Changes are coming to the City of Belleville’s Engineering Department.
Ray Ford retires as Manager of Engineering on June 23 and is being replaced by longtime city employee Deanna O’Leary.
Ford has worked for the city for 24 years over two stints in the Engineering Department.
He started as an Assistant City Engineer in 1990 and became Deputy City Engineer in 1995 before leaving in 1999.
He returned to Belleville to become Manager of Engineering in 2009.
Over the years, Ray has been a part of a number of significant infrastructure projects including the redevelopment of Market Square in 1996, the Bay Bridge Road/Dundas Street West project and most recently the new J. Ben Corke Footbridge (formerly referred to as the Catharine Street Pedestrian Bridge), among many others.
“I have had the opportunity to be a part of many exciting projects during my time with the City of Belleville,” said Ray. “It’s been a pleasure to watch the city’s growth since I started and to have been part of making Belleville the premier community it is today through that civic infrastructure piece. I am very proud of the work our team has done and can’t wait to see what the future holds for the city moving forward.”
Deanna O’Leary has been with the city since 2014, working as a Senior Project Manager in Engineering & Development Services. Throughout her time with the city, Deanna has been involved in the design and construction of a number of significant infrastructure projects including the Sidney Street Corridor Improvements, Bell Boulevard Widening, Mineral Road and Maitland Drive Reconstruction, Sagonaska Bridge Rehabilitation and some of the city’s first cycling network projects. As a professional engineer, Deanna previously worked for Defence Construction Canada at 8 Wing Trenton and for a local engineering consulting firm.
Deanna began her new role as Manager of Engineering/Deputy Director of Engineering & Development Services in May and has been working alongside Ray over the past month to ensure there is a smooth transition.
“I am very grateful for this opportunity,” said Deanna. “I look forward to working together with our team, all city departments, contractors and consultants as we continue to deliver municipal infrastructure projects for the betterment of our community.”
