Chicago "whiz kid" Sadhu Aufochs Johnston named Vancouver’s deputy city manager

The mayor of Chicago’s deputy chief of staff will be the City of Vancouver’s next deputy city manager.

Vancouver city manager Penny Ballem announced today (September 1) that she has hired Sadhu Aufochs Johnston as her new deputy.

“We have in Sadhu Aufochs Johnston a seasoned city administrator and a highly experienced leader who has pioneered environmental programs, strategies and regulations for the United States’ third largest city,” Ballem said in a press release.

Johnston will starting working at City Hall on November 2.

“Growing up as a child, I spent many summers in Vancouver visiting family,” Johnston said in the release. “Ever since then, as I worked to make U.S. cities green, I looked to Vancouver for inspiration. I’m thrilled to be coming to live and work in this inspiring city and to be part of a team engaged in making Vancouver healthier, greener and more environmentally friendly. “

Johnston currently also serves as the chief environmental officer for Chicago mayor Richard Daley’s office. It’s apparently the first position of its kind in a U.S. city government.

An article posted today on the Chicago Sun-Times Web site called Johnston the “35-year-old whiz kid who spearheaded Mayor Daley’s ”˜greening of Chicago’”.

Johnston was born in England; has lived in Asia, Europe, and the U.S.; and is both a Canadian and U.S. citizen.

His appointment fills a hole left by the departures of deputy city managers James Ridge and Jody Andrews.

Both senior bureaucrats resigned in the months following the Vision Vancouver-controlled city council’s replacement of city manager Judy Rogers.

You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.

Comments

5 Comments

Tinkywinky

Sep 2, 2009 at 1:55am

Shouldn't people in public office in Canada not have dual citizenship?
Where will their loyalties be? Working for a city like Vancouver should require non-dual citizenship

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seth

Sep 2, 2009 at 1:51pm

There are lots of local experts that would have done as good a job for a fraction of the salary. It's this media generated hype that has BC importing "experts" at monstrous salaries.
seth

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Mike Hansen

Sep 2, 2009 at 2:29pm

Sold out to America! This is the final straw left in Canadian Sovereignty. First a foreign corporation (IOC) takes control of our country and City, putting our day to day lives in siege, denying our 'Rights and Freedoms'. Our PM and premiere have sold out our resources at 'bargain basement prices', leaving nothing to pay for 'social services', driving 'budgets into a deficit'. We can't trust Canadian politicians to do the right thing for the citizens, lets hire an American to do the job. As we all know America is the "shinning example' to the World on all levels of human interest(s)! This has 'scam' written all over it.

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ec

Sep 2, 2009 at 11:32pm

We really don't need someone who is well versed with environmental strategies for deputy city manager; we need someone who isn't too much of patsy to take on TransLink over its unethical and harmful use of diesel buses on trolley bus routes. Diesel buses are the single most harmful source of toxic emissions for the average person in Vancouver, including you, Stephen, since you work at the Georgia Straight on Broadway with 99 B-Line diesel buses passing by every few minutes:

http://www.alaw.org/air_quality/outdoor_air_quality/facts_about_diesel_e...

Sure, you’ve heard it all before, but David Suzuki says the same thing over and over again, too, about saving the planet even though he never actually does anything. Do you censor him?

We already have too many City of Vancouver staff members who just go to meetings and avoid ruffling any feathers at TransLink. If the new deputy city manager has integrity and stomps on TransLink, great; if he is just going to be one the boys at the City of Vancouver, too bad; it's a waste of $150K/yr to $250K/yr or whatever he is getting paid to implement trivial programs which accomplish very little but give a good impression to the public.

I’m a chemical engineer with a master’s degree in environmental management and am way more qualified than Mr. Hot Shot from Chicago, but don’t expect the City of Vancouver to hire me or someone like me; the position of deputy city manager isn’t for anyone who can do any good or make a difference. It’s all about politics and all you need is a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies and political science for this position to put on a big show for the public.

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Donna Liberson

Sep 3, 2009 at 1:50pm

Why did Vancouver hire a deputy city manager from Chicago which has the reputation of being the most corrupt city administration in the USA and has ongoing corruption charges and investigations of its elected officials and employees?

Why was there no candidate selected from within our thousands of city employees? This is another example of management failure to train successors.

Johnston is deeply involved with the entire Chicago city administration.

So our council and management have decided Vancouver is just small time and needs help from big brother to run our city.

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