Nicole Chychota, the new city manager of Portage la Prairie, officially stepped into the role on March 31. After a few weeks on the job, she’s hit the ground running with full days, major events, and meaningful community engagement.
Tackling recruitment challenges
Her early schedule included an appearance at the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) spring convention earlier this month, where she represented Manitoba’s municipal administrators at a high level.
“There were a lot of really great speakers, lots of networking, and I was able to do a presentation on behalf of the Manitoba Municipal Administrators Association (MMAA) for which I'm President, on advancing municipal excellence in Manitoba,” notes Chychota.
The presentation, which marked her first breakout session as association president, was a valuable and well-received experience.
“We have identified in Manitoba that hiring, attracting, and retaining qualified CAOs is difficult. We have requested the Province of Manitoba amend our legislation, the Manitoba Municipal Administrators Inc. Act, to allow us to issue and withdraw professional designations.”
She sees the move as a strategic shift, aimed at building a sustainable talent pipeline to strengthen professional administration in local governments across the province.
“It was a bit nerve-wracking,” she says. “But I think it went well, and I was very pleased with the audience and the message's reception as well.”
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Reconnecting with the community
Chychota, who originally hails from Portage, says she has enjoyed settling back into the city after time away.
“The first few weeks have been a lot of just getting to know everybody and getting familiar with everything around town again. It’s great to be back.”
She’s especially enthusiastic about the people she’s working with, noting that the city staff have been welcoming and supportive.
“The team here is wonderful. It's a real pleasure to get to work with them.”
Looking to the future
Chychota says she’s excited about Portage's future, pointing to some significant projects already underway and others about to launch.
“There are amazing things on the horizon for this city,” notes Chychota. “The new hospital’s coming, we’ve got new businesses opening up this year, breaking ground right away, and it’s an exciting time for the community.”
Having left Portage in 2006, she reflects on the city's growth in the years since.
“I think Portage has just grown in a great way! It’s a beautiful community, and I’m just happy to be back.”
One priority she aims to carry forward is maintaining accessibility to the public, much like her predecessor, Nathan Peto, did during his time in office.
“I encourage the public to get involved and ask questions. I want to get to know people, I hope they want to get to know me as well. Phone me, email me – I'm here to talk.”