Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 30, 2008, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page b3 Winnipeg repress. Com City Winnipeg free press thursday october 30, 2008 b 3 t to of mayor Sam katzes closest allies have been promoted to the top of Winnipeg Gas civil service As part of the ongoing reorganization of City Hall. Chief administrative officer Glen Laubenstein has named property department director Phil Speegl and Katz strategist Alex Robinson As new Deputy Caos to serve alongside chief financial officer Mike Ruta who will also carry the Deputy Cao title. The moves were announced to City staff via e mail late last week As Laubenstein revealed More details about his plans to transform Winnipeg Gas civil service. Speegl a former real estate agent who is a close Friend of Katz joined the City in april As its new director of planning property and development. Following Sheet los promotion Deepak Joshi a longtime Public servant who most recently served As the Cit yes development and inspections manager has been named the new property department director. Speegl will share his duties with Robinson a Katz strategist who found himself without an office after Laubenstein dissolved pc secretariat the mayors policy office. Bryan Gray who used to run pc secretariat will now work on the Cit yes $ 1.8 billion Wastewater upgrade. His former Deputy Krista Bor Skavich meanwhile has been moved to the mayors office where she assumes the title of policy director. Technically the mayors office has not had a policy director since 2005, when Hugh Mcfadyen now the Leader of the Manitoba progressive conservatives left City Halls Backrooms to run for Federal office. Along with promoting Speegl Robinson and Joshi Laubenstein also handed More duties to Linda Black the former director of Cao secretariat another High level City department thatus been dissolved. Black is now the director of corporate support services a new City department that encompasses human resources information technology and the Cit yes forthcoming 311 Telephone service. The department replaces internal services which itself was created out of the ashes of two defunct departments in 2007. As a result former internal services director Luella Lee who was hired 13 months ago has now left the City to seek opportunities outside Winnipeg Gas Public service Laubenstein said in his address to City staff. Lee a human resources specialist was drafted by former Cao Annitta Stenning to solve the Cit yes brain Drain. The Cit yes inability to hire and retain senior managers and other skilled professionals has been described As a crisis by City auditor Shannon Hunt. A spokesman for Katz said Black will now take Over from Lee and help the City recruit High level managers. But fort Rouge coun. Jenny Gerbasi a frequent critic of the mayor said she is concerned about Leeds departure. Human resources is a huge Issue. I Hope it Isnit placed on the Back Burner she said. That position went unfilled for a Long time. Finally we had somebody and now Sheds gone. In another organizational change Laubenstein also announced the Cit yes corporate communications office which includes spokespeople such As Pam Sveinson and Ken Allen will now report to the City clerk Richard Kachur. The City clerks office is responsible for managing the legislative process at City Council. Bartley. Kives free press. My. Ca changes at the top senior level changes to Winnipeg Gas civil service announced last week by chief administrative officer Glen Laubenstein a hons been promoted Phil Speegl hired in april As Winnipeg Gas new director of planning property and development Speegl a close Friend of mayor Sam Katz is now a Deputy chief administrative officer. Alex Robinson the former Katz strategist who acted As Cao before Laubenstein was hired has also been named a Deputy Cao. Mike Ruta the Cit yes chief financial officer is also one of three new Deputy Caos. Deepak Joshi Joshi a Veteran civil servant who was most recently in charge of development and inspections is now the new director of planning property & development. Linda Black the former head of the recently dissolved Cao secretariat is now the director of a new department corporate support services an umbrella that encompasses human resources information technology and the forthcoming 311 Telephone service among other areas. A hons been moved Bryan Gray the former head of pc secretariat a policy office that has been dissolved will now work on the Cit yes ongoing $ 1.8 billion Wastewater upgrade. Krista Bor Skavich formerly the no. 2 person in pc secretariat the lawyer and crime specialist has joined mayor Sam katzes office where she has assumed the role of director of policy and Agenda management. A hons left the building Luella Lee the former director of internal services the department thatus been renamed corporate support services has decided to seek opportunities outside Winnipeg Gas Public service according to Laubenstein. Lee joined the City in september 2007 and was expected to address the Cit yes human resources crisis. City Hall civil service shuffled human resources is a huge Issue. I Hope it Isnit placed on the Back burners coun. Jenny Gerbasi by Bartley Kives Wayne Glowacki / Winnipeg free press archives Phil Speegl now Deputy Cao a 03_ oct 30 08. Ind b3 1 0/ 29/ 08 9 52 49 pm ;