Lisa Spitale is the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the City of New Westminster. Working closely with the Mayor and City Council, she leads a complex and highly innovative organization made up of professional and technical staff. Lisa is a Registered Professional Planner with over 35 years of municipal and private sector experience. Prior to becoming the CAO, Lisa was the Director of Development Services advancing official community plans and multi-million dollar high and medium density projects.

New Westminster is a compact and very urban city within Metro Vancouver and is experiencing one of the fastest growth rates in British Columbia. Being situated along the Fraser River, New Westminster’s waterfront is a mix of industrial land uses, high density residential, commercial and tourism land uses, environmentally sensitive areas, parks, open spaces, and pedestrian esplanades.

Lisa Spitale recognizes that growth management in the highly urbanized region of Metro Vancouver requires leadership and a commitment to balanced, measured approaches. Lisa is the Chair of the Regional Administrators Advisory Committee for Metro Vancouver – a committee made up of all CAOs and City Managers in the region – which focuses on issues requiring regional collaboration and coordination.

Lisa regularly presents on a range of topics affecting local government including affordable housing solutions, homelessness strategies, development financing and local government leadership.