6th Annual Municipalities of the Future Symposium
We are pleased to announce that our 6th annual Municipalities of the Future Symposium will take place in-person on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Second Student Centre, 15 Library Lane, Keele Campus, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto. We are happy to announce that Jason Thorne will serve as the keynote speaker. You can browse our guest speaker bios below.
For more information about our annual event please contact: Dr. Naomi Couto, Director, School of Public Policy & Administration at naomi@yorku.ca
2023 Organizing Committee:
- Zachary Spicer, Associate Professor, School of Public Policy and Administration;
- Fausto Natarelli, Teaching Practioner, School of Public Policy and Administration;
- Piragal Thiru, Public Sector Leader, MPPAL Alumni;
- Asare Kester-Akrofi, Manager, Strategic Initiatives & A/Manager, Program & Strategic Support, Office of the Deputy City Manager(s) Infrastructure & Development Services & Corporate Services, City of Toronto;
- Naomi Couto, Director, School of Public Policy and Administration.
Quick Links
- Government Career Panels
- Celebrating Public Service
- Ontario Public Service Breakfast
- Professional Development Workshops
- Professional Networking Events
- Recognition Awards Dinner
This event is free, but space is limited and registration is required.
This event is co-sponsored by the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO), and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC_IAPC) Toronto Region.
Agenda
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Meet & greet networking
9:15 AM – 9:30 AM
Welcome, Lisa Philipps, Provost & Vice-President Academic
Keynote speaker introduced, JJ McMurtry, Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS)
9:30 AM – 9:50 AM
Keynote Address: City Building in a Mid-Sized City
Jason Thorne, General Manager of Planning and Economic Development for the City of Hamilton since 2014
09:50 AM – 10:00 AM
Q&A Period
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Networking and stretch break
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Panel Discussion | Session I
Provincial policy direction for more housing: How are municipalities responding?
- Steve Ganesh, Commissioner of Planning, Building and Growth Management, City of Brampton
- Paul Freeman, Chief Planner, The Regional Municipality of York
Facilitators: Fausto Natarelli, Adjunct Professor, School of Public Policy & Administration and,
Piragal Thiru, Public Sector Leader, MPPAL Alumni
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM
Networking and stretch break
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Panel Discussion | Session II
Building The Bridge As You Walk It: Reconciliation, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity – you can’t afford to get this wrong!
- Zincia Francis, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, City of Vaughan
- Rumina Morris, Director, Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression. City Manager’s Office, City of London
- Hali Farah, Manager, Diversity & Inclusion | People Experience. People & Equity Division, City of Toronto
Facilitator: Naomi Couto, Associate Professor and Director, School of Public Policy & Administration
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
Lunch Break
12:30 PM – 1:15 PM
Panel Discussion | Session III
Strong Mayors. Weak Council and Staff? The Implications of Recent Legislation on Municipal Governance in Ontario
- Shirley Hoy, Senior Advisor with StrategyCorp Inc.
- Harkirat Singh, Deputy Mayor in the City of Brampton
- David Arbuckle, Executive Director, Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO)
Facilitator: Zachary Spicer, Associate Professor, School of Public Policy & Administration
1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
Panel Discussion | Session IV
Transformation for Tomorrow – Enabling Innovative Municipal Service Delivery
- Marco Palermo, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, Technology Standardization Delivery, City of Toronto
- Cielo Medel, Director IT & Chief Information Officer, City of Mississauga
Facilitator: Asare Kester-Akrofi, Manager, Strategic Initiatives & A/Manager, Program & Strategic Support, Office of the Deputy City Manager(s) Infrastructure & Development Services & Corporate Services, City of Toronto
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM
Networking and stretch break
2:15 PM – 3:00 PM
Round-table Discussion | Session V
Looking Forward: Governing Municipalities in Uncertain Times
- Steven Del Duca, Mayor of Vaughan
- Marcia Wallace, Chief Administrative Officer at The Corporation of the County of Prince Edward
- Victor J. Severino, VP of Business Enablement at the World Trade Centre of the Toronto Region Board of Trade
Facilitators: David Fulford, Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC)
Keynote address by Jason Thorne
City Building in a Mid-Sized City
Much has been written about the city-building successes of the world’s global cities, like the High Line in New York City, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, and Réinventer la Seine in Paris, just to name a few. But what does city-building look like in smaller, mid-sized cities? What are some of the policy and planning initiatives that can help achieve big changes, in smaller communities? The renaissance that has occurred in Hamilton in recent years has attracted national, and even international attention … garnering Hamilton the label of “Canada’s Comeback City.” How did this happen? The City of Hamilton’s head of Planning and Economic Development will be presenting on Hamilton’s story, and more specifically, how the City and the community have effectively delivered on many “little things” … things that any city can do … to help drive its renaissance.
Jason Thorne joined the City of Hamilton as General Manager of Planning and Economic Development in 2014. As General Manager, Jason leads a department of approximately 800 staff that has responsibility for a wide range of City services including planning, building, growth management, economic development, tourism, arts, culture, by-law services, and transportation planning.
Born and raised in Hamilton, Jason has been working in planning and community development his entire career. While working for the Province of Ontario, Jason was one of the key architects of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe as well as the Metrolinx regional transportation plan for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Jason also worked as a planning consultant for communities across Canada and in Africa and Latin America as a Principal with the Toronto-based planning, architecture and design firm PlanningAlliance. Jason began his career working for a wide range of environmental non-governmental organizations including the Bay Area Restoration Council, Bruce Trail Association and Coalition on the Niagara Escarpment.
Speaker Bios
David Arbuckle
Executive Director, Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO)
Hali Farah
Manager, Diversity & Inclusion | People Experience. People & Equity Division, City of Toronto
Zincia Francis
Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, City of Vaughan
Asare Kester-Akrofi
Manager, Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services, City of Toronto
