,” Moran said.
She also talked about other projects that were able to be completed during her time with the Authority. “We’ve also managed to complete the trail system, all the way from Plaxton Lake to Connor Park. That included building bridges that were a major part of building the trail. We have the Saulteaux Bridge and we just completed the low-level crossing which was the final connection that we needed. Now, people can walk from Plaxton Lake all the way to Connor Park if they want to.
“We also did the stream banks restoration and renovation of the office space which was a big project for us. These are some of the things I’ve been very fortunate to be part of. We were also very fortunate to get a lot of grants because financially, that has always been a challenge for us.” So, what’s next for Moran? She says she is looking forward to enjoying Wakamow for what it is instead of thinking about the logistics that goes into maintaining or upgrading the park. “I’m looking forward to enjoying Wakamow for what it is and not what needs to get done. I can enjoy the work that has been done like everyone else and enjoy the beauty of the park. Moose Jaw is so fortunate to have Wakamow Valley in their backyard, so they don’t have to travel very far to get in touch with nature.”