Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Ottawa has appointed Marcia Wallace as its new General Manager of Planning, Development and Building Services (PDBS), a critical role that has been vacant since August 2022. The announcement was made in a memo to the Mayor and Members of Council from City Manager Wendy Stephanson on Tuesday (May 20). Wallace is set to begin her new position on June 16.
The hiring concludes an extensive internal and external recruitment process for a position that has seen interim leadership for nearly three years. CBC News reported that the city had struggled to fill the role, which oversees significant files in a rapidly growing city, including a new official plan, transportation master plan, a new zoning bylaw, and the Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment.
Wallace brings a wealth of experience to the role, having most recently served as the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the Corporation of the County of Prince Edward. In that position, she managed a diverse portfolio with 10 departments and oversaw combined operating and capital budgets exceeding $200 million.
During her five-year tenure as CAO, Wallace led the development of a 10-year community plan, a Corporate Strategic Plan with measurable benchmarks, and spearheaded process modernization and a comprehensive by-law review. She also established an industry-led Destination Management and Marketing Corporation.
Prior to her role in Prince Edward County, Wallace spent nearly 20 years in various leadership positions with the Ontario provincial government, working on high-profile files related to the environment, economy, housing, infrastructure, and municipal governance. Her last provincial role was Assistant Deputy Minister for the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. In this capacity, she led the service transformation of the Building Code regulation to align with the National Code and streamlined development approvals to support the Housing Supply Action Plan and Ontario’s Open for Business Objectives.
City Manager Wendy Stephanson expressed confidence in Wallace’s abilities. “Marcia is a true public sector leader with a proven track record of building high-performing and engaged teams,” Stephanson stated in the memo.
“I am confident she will lead the team in PDBS to success in an inspiring and empowering way while delivering on the priorities of Council, the organization and the evolving landscape of our city.” Stephanson also highlighted Wallace’s “vast expertise in urban, suburban and rural planning, public administration and transformative leadership within both the municipal and provincial contexts.”
Wallace is a registered planning professional and holds a Ph.D. in Planning from the University of Waterloo, a Master of Arts in Political Studies from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of1 Calgary.
The memo also acknowledged Vivi Chi, who served as Interim GM of PDBS during the recruitment process. Chi was “instrumental in providing stability and leadership to the department, while working with the team to advance city-wide transformative planning initiatives including the Official Plan, Transportation Master Plan, Zoning By-law update and Lansdowne,” according to Stephanson. Effective June 16, Chi will assume the role of Special Advisor of Planning, working closely with Wallace to ensure a smooth transition and continuing to advance high-profile projects.
