After seven years, Portage la Prairie is in the market for a new city manager.
Nathan Peto will be leaving on January 27, 2025, to pursue a new professional opportunity. Peto looks back on pivotal moments throughout his time in the role, including the ice storm in 2019, and the many infrastructure projects, most recently the Saskatchewan Avenue restoration project.
"Coming here seven years ago, it was my first position as a city manager," says Peto. "Council put a lot of faith in me and they supported me, allowed me to make mistakes, allowed me to take chances and invest in this organization in new ways. When I see how the organization runs today, from when I got here, I'm really proud of how well everybody works as a team."
Mayor Sharilyn Knox says he's been exceptional to work with. While she's saddened to see him leave, she understands that when someone is as proficient at their job as Peto, the opportunity to advance their career will come.
"As council, we just really appreciate Nathan for his communication skills and being able to help us move forward on projects," explains Knox. "He worked hard to build a successful city staff team. He's definitely well-respected amongst those team members, amongst council, his peers, as well as community members."
Peto adds that when he looks back on his professional time spent with the City of Portage la Prairie, it will be remembered fondly and he'll always value the relationships made.
"I guess the important message for me is how appreciative I am of this city and of the Portage la Prairie team," says Peto. "The staff here are phenomenal; they work very hard. The one thing I always say is that they deeply care about the community that they live in, and to be a leader of an organization like that has been a real privilege."