van Adrichem moves from the hill to the hall
By Bill Phillips
If he can do half of what he did for UNBC for the city, Rob van Adrichem will be a terrific addition to city hall.
In his role as vice-president of external relations for UNBC, van Adrichem raised the profile of the university and, by association, the city. He is well-liked and well-respected in the community, the North, and the province. He knows the city, the North, and the challenges facing the community.
Even though he has toiled in the academic world, he worked his way up from the bottom; starting out as a communications person and ending up as vice-president of external relations. That’s something no one can take away from him, even though his appointment as the city’s director of external relations has the online world looking to tear him down already.
City council made a good choice and the city will be well served, of that I have no doubt.
Give them credit for hiring locally. That’s two in a row, as city manager Kathleen Soltis was named Beth James’ successor earlier this year.
What’s more interesting than his salary (reportedly $159,000 per year), is how the city got to this point.
Mayor Lyn Hall and the new council elected last fall, wasted no time in getting rid of former city manager Beth James and erasing James’ fingerprints on the city. Communications manager Todd Corrigal left the city at the same time as James, although reasons for his departure were never disclosed. Several key staff members shown the door by James, have found their way back to the city.
One of the things James did was reorganize the city hall structure, making senior managers “directors.” Soltis, shortly after she was appointed, re-did the city organizational chart and, at that point, it did not contain a “director of external relations” position. Soltis’ organizational chart listed two directors and four general managers reporting directly to her.
Soltis also moved the communications department out of the city manager’s office, where James had it, and put it into administrative services under general manager Walter Babicz.
Given that van Adrichem has been given the title of “director,” I suspect he won’t be working under Babicz but, instead, reporting directly to Soltis, making it three directors and four general managers. And, given that this position wasn’t on her organization chart, I suspect the creation of the position comes directly from council.
So while the new council is trying hard, understandably, to forget the James era, it seems to have decided to retain at least one of her machinations … a high-level communications/external relations director. One of the differences, perhaps, is that James wanted to control the message (i.e. have someone for the vast amount of damage control needed), while Hall and the new council campaigned on having council re-connect with the community and, hopefully, want someone who can steer that re-connection. If that’s the goal, they’ve got the right guy for the job.
Bill Phillips is a freelance columnist living in Prince George. He was the winner of the 2009 Best Editorial award at the British Columbia/Yukon Community Newspaper Association’s Ma Murray awards, in 2007 he won the association’s Best Columnist award. In 2004, he placed third in the Canadian Community Newspaper best columnist category and, in 2003, placed second. He can be reached at billphillips1@mac.com
Comments
Well said Bill. Thanks.
Have to agree, this is a positive move and again retaining the services of a local person important to city and residents.
I have to agree, Well written opinion, Bill.
Had enough facts, and than the rest of the blanks filled.
There is no doubt that van Adrichem is a well-liked person in this community.
What is missing in this purposeful or accidental release of the creation of the City position and his hiring to fill the position are some of the details which are now subject to gossip. Those details, in my view, are needed in a nice clean announcement in a transparent governance environment.
There are two public organizations involved. Both still need to do a lot of work to achieve the standard of communication expected, and in some provinces required, in such cases where the public has an interest in knowing what is being done with public money.
Congratulations Robby Van! Good hire PG!
If city hall does not change in its way of dealing with people, businesses and neighbourhoods all the communications in the world will accomplish anything of any substance
I have heard and read this guys ad spots since starting with unbc , have no problem with what he does . I do have a problem with the city giving him a six figure salary with all the trimmings to ” reconnect with the people of the city “. Seems like the city hall is showing how disconnected to the working people of this town they are .
reallyrick, he’s a proven professional and this is probably similar to what he was making with the university. It’s a career advancement for him and I think he will do well at the city.
way over payed at the university . I believe that it’s more than what most of the prof’s make . no wonder the university is in such trouble .
van Andrichem was getting paid $170,277.00 in 2013/14 as Vice President of External Relations according to the Vancouver Sun’s Public Salary database.
So we can say that moving from the position of Vice President, External Relations, at $170,277.00 (plus) to Director of External Relations at the City of PG for $159,541.00 is not exactly a career advancement.
So keeping with the old saying ***Something smells fishy is Denmark** lets try and be more open as to what’s going on here.
Why is he leaving such a great job at the University after working for them for some 23 years.??
Is he leaving on his own volition and will his job at the University be filled with someone else, or has the job been eliminated as a cost saving measure.
If the job has been eliminated then we need to know why UNBC no longer needs a VP of External Relations, but Prince George is now in a dire need for a Director of External Relations.
Has the City actually approached van Andrichem to come to work for the City and basically taken him away from UNBC. This doesn’t seem likely considering the difference in salary.
Once we get the other half of the story on this situation from UNBC (If we ever get it) then we will have a better understanding as to whats actually happening.
As of now, I think that spending this amount of money for a Director of External Relations at the City of Prince George, is a misuse of tax dollars.
If the intent is to get rid of IPG and fold some of their staff under this new position, then I could see some merit in the change.
Rob is a very pleasant, smooth guy and has done a good job of promoting the university. That’s appropriate for a commercial enterprise, and sometimes for non-commercial organizations. I’m not so sure that the sort of work he has done for UNBC is what is appropriate for the City. What the City needs is arguably better communication between the administration and the public, in both directions, and greater transparency.
I agree billposer. With James, and Green leaving the City communications in both directions started to improve immediately.
Still room for improvement, however things are looking much better.
On the other hand, Council just approved another tax increase and they know full well that they have to find ways to reduce spending. Paying an individual one million dollars (includes benefits) over a 5 year period to tell people what they already know is a waste of tax dollars, and in my opinion sends the wrong message.
When will Governments in General and the City of Prince George in particular get it through their heads that enough is enough. Stop spending money like Diamond Jim Brady, and start to save money like Scrooge McDuck.
Maybe someone at city hall will communicate why they need a communicator to communicate. Wait can the new communicator communicate on this issue or will a consultant have to be hired to communicate.
I can’t get over the pay for this position at the uni or city hall.
Don’t wry those mouth pieces do not last to long on the city payroll.
Cheers
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