Here at the LGMA, we are proud to highlight our members and their many achievements in BC local government! This week, we are featuring another strong supporter and LGMA member, Juli Halliwell, General Manager, Corporate Services at the City of Burnaby! After traveling and living in England and Europe for four years, Juli returned to her hometown of Coquitlam to begin her 20-year career in local government. Before her current role, Juli worked for 10 years at the City of Port Moody and as the CAO for the Village of Anmore. Read David’s full spotlight and join us in celebrating her 20-year journey in local government!
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background?
I grew up in Coquitlam, and it's where I live now. When I was a teenager, I thought that there must be other places in the world better than the Lower Mainland and didn't know what I wanted to do for a career. I moved to England after graduating secondary school and lived there for four years, travelling when I could to mainland Europe. It was then that I realized how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful and safe part of the world, and came back. My aunt worked in local government and encouraged me to apply for an opening.
I began my local government career as a temporary accounts payable clerk at the City of Port Moody, supporting an ERP system replacement. I ended up with a regular full-time role, also in the Finance department. During my 10 years with Port Moody, I completed my Supply Chain Management professional designation and most of my Advanced Certificate in Local Government Administration through Capilano University. When I left the City of Port Moody, I was the Manager of Corporate Purchasing and Risk Management. I completed the certificate while I was the CAO for the Village of Anmore, and while there, I started a Master's in Executive Leadership from Royal Roads University. I was with Anmore for 7 years before taking on my current role with the City of Burnaby. In my first year at Burnaby, I completed my master’s program - my thesis project was based on enhancing collaboration within municipal organizations.
Q: Can you describe your role and title?
I am currently the General Manager Corporate Services and also the appointed Corporate Officer for the City (supported by 2 Deputy Corporate Officers). I oversee a number of internal service divisions, including our Legal Department, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Business Transformation & Innovation (including GIS and Change Management), and Legislative Services.
Q: How long have you been in local government?
I've worked in local government for 20 years.
Q: How long have you been an LGMA member?
I've been an LGMA member for about 13 years.
Q: What are some key milestones in your professional journey?
Being the successful candidate and appointed as the CAO for the Village of Anmore. I was encouraged to apply for the job by the City Manager in Port Moody at the time, and I thought that the job was well above my reach and ability. He was very supportive and gave me the confidence to put myself out there. It was a steep learning curve, and the experience I gained there was extremely valuable.
Anmore had a small, but mighty, team of 12 staff to run the municipality of 2500 residents, so I had to wear many hats as the CAO; some of which included: facilities management, audio/visual support for live streaming Council meetings, and human resources. I was also the CFO, Corporate Officer, and Approving Officer at one point throughout my time there! The role also gave me an incredible opportunity to build relationships with CAOs around Metro Vancouver who are leading some of the largest cities in the Province. It was a very interesting community to work for because comparatively it was so much smaller than the majority of Metro Vancouver member municipalities.
Q: How has being an LGMA member benefited your professional development?
The LGMA provides amazing resources that helped me as a brand-new CAO, especially the various toolkits available. The staff at the LGMA are extremely helpful in connecting people through conferences, educational opportunities, and as the need arises.
Q: What do you value most about LGMA Membership?
The connections I have made with colleagues across the Province are what I value most about my LGMA membership. I met many of my closest colleagues through MATI and get to continue seeing them because of my membership and volunteer opportunities.
Q: What have you learned from your experiences that you believe would benefit others in your field?
Believe in yourself and take chances that will stretch you into new, possibly uncomfortable, areas of growth. Take the time to cultivate relationships. We all provide similar services and face similar challenges - chances are someone else has dealt with the same thing you are facing and has advice and lessons learned to share.
