A new general manager will take the helm at the local conservation authority at year end.
Mark Peacock, will secede Don Pearson as general manager of the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LTVCA).
Pearson will retire at the end of 2017 after 42 years of public service, the past five years with the LTVCA.
“Don was a force for positive change at the Lower Thames and joined us at a critical time in our history. We wish him the best in his retirement,” said Linda McKinlay, chair of the LTVCA, in a release.
“The selection committee were unanimous in finding Mr. Peacock to be the most suitable candidate to secede Pearson,” McKinlay said, noting the strong interest in the position from a number of very capable applicants.
As Director of Watershed Engineering and Technical Services for the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority since 2000, “Peacock brings an extensive knowledge of all facets of watershed planning and management to the Authority,” explained McKinlay.
With more than 25 years of experience in conservation and watershed management with four Conservation Authorities, Peacock is expected be a good fit with the LTVCA in his new position, she said.
“I am looking forward to working with the members, staff and communities of the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, and to the new challenges of a large
watershed with a variety of complex water quality, flooding, erosion and natural heritage issues,” Peacock said in a statement.
In his role with the GRCA based in Port Hope, Peacock forged working relationships with municipal staff and councils; resulting in the conservation authority being viewed as the environmental department for the municipality. He has served on numerous technical teams at the provincial level, including drinking water source protection and water budget co-ordination. He also participated on a number of peer review committees including one looking into remedial works addressing flooding in the City of Peterborough following extreme precipitation events in the early 2000s.
In July of this year, Peacock spoke at the International Workshop on Climate Change and Flooding hosted by the National Research Council of Canada in Ottawa. He addressed how the Nation Building Code should be revised to address a changing climate.
“As conservation authorities, it is important that we consider the challenges that our watersheds will be facing over the next few years – none greater than climate
change. Locally, it will be important for Conservation Authorities to support their municipalities as they deal with this issue,” he said.
