A familiar face has boomeranged back to city hall after a three-year absence.
Former general manager of planning and engineering Guy Boston will resume his old job on Monday after a foray into the private sector.
Boston, 54, held the post for four years prior to his departure to become senior vice-president of transportation for CH2M Hill, a private engineering firm.
That job gave him nationwide responsibility and insight into the financial side of engineering but the travel was too much for the new grandfather. He resigned in October.
"I'm very excited," Boston said of his return to the City of St. Albert. "It feels like coming home."
Boston's time away from St. Albert saw him involved in several high-profile Edmonton projects, including the Quesnel Bridge expansion, the west LRT leg, and the Anthony Henday Drive interchange at Stony Plain Road.
"What I learned over the three years and what I'm bringing to the City of St. Albert is the business aspects of the engineering world and what it takes to deliver a successful project from a financial perspective," said the civil engineer.
"I think that's invaluable experience that I picked up in the private sector."
During his previous stint in St. Albert, Boston oversaw the development of Ray Gibbon Drive, construction of Servus Credit Union Place, a massive upgrade to the Lacombe Park reservoir and laid the groundwork for a third fire hall.
"I think it was the single biggest capital burst in St. Albert's history and I see this next three to five years to be just as exciting but driven primarily by the ring road and the expansion in the Capital region," he said.
Boomerang club
Boston's return isn't a big surprise at city hall. He's kept in touch with city officials over the years, he said. And one of the city's recruitment strategies is to try to lure back excellent former employees, said city manager Bill Holtby.
"I certainly encouraged him to apply for the position," Holtby said. "He was an exceptional general manager when he was with us three years ago."
Boston will be the 25th city hall employee to join this "boomerang club," Holtby said.
Holtby has previously praised Boston's ability to manage human resources and take his division "to new heights." His previous tenure saw a threefold expansion of the division's stable of engineers, a reorganization of public works and the creation of the office of the environment.
Boston's previous record and familiarity with St. Albert were factors in his hiring but his other credentials also made him the best candidate to emerge during the job competition, Holtby said.
"Everybody's really excited to have him back," he said.
Boston has "all kinds of skills" in leadership and management, said Mayor Nolan Crouse.
"His human interaction is second to none," Crouse said. "If there's anybody that we were wanting to hire in the region and the province it was Guy Boston. No question."
Former GM Neil Jamieson resigned in mid-December to join the board of the Alberta Utilities Commission.
