Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has 'parted ways' with longtime head staffer

Photo: RDOS/YouTube

Former RDOS CAO Bill Newell at an RDOS meeting in 2021.

UPDATE: 1 p.m.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen is keeping mum about CAO Bill Newell's departure at this time, according to an emailed statement.

Communications staff said only that it is a "personnel matter," and the published statement on the website is all that will be available for now.

The board is expected to meet Thursday, at which time there may or may not be further public discussion.

ORIGINAL: 10 a.m.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has "parted ways" with its longtime chief administrative officer, Bill Newell.

Newell has held the top job at the RDOS for 15 years.

His departure was announced in a brief posting to the RDOS website Monday morning, using the term "parted ways."

"On behalf of the Regional District Board of Directors, I’d like to thank Bill Newell for his years of dedication and service to the RDOS,” reads a provided statement from Spencer Coyne, RDOS board vice-chair.

“Since 2008, Bill has worked to establish the regional district as a high performing organization. He guided staff and the board of directors through an attempted ransomware attack, global pandemic, and countless natural disasters."

Jim Zaffino, currently the RDOS' senior manager of finance, will step into the CAO job on an interim basis.

The news release does not elaborate on the circumstances of Newell's departure.

More to come