A Burnaby RCMP communications strategist is stepping into a newly-formed communications management position at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
“Aidan [Buckley] comes to us from the City of Burnaby where he has been leading communications for the Burnaby RCMP, the second largest RCMP detachment in the country,” said an internal memo sent to SCRD staff and provided to Coast Reporter by CAO Dean McKinley.
Buckley is expected to start the week of Nov. 23. The current communications officer is expected to continue in her role.
The memo describes Buckley as “a leader in policing communications across the province.” As communication strategist for the RCMP detachment, Buckley oversaw their response to the 2018 demonstrations against the Kinder Morgan pipeline “and has been an integral part of bringing forward a progressive way of communicating with the public,” says the memo.
Before that he was a producer at Global BC and held a communications position with the Independent Investigations Office of BC.
Buckley “is a firm believer in the importance of advocating for the great work being done at the SCRD,” said the memo.
SCRD chair Lori Pratt said she is “excited by his resume and is looking forward to welcoming him to the Sunshine Coast.”
Buckley was one of nearly 100 applicants, according to Pratt, who said the volume of applications for SCRD jobs “has increased significantly” over the last few months.
The management position is one of a record number of staffing positions approved in the 2020 SCRD budget. The 15 full-time equivalent positions were reduced by about five in late March after directors made last-minute cuts to the budget to reduce the tax impact during the pandemic.
The budgeted salary is approximately $88,000.
