Following a 41-year municipal administration career spent largely with Clearwater County, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Rick Emmons is set to retire at the end of June.
Emmons began his career in 1985 when the county was still officially known as the Municipal District of Clearwater.
From there, he worked his way up through the ranks before accepting a position with neighbouring Brazeau County in 2005 as director of public works.
In 2009, Clearwater County came calling with an offer to return as director of planning.
Emmons said he gained valuable experience during his time with the hands-on Brazeau County, adding that the skills he learned there served him well upon his return to Clearwater County.
In particular, he said his engineering background was heavily utilized at Brazeau County, where decisions such as road design were largely left to his discretion.
“Every municipality operates so differently,” he said. “Even though we all do the same thing at the end of the day, it’s done in a far different way.”
CAO
Following his tenure as director of planning, Emmons became CAO in 2017. When his initial contract ended in 2021, he intended to retire.
However, his replacement lasted only six months, leaving the position open once again.
“I felt I had more to give the organization and community, and I was fortunate to be selected by that council for another four-year contract.”
Emmons’ second contract expired May 22, 2026. However, in April, council passed a motion to extend it by one month.
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Everything’s changed
Looking back on his time with Clearwater County, Emmons said nearly everything is different from when he started in 1985.
He cites the downloading of responsibilities from the provincial government, which he said has increased both the size of local government and the legislative burden on Clearwater County.
“When I started in 1985, we were managing the roads for the province — the province gave us both bridges and roads,” he said. “When I started, we didn’t have Nordegg — the province gave us Nordegg.”
Emmons also pointed to increased red tape, saying things like bridge repairs used to be relatively simple but have now become two-year processes in some cases.
People remain key
While much has changed, Emmons said it is the people of Clearwater County who remain the backbone of the municipality.
“The citizens of Clearwater County are just good, rural, hard-working people,” he said. “Whether they’re involved in the oil industry or farming, I find them passionate about the community and always looking for opportunities to grow Clearwater County in the right way.”
Challenges
During his long career, Emmons said there have been many challenges, but none compare to the economic slowdown Alberta faced in the late 1980s.
With Clearwater County’s tax base roughly 90 per cent resource-based, he said the protracted downturn in the oil and gas sector limited the county’s resources and growth.
Although conditions eventually improved, Emmons noted that a CAO’s job is never done and new challenges regularly emerge.
He credited successive councils with helping navigate the needs of the community through thick and thin.
“Clearwater County is not the federal government. We can’t run a level of debt — there is a bottom to that pot.”
Investing in people
Looking back, Emmons said he is particularly proud of how the county invested in its staff.
He said he played an integral role in creating career development pathways that ensured employee training could be applied in meaningful ways.
“Our tax dollars get invested in every individual here — it’s a waste of money if [staff training] isn’t applied,” he said.
He added those investments have benefited ratepayers in the long run.
Advice for successor
As council continues its search for Emmons’ successor, he offered some advice to the person who will fill the role.
“Remember your place. As CAO, you take direction from council — your job is to be a brave leader. You owe our community and council the truth, even if that truth isn’t the best of messages. Whether you agree with council or not is irrelevant.”
Clearwater County CAO offers advice to his successor
As he prepares for retirement, Emmons hopes Clearwater County will continue supporting farmers and allowing residents the freedom to pursue their interests on their own properties.
To that end, he plans to continue operating his cow-calf farm in Clearwater County alongside his wife, who also recently retired.
In closing, Emmons thanked the many council members he has worked with over the years, noting the significant commitment required to put one’s name on the ballot and serve the community.
Emmons has two council meetings remaining before retirement: June 9 and June 23.
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