by Laura Walz editor@prpeak.com City of Powell River’s new manager of development services has extensive experience working for small towns, large cities, regional districts and national organizations in two countries.
Carlos Felip took on his new duties at the beginning of November. He replaces Regina Sadilkova, who left Powell River in late June to be the director of development services with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.
Felip, a registered professional planner, is originally from Chile. He has worked in Alberta and in BC for a number of local governments, including Surrey, Port Coquitlam and the Comox-Strathcona Regional District. With a degree in both planning and architecture, he also had his own private business.
Stan Westby, the city’s chief administrative officer, introduced Felip during the November 17 committee-of-the-whole meeting. “We are very, very fortunate to have someone with such experience,” Westby said.
Felip, who has retired twice already, said he had been expecting to stay retired. “I’m very, very pleased that the city has given me an opportunity to come here,” he said. “We have a city with huge potential. Not many towns have this amount of oceanfront.”
When he arrived in Port Coquitlam, the town was experiencing slow growth and nothing much was happening, Felip said. “They wanted something new and we managed to turn it into what it is today, which is really a beautiful town,” he said. “Maybe we can find something new for this city and we’ll be happy that we shared this experience over the next few years.”
Felip has extensive experience as a professional planner, approving officer, economic development officer, urban designer and architect. He is also a member, or former member, of the Planning Institute of BC, Economic Developers Association of Canada, Association of Architects and Urban Planners of Chile and a registered building designer with Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC.
Felip has moved to Powell River with his family.
