CAO’S Introductory Remarks
Farewell Tribute – November 28, 2006
Mayor Cousens
Stan Daurio
George McKelvey
Bill O’Donnell
Khalid Usman
We are here today to honour five outstanding indivi
The staff each have their own memories, reflections
and thoughts about the time we have spent together and the accomplishments
we’ve made. After the formal ceremony
there will be time for staff to express their appreciation to you.
This year we have the largest turnover of Councillors
in my memory, although we will have 2 ex councillors returning and 2 of the new
Councillors are well acquainted with the business of the Town. With you goes part of our institutional
memory – the knowledge of how and why decisions were made, the relationships you’ve
built and we’ve relied on to open doors and cement agreements, the power you brought
to persuade and inspire your colleagues and the public, and your indivi
Luckily none of you are going too far, and some may
still have that itch to return or represent the public in another way.
The staff here at the Town have a deep respect and
admiration for your contributions to the Town.
And we will miss you. Each of you
has made the Town what it is today and it is rare indeed to have had such an
opportunity to leave a legacy for others.
Part of the legacy you leave is with the staff present today. Our priorities, values and work habits have
in part been shaped by you and the other members of Council.
We owe you our thanks for your leadership.
Don Cousens
Where do you start?
The incredible tribute to Don last Friday at the
Hilton was attended by about 900 of Don’s friends, colleagues and relatives!
Don has the vision and optimism about the future, and
is proactive about making his vision a reality. His direction is always clear –
you know where he stands.
Don has a great intellect but, unlike an academic,
Don is interested in applying it to solve problems.
I can recall numerous meetings with Don, at the end
of which he would summarize the conversation and agreed steps. He was very effective at cutting to the
chase, and would respond to any drifting by saying “Oh come on – let’s just get
on with it”.
Don’s style reflected the behaviours in our Markham
Management Model, part of our NQI Journey.
Don often challenges people to get to the underlying
issues. He asks the tough questions and
is prepared to make difficult decisions.
Due to Don’s varied background and numerous
connections, he was able and always willing to open doors for all of us. He had instant telephone access to
Provinicial and Federal Cabinet Ministers, and many other community
leaders. Sometimes he would make these
calls too fast – early in the meeting before you had a chance to fully
present and discuss the issue!
Don always championed a business like approach to the
way the Town runs, with a particular emphasis on customer service. Insisting on a personal voice mail message is
one example.
We all know that Don launched the Character Council in
York Region that is spreading across
Don reached out to all age groups – from youth
through his Youth Task Force, to seniors.
Don keeps everyone on their toes. His high expectations challenged all of
us. When you did make a mistake it did not go unnoticed, but
he always judges people by their intentions.
That helped when things did not go as well as expected. When things went well, Don is the first to
recognize the effort. That recognition
motivated and made you feel that your efforts did not go unnoticed.
Don now has his health back and is looking forward to
retirement. He will enjoy his two
grandchildren and more time at his cottage (a favourite place).
He will continue to serve on boards and in particular
will continue his work as Chair of World Vision
Stan Daurio
Mr. Dependable – you can always count on him to read
the agenda, asking probing questions and to approach problems analytically and
rationally. With his Bell Canada
experience, he naturally has a keen interest in technology and strategic thinking.
Stan clearly articulated the views of his
constituents and often had thoughts on how to deal with issues. It is easy to deal with Stan. You know what the issues are and he is always
prepared to consider options about how to move things forward.
Stan has perseverance and sticks to task – the
massage parlours on
He is a big supporter of minor sport in Thornhill -
hockey in particular. He is also a big
supporter of the Heintzman House – of the major reasons for its success and any
of its restorations. He loves the Annual
Christmas Joy at the Heintzman.
He chaired the Engage 21st Century Markham
and made sure that the Thornhill Community Centre expansion project was
completed.
Stan did more than just get the Seneca Centre
started. He continued to act as the
Treasurer and Business Manager to ensure its ongoing success.
He chaired General Committee of Finance and
Administration.
But his biggest contribution has been to lend a
thoughtful voice to all the matters before Council – not running with the herd,
but a passionate voice of common sense.
George McKelvey
George has strong community roots. He is a great supporter of our cultural
venues, namely the Museum. He is a soothing
influence working with Boards and staff, and brings out the best in people.
George was an excellent
Chair of DSC – a very challenging position.
He is a big supporter
of our Heritage program and
George is a strong
advocate for good planning in new communities.
He is big on New Urbanism and urban design.
George built up
the Remembrance Day program over several years to make it an “annual event” for
the veterans and
George always
pushed for park to be built for the kids and community before the buildings to
be built.
He provided leadership
on the Markham Main Street Restoration Project.
George was a big
advocate of supporting the Library needs and desires.
George rammed
through the sidewalk Roy H. Crosby on Drubefield.
George chaired
the 2004 Public meetings on Development Charges and was the only Councillor who
understood what the hell Fred Koenig was saying!
Bill O’Donnell:
Bill has had 35 years of community involvement
(boy scouts, soccer, Hockey, res associations, Thornhill Lions, etc.).
He chaired the Recreation and Culture Committee
and DSC.
Bill is our representative at TRCA.
Bill is a strong advocate for Thornhill
and for all of
Bill is a former IBM employee.
He is always good natured, and always
promoting Team spirit.
Bill’s career highlights include being Chair
of Recreation and Culture. He was a big
advocate of
As DSC Chair, Bill was involved in Angus
Glen, Markham Centre, Cornell, Wismer,
Bill’s work on Viva is another main career
highlight.
As a member of the Transportation and
Works Committee at the Region, Bill takes justifiable pride in the completion
of the 9th Line sewer and the
Khalid Usman:
Khalid is a
strong team player. He is always positive,
and always looking on the bright side.
Khalid is always looking
to reach consensus on Council and to support the needs of the residents.
He is a strong
advocate for
He is a strong
advocate on Council for the indivi
Khalid hosted
eight consecutive barbeques, bringing the community together in his backyard.
He is tirelessly
involved in charitable work – for example the Iran Earthquake, Pakistan Flood,
Tsunami. With Khalid’s leadership, hundreds
of thousands, if not millions of dollars were raised.
Khalid helped
raise awareness of cultural diversity on Council. An example is the flag raising on Pakistan
Independence Day.
As Chair of
General Committee, Khalid always cues well to meet ahead of time with staff to
understand the reports.
Khalid fought for
Focal Point, a vibrant meeting place for his community.
Khalid is positive
and congenial, always has a great smile, always friendly, and forever
optimistic!
He advocated to
introduce and provide new sports to meet needs of our diverse community (e.g.
cricket).
Khalid is on the board
of
His Chartered
Account accreditation and business experience was a valuable asset for Council,
MDEI and MEC.
Khalid played a
big role on the hydro transmission lines issue.
He works with
MACA, and helps with their lease.
As Chair of
Transportation Committee, Khalid always worked hard to ensure that
Closing Remarks
All five gentlemen have this in common - looking out
for the best interests of Markham and indivi
Overall with the leadership of these fine indivi
We as staff have
been very luck to have had these indivi
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