Another Windsor city hall shakeup as top bureaucrat says he’s retiring

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Windsor city hall is preparing for another major reshuffling at the top of the municipal bureaucracy after the chief administrative officer announced his impending retirement.

On Friday afternoon, the city announced in a statement that CAO Joe Mancina will retire effective May 1 following a 35-year career with the corporation. Mancina has helmed the city administration since mid-2023.

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“As I step down from my role as CAO, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible opportunity to serve this community,” Mancina said in the written statement.

“It has been an honour and privilege to work alongside such dedicated colleagues and public servants, and I am extremely proud of all we’ve accomplished together. Under the guidance of our mayor and city council we have collectively built a strong, resilient and vibrant city and I look forward to seeing its continued growth and success well into the future.”

Mancina’s career with the city began in 1989 when he joined the management team of Windsor’s finance department. He advanced through the ranks and became commissioner of corporate services, chief financial officer, and city treasurer in 2016.

He took over as CAO from Onorio Colucci, who was brought back in from retirement to fill his old role on an interim basis from mid-2022 to May 2023 following the termination of CAO Jason Reynar after only a year leading Windsor’s municipal bureaucracy.

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The city announced five senior administrators will take on new responsibilities as a result of Mancina’s departure:

• Commissioner of community and corporate services Ray Mensour will become the city’s new CAO;

• Commissioner of economic development Jelena Payne will add deputy CAO to her existing duties;

• Commissioner of human and health services Andrew Daher will become the new commissioner of corporate services;

• Senior executive director of community services Michael Chantler will become the new commissioner of community services;

• Senior executive director of corporate services Dana Paladino will become the acting-commissioner of human and health services.

The roles of two remaining members of the city’s corporate leadership team will be left unchanged. Janice Guthrie will continue in her role as commissioner of finance and city treasurer; and David Simpson will continue as commissioner of infrastructure services and city engineer.

tcampbell@postmedia.com

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