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City says goodbye to Kelly Kloss
11/12/08
BY ERIN FAWCETT
Red Deer Express
Staff at city hall said they will miss a veteran employee who is leaving for his “dream job” in Fort McMurray.
Kelly Kloss, manager of the city’s legislative and administrative department, is leaving after being with the organization for 24 years.
He has accepted a position as deputy chief administrative officer with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
The major centre of the municipality is Fort McMurray.
“The position is equivalent to a director here,” said Kloss. “The portfolio is Protective and Community Services. That encompasses RCMP, Emergency Services, Disaster Services and Recreation, Parks and Culture.”
Mayor Morris Flewwelling said Kloss will be missed by all at city hall.
“Having been here so long, we rely heavily on Kelly’s expertise regarding the Municipal Government Act and our procedural bylaws,” he said. “He’s been around for almost as long as those have been developed.
“As well he’s our and the public’s go-to person and that will be something we’ll all miss as well.”
Flewwelling added the person who takes over Kloss’ job will have a steep learning curve.
“They won’t have the city’s procedural bylaws and policies, so there’s going to be a big gap there,” he said.
In Fort McMurray, Kloss will be working under Rodney Burkard, who was the former director of corporate services for the City of Red Deer.
Kloss started out as the city’s deputy city clerk in 1985, a position he held for 10 years.
He then became the city’s legislative services manager and has held that post ever since.
“People wise I feel very comfortable going up there (to Fort McMurray),” said Kloss. “I know some of them and I understand their philosophy, so I like that.”
In his time at the city, Kloss has sat through about 575 council meetings totally 2,900 hours.
He has worked under three different mayors and city managers.
He’s also been through eight elections.
Kloss added his time at the city will help in his new position.
“Because of my position here, I’ve seen it all or I’ve been involved in it all,” he said. “I may not have my hands directly into it, but I see the big overview. That’s a lot like this position that I’m going to. I’m not going to be doing the job, I’ll be helping to guide them and oversee them.”
Over the last 24 years, Kloss has seen a lot of changes in the Red Deer community.
“I think the biggest thing is that we’re just on the verge of moving from that small town feeling to a larger centre that is really the centre of a region as opposed to just a city itself,” he said. “We find a lot of people don’t go to Calgary and Edmonton anymore, they come to Red Deer. We have most of the things people want.
“In many ways that’s very good and in other ways that does lose that small town appeal that a lot of people love.
“I think the trick is to keep that small town feeling.”
Kloss’s last day of work in Red Deer is Nov. 28.
He will begin his new position in Fort McMurray on Dec. 1.
“I’m looking forward to the new challenges. I believe in being passionately engaged in everything I do,” said Kloss. “I loved what I did here. The city provided a great opportunity. It’s a great place to work and I’ve worked with great councils. I was looking for the right job, not just any job.
“This is my dream job if you could say that. I would have been happy to stay in Red Deer.”
Kloss hopes to stay in Fort McMurray for six years and plans to retire back in Red Deer after that. Flewwelling added the fact that Kloss plans to return to the city is good news.
“It’s great that he plans to rejoin the community,” he said.
Meanwhile, the city is looking for a replacement for Kloss.
The position has been posted both internally at the city as well as externally.
efawcett@reddeer.greatwest.ca 309-5457
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