What is with all the people getting hired from the States to work here? It’s a flood. (At least the San Franciscans can cash out with enough equity to buy a trailer in Abbotsford here.)

This is the latest, a big hire for the engineering department, according to internal memo.

To all staff in Engineering,
I am thrilled to welcome Marisa Espinosa as the new Director of Departmental Services.
Marisa’s career spans multiple years of public sector experience in transportation and land use planning, operations and policy analysis in both Canada and the United States. Active in the industry, Marisa is a graduate of the American Public Transportation Association’s Leadership APTA program which identifies leaders in the transportation field. In addition, she is a former Board member of the Women’s Transportation Seminar, an international organization that supports the advancement of women in transportation and infrastructure.
Marisa recently served as Senior Manager for Citywide Planning with the City and County of San Francisco and prior to that worked for Translink. Marisa served as Senior Manager of Strategic Planning, at TransLink, leading the development of the Mayor’s Council Vision for Regional Transportation Investments, and was responsible for major infrastructure planning as well as system planning.
Marisa believes that building leadership is a fundamental element of a successful operation. She spent several years in the leadership development field, coaching professionals and community-based organizations. Prior to her work at TransLink, Marisa served as the Manager for Planning and Research for the San Mateo County Transit District where she worked on bus, rail, rail station and bicycle planning for major capital projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, and as Manager of Strategic Policy Initiatives at the San Francisco MTA, the seventh largest transit system in the United States, leading strategic planning, and integrated transportation and land use for capital projects. Marisa has degrees in policy, politics and economics from Stanford University and in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles.
In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, and volunteering for leadership and environmental groups. She would welcome you to say hello, and is thrilled to be working with the City of Vancouver team.
Marisa will begin September 12th.
Please join me in welcoming Marisa to the City of Vancouver!
I would also like to thank Kim Kennedy for doing an excellent job in the acting position for the past many months as the recruitment process took place. Kim was instrumental in keeping a number of major initiatives moving in the Departmental Services Division. Thank you Kim!
Jerry