City announces new leadership in Community Development Department

Cambridge, Ontario. (September 16, 2021) – The City is pleased to announce new leadership appointments at the City of Cambridge. Lisa Prime has been appointed as its new Chief Planner and Tanya Gies as the city’s new Chief Building Official.

As a future city builder, the Chief Planner works with citizens, developers, regulatory authorities, consultants and all levels of government to achieve the community’s goal of building a vibrant and growing city. A proven industry leader, Prime has held senior roles in both government and the private sector, leading major planning initiatives in policy and development. This has notably included the creation and implementation of the innovation and sustainability portfolio for the Toronto waterfront revitalization initiative, coordinating planning and design, real estate development and infrastructure construction.

Most recently, Prime was the project lead as a private consultant leading the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region with their Regional Growth and Servicing Plan. Previous roles also included Director Environment & Innovation (Sustainability) for Waterfront Toronto, the master developer of Toronto’s waterfront, created by the Governments of Canada, Ontario and the City of Toronto.  Prime begins her new role on September 20.

The Chief Building Official is responsible for the administration, interpretation and enforcement of the Ontario Building Code (OBC) for the municipality. With over 18 years of experience, Tanya Gies brings a wealth of knowledge of both the City of Cambridge, and the Ontario Building Code. Gies’ most recent experience includes seven years as the city’s Manager of Building Services and Deputy Chief Building Official. Previously, Gies served as a Municipal Building Official with the city, specializing in Industrial, Commercial and Institutional projects.  Additional experience includes Secretary/Treasurer of the Waterloo Region Chief Building Officials Committee (WRCBO), as well as private sector experience.  Gies begins her new role on October 4.

“I am excited to announce our newest leaders at the City of Cambridge”, said Deputy City Manager of Community Development, Hardy Bromberg. “Our community will certainly benefit from the diverse backgrounds and proven track records of these individuals as, together with Cambridge City Council, we plan and manage our growing community.”

These new appointments come during a period of growth and opportunity for Cambridge, including; significant increase in building permit activity, the advancement of the Light Rail Transit scheduled for 2028, continued re-urbanization of our cores, and the planning and development required to accommodate a projected population increase of approximately 48% to 202,000 people over the next 30 years.

Planning and Building Services are key elements of the Community Development Department, providing important services to the public and the building community by planning and supporting our community’s growth. This Department is divided into four divisions: Planning Division, Building Division, Engineering & Transportation, as well as Recreation & Culture. Together they provide the community with programs and services aimed at supporting a healthy and vibrant city. For more information on the Community Development Department, please visit our website.