EDMONTON – Northlands’ vision and future is changing, and so is the CEO of the organization. As of Sept. 15, 2014, Tim Reid will step into the position of the chief executive officer of Northlands and take on a new role as the Edmonton Oilers organization transitions to the new downtown arena.
Reid has a large history in facility development. He was previously the chief executive officer at the Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo as well as the chief operating officer at MacDonald Island Park in Fort McMurray.
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Reid said his previous work involved facilities that were behind schedule, over budget or incomplete, so he is eager to begin with Northlands, which he described as a well established organization.
“It allows me to understand exactly what’s going to be happening with the onboarding of the new arena downtown, and the opportunities and challenges,” said Reid.
The first job Reid will tackle is getting to know his large Northlands staff. He hopes to build a plan based on the people, the organization, and those who have delivered the services in the last number of years. Afterwards, Reid will begin to have the financial discussion.
“When change happens, and the Edmonton Oilers and that property moves to a new location, there will be a deficiency. . . in the budget that we have to find,” said Reid.
“I think we need to be creative using the skill sets we have.
“But I also think the relationships that have always existed are going to be part of that equation.”
Concerning the timeline, Reid isn’t too worried. Currently, Northlands doesn’t have a specific date set for the new approach, but Reid is certain that once he speaks to the organization’s staff, they’ll get a sense of what comes next.
“Were trying to gather the data as we speak so we know exactly what happens when the Oilers and their property move to a new arena,” explained Reid. “I will suggest within the next six months we’ll have that answer without question.”
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Overall, he wants to build on a number of areas where Northlands has been successful. He believes the company is sustainable because its portfolio is very diverse.
“We are an organization with agriculture roots, entertainment roots, and community capacity roots. So for me, I want to be the place where people go to celebrate,” Reid said.
“I want to be the heart of Edmontonians when they think about something they’re going to do with their families, something they’re going to do for a night out, where they go to be energized about calling Edmonton home, that’s where we want to be.”
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