Nick Spensieri promoted to City Manager

Municipalinfonet.com
June 16, 2021

Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua is pleased to announce that effective immediately, Nick Spensieri has been promoted to be Vaughan’s new City Manager. Mr. Spensieri has nearly 30 years of senior management leadership, operations and project management experience with public- and private-sector organizations.

Mr. Spensieri first joined the City in 2018 as Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, where he was responsible for providing strategic leadership and overseeing the effective and efficient delivery of services for the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of the City Clerk. In 2019, Mr. Spensieri became the corporation’s first-ever Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Development. The portfolio is accountable for helping deliver $730 million in capital projects during this Term of Council. It includes Facility Management, Infrastructure Delivery, Infrastructure Planning and Corporate Asset Management, Parks Infrastructure and Planning Development and Real Estate.

Mr. Spensieri is a past Vice-President with Metrolinx, where he helped oversee the agency's multi-billion-dollar effort to implement Regional Express Rail in communities across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Mr. Spensieri’s other local government experience includes traffic, transportation and parking management positions with the City of Mississauga and the former cities of Etobicoke and North York.

Vaughan Council appoints the City Manager to ensure their decisions and policy direction are effectively implemented to support building a city that promotes diversity, innovation and equal opportunities for all citizens. The City Manager is supported by the corporation's Senior Leadership Team -- Executive. Mr. Spensieri will be instrumental in overseeing the 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan.

In December 2020, Vaughan was named one of the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2021. The winners were evaluated on the following eight criteria: physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time-off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement.

The City’s commitment to its people -- approximately 1,600 staff members who dedicate their time and talents to making the City run as effectively and efficiently as possible -- enables the organization to deliver upon its priorities. As an equal opportunity employer and a forward-looking municipality, the City remains committed to fostering a dynamic workplace that is diverse, inclusive and welcoming. This recognition further validates Vaughan as not only a great place to live and play, but also to work.

Mr. Spensieri replaces Jim Harnum, the outgoing City Manager. The City thanks Mr. Harnum for his service to Vaughan and wishes him well in his future endeavours. In the interim, Mr. Spensieri also remains Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Development.

QUOTES

"I want to congratulate Nick Spensieri on his promotion as Vaughan's new City Manager. Mr. Spensieri has vast and extensive experience overseeing several key city-building departments responsible for delivering Service Excellence as part of the corporation's internal and external operations. Mr. Spensieri is a trusted and respected colleague. From the very beginning of the City's declared state of emergency, he has helped navigate Vaughan through the global COVID-19 pandemic. As City Manager, Mr. Spensieri will continue to undertake a leading role in guiding, supporting and mentoring all staff to advance Vaughan's exciting and promising city-building agenda. Mr. Spensieri's promotion to City Manager is further proof that Vaughan continues to recruit, retain and promote the very best professionals."

-- Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua

"I am honoured and humbled to serve as Vaughan's new City Manager. I welcome this promotion and opportunity to lead one of the Greater Toronto's Top Employers for 2021. I look forward to working closely with Mayor Bevilacqua and Members of Council and the Senior Leadership Team - Executive and the entire administration to build on our success and deliver on the strategic priorities in the 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan. Despite the challenges all communities face because of COVID-19, Vaughan remains ready, resilient and resourceful to deliver Service Excellence for the residents, families and businesses of Vaughan."

-- Nick Spensieri, City Manager