Interim City Manager Jody Meli. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Jody Meli named Lethbridge’s Interim City Manager

Jan 13, 2020 | 4:41 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The City of Lethbridge has announced its temporary city manager, also known as the chief administrative officer.

The move to appoint Jody Meli follows the resignation of now-former City Manager Bramwell Strain back in December. More details here.

“I’m quite honoured that City Council has confidence in me that I can take on this role,” says Meli. “It’s pretty significant and I’m happy that they’ve chosen me.”

She has more than 35 years of experience in municipal government, including roles in the City of Lethbridge’s human resources, strategic initiatives, and corporate communications departments, and most recently, as the Director of the City Manager’s office.

Just before Strain left the position, he appointed Meli as the Acting City Manager.

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“Jody’s breadth of experience coupled with her strong organizational knowledge makes her an ideal person to work closely with Council as we move through the comprehensive process of selecting a new city manager,” says Mayor Chris Spearman. “She has a thorough understanding of municipal administration, and she will provide a steady hand for our organization throughout this transition period.”

Meli says things will be “business as usual” under her leadership, but she will take over a significant project for the time being.

The first phase of the City Operational Performance Review was released in November 2019, which looked into eight business units owned and/or operated by the City of Lethbridge, including the Enmax Centre, Facility Services, Recreation and Culture, Human Resources, Information Technology (IT), Integrated Risk Management, Lethbridge Transit, and Real Estate and Land Development.

Meli will be responsible for the second phase in partnership with KPMG.

City Councillor Jeffrey Coffman said in Monday’s council meeting that they are currently working to recruit candidates for the permanent City Manager position from across the country.

He hopes to have the first set of interviews done in late January and early February.

The goal is to have the permanent position filled by the summer of 2020.