Marc MacDonald to head City's Corporate Communications
After four and a half years as communications specialist with the Town of Pelham, Marc MacDonald has decided to head down Merrittville Highway to Welland, where he will move into a bigger role as the City’s Manager of Corporate Communications.
“My new job will involve leading the implementation of strategies behind their communications, and working with their senior management team,” said MacDonald. “From a day-to-day perspective, it’s similar to what I've been doing with Pelham, with just a bigger portfolio, and a staff, so now I’ll have an opportunity to work on my managerial skills.”
“Marc has been instrumental in helping the Town achieve many goals and milestones,” said Pelham CAO David Cribbs. Amongst other projects, Cribbs said MacDonald oversaw the revamping of the Pelham website, and took the lead on the refreshing of the Town’s corporate identity, “so that we now have consistency across functional areas.”
MacDonald also was the point-person on “Moving Forward,” the Town’s Covid-19 reopening plan, which won a platinum MarCom award, given out by a marketing trade association, and he was recently recognized as one of Niagara’s “Top 40 under 40”.
Cribbs wished MacDonald well in his new endeavour, adding that “He won’t be far, and hopefully he won’t be a stranger.”
Prior to coming to Pelham, MacDonald was the communications officer in the Faculty of Education at Brock University.
Reflecting on his successes, MacDonald said redesigning Pelham’s website to make it more inviting was a big one.
“It was well received by the community, and won some awards with professional communications and marketing associations, which was a nice acknowledgement of our work,” he said. “Creating the Town's corporate communications plan was also extremely satisfying.”
You have your hand in a lot of different projects, which helps you get an idea of kind of how the machinery of municipal government really works
When you serve in a small municipality like Pelham, said MacDonald, “You have your hand in a lot of different projects, which helps you get an idea of kind of how the machinery of municipal government really works. Pelham has been a great proving ground for me, allowing me the flexibility to try some creative new things. I think most of them worked out pretty well.”
Asked what he would miss most about his daily duties at Town Hall, MacDonald said without hesitation, “The people, my co-workers—100 percent. It's a great team, dedicated and talented, from senior leadership right on down. Many of the personal and professional relationships that I've been able to build here will definitely carry on for a long time.”
Reminded that Welland’s City Council appears to be something of a divisive group, MacDonald responded diplomatically, “If you compare Pelham’s current and previous councils, they're quite different, and I think I benefited by experiencing both those councils. The way they interacted with staff, their priorities. I got the full spectrum of how municipal government works.”
MacDonald said he plans to continue living in St. Catharines with his wife and two sons, ages three and six, and simply lengthen his daily commute a tad.
“Right now, I’m just going to sink my teeth into this new job. But to be clear, what drove the change had nothing to do with any dissatisfaction, or unhappiness. Leaving will be bittersweet, but I look forward to the new challenge, and I take with me some really good memories.”
He also hinted that he will retain an interest in the goings-on in his old workplace.
“I’ll be keeping an eye on what's developing locally, by reading my weekly copy of the Voice.”
