Region’s acting CAO cleans house
Ron Tripp fires GM, three directors
Monday morning brought with it sweeping change at Niagara Region as acting chief administrative officer Ron Tripp fired four key managers linked to controversial events and politicians of the past term of regional council.
The employment of communications director Jason Tamming, economic development director Dominic Ursini, human resources director Peter Wadsworth and general manager Chris Carter all ended Monday.
Also fired was communications staffer Jason Lupish.
The firings were the first step in a broader, interim restructuring of regional staff and departments, said Tripp.
“The changes today will allow us to move forward in a positive direction so the work of the Region can be done,” said Tripp, who was appointed acting CAO last week by the newly elected council.
Tripp said he will undertake a restructuring of some roles and reporting structures within the Region over the next several weeks.
Staffers moved into acting director roles will have the primary task of “leading and supporting some very strong teams in the Region,” Tripp said.
Tripp would not discuss any of
the individuals he fired nor the reasons for their termination.
The Region’s current CAO, Carmen D’Angelo — his 2016 hiring and 2017 contract extension are under investigation by the Ontario Ombudsman — is on medical leave for at least the next eight weeks.
The wave of firings is the first significant sign of institutional change in the regional government since the October municipal election swept out most of the incumbent politicians, many of whom were connected to integrity and transparency issues at the Region.
Tamming was the communications director for the Region since August 2017. He was promoted to the post by D’Angelo, and had previously been communications director for former regional chair Alan Caslin.
Before and during the tainted CAO selection process, D’Angelo downloaded at least six documents a candidate for the job should not have. Among them was a document created by Tamming that contained answers to a written a submission D’Angelo had to make to the CAO hiring committee. D’Angelo later told regional council he asked for, and received, Tamming’s help because he is a “communications expert.”
Other documents were created by Caslin’s policy director Robert D’Amboise, including confidential memos on other CAO candidates and interview questions. D’Amboise is currently on medical leave and his contract expires soon.
Carter was a key figure during the Dec. 7, 2017, illegal seizure of Standard reporter Bill Sawchuk’s computer and notes during a council meeting. The Ontario Ombudsman ruled the Region violated Sawchuk’s constitutional rights, and found that Caslin and D’Angelo were the key decision makers in the incident. However, Carter was the staffer who, flanked by two Niagara Regional Police officers, ejected Sawchuk from regional headquarters and refused to allow the reporter to collect his belongings or call his editor or lawyer.
Wadsworth, a former colleague of Caslin’s wife Anita Caslin, was made head of human resources in 2017 by D’Angelo. He advised regional council when it was revealed that Caslin had given D’Angelo a lucrative contract extension without council’s knowledge or consent in 2017.
Ursini, a Port Colborne resident and former municipal councillor, has run for the Progressive Conservative party in the Welland riding, and is a D’Angelo hire, recently and abruptly cancelled a $150,000, 20-year economic strategy plan by the economic development office. The money had largely been spent on a consultant’s report that was left unfinished when Ursini cancelled the project.
Lupish was hired to join Tamming’s department in February and worked on Caslin’s regional chair re-election campaign videos before the chair election was cancelled by Premier Doug Ford’s government in July.
Three of the four manager positions are being filled with acting directors. Franco Meffe is acting head of human resources, Sean O’Brady is acting director of communications and Valerie Kuhns is acting head of economic development.
The general manager position — a job created by D’Angelo — is not being filled.