'Steve K' leaving Ottawa City Hall to be top bureaucrat in Vaughan

Ottawasun.com
Feb. 10, 2015
By Jon Willing

City Hall is losing its point man for almost all of the municipal operations.

Deputy city manager Steve Kanellakos is leaving to be the city manager in Vaughan. His last day in Ottawa is April 30 and will begin his new job May 4.

Ottawa city manager Kent Kirkpatrick announced Kanellakos's resignation Tuesday afternoon.

"Steve's contribution to the city has been significant and he will be missed by his colleagues and staff," Kirkpatrick said in a memo sent to council.

Kirkpatrick said he will appoint an interim deputy manager in the coming weeks.

Kanellakos is responsible for several major departments, including OC Transpo, public works, parks and recreation, social services, information technology, environmental services, emergency and protective services and human resources.

He has been part of the executive since 2000.

Known simply as "Steve K" around City Hall, Kanellakos is well-liked and a trusted lieutenant in the upper-management of the city.

Kanellakos was given an expanded operational role in 2012 when Kirkpatrick gave him the environmental services file and beleaguered Transpo file.

The other deputy city manager, Nancy Schepers, is in charge of planning and infrastructure, including LRT construction.