The Town of Didsbury is facing its second leadership gap in under 16 months after Chief Administrative Officer Michael Simpson handed in his resignation. Council accepted the departure during a special meeting on June 12, with Simpson’s active duties ending June 30 and his resignation taking full effect July 10. No reason was given for the decision, leaving the community of about 5,000 residents waiting on answers.
The Town of Didsbury says Deputy Mayor Bob Murray put forward the motion to accept Simpson’s resignation. Simpson had held the CAO role since September 15, 2025, meaning he served less than a year. This follows the resignation of previous CAO Ethan Gorner on February 24, 2025, who had been with the town since January 2020. The combined exits mean Didsbury has now seen two CAOs leave in quick succession, creating continued uncertainty for the town’s administration.
The CAO is council’s only direct employee, with all town staff reporting through that position. That makes the role a single point of leadership for the municipality, and the loss of another permanent CAO is significant. Following Gorner’s resignation last year, council had approved up to $35,000 for a recruitment service to find his replacement. It’s unknown whether the town will again hire external recruiters, but the previous search led to Simpson’s hiring and a period of what the town hoped would be stable leadership.
To fill the gap, council has named Vanessa Van der Meer as interim CAO starting July 1. Van der Meer currently serves as the Executive Assistant to the CAO and Legislative Coordinator. The appointment, also moved by Deputy Mayor Murray, is meant to ensure that town operations continue without interruption while a permanent replacement is found. No timeline for that search has been announced yet.
This latest resignation follows a tumultuous period for Didsbury’s municipal leadership. After Gorner’s departure, council voted 3-2 to request an inspection from Alberta Municipal Affairs into council governance and operations, but that motion was rescinded by a subsequent council vote on March 26, 2025. Mayor Chris Little, elected in October 2025, heads the current council, which includes Deputy Mayor Murray and five other councillors.
