Within the Auditor General's report, Bonnie Lysyk sites NPCA's CAO hiring process in 2014 as a " conflict of interest".
Without naming the CAO directly, on page 49 of the report the AG writes about concerns with fairness in the hiring process.
In October 2013, the NPCA Board agreed to have a Board member provide sole sourced consulting services to the NPCA, and in April 2014 the same Board member was awarded the CAO position. Both appointments could be perceived as a conflict of interest given the individual’s involvement in decision-making processes prior to each hire:
• With regard to the contract position, the Board member was involved in proposing the creation of the consultant position he was later hired to fill. There was no replacement NPCA Board member during this leave. In fact, email communication with the NPCA Board Chair indicated the NPCA Board member would continue to receive Board related communication during his leave.
• During his role as consultant, this individual was involved in staff restructuring decisions related to hirings and terminations, and negotiating the terms and timing of the then CAO’s retirement. Shortly before the CAO vacancy was posted, this individual returned to the Board and submitted his application for CAO. He was on the Board (although not on the hiring committee) when the hiring committee selected which candidates to interview for the CAO position. He took a leave of absence only after being selected for an interview. Following the interviews, he was appointed to the CAO position. As before, there was no replacement NPCA Board member during his second leave of absence.