The Municipality of Cumberland is not unlike many organizations these days – open positions and no one to fill them. Sometimes the solution is very close at hand. It just takes a little thinking outside the box and some innovation.
That was the case partway through 2023 when the municipality was seeking qualified building inspectors for its planning department. The previous year had been one of tremendous growth within the municipal unit. The issue was finding the people to go over building plans and give them the necessary stamp of approval.
Enter Samantha Stewart and Cory DeWitt.
Stewart worked with the municipality for 11 years, working an administrative assistant in the planning department while DeWitt had six years working the front counter at the Upper Nappan Service Centre.
“I’ve had a lot of different roles with the municipality, but I really liked working in the planning department,” said Stewart. “I wanted to continue my career here in Cumberland and thought it would be a good move for me.”
Samantha Stewart and Cory DeWitt were part of a Made in Cumberland solution to a shortage of building officials. The municipality recruited from within and two county employees underwent training and were certified as building officials. Darrell Cole – Municipality of Cumberland photo
DeWitt studied marketing and business in school and most of his jobs have been in customer service. He spent a lot of time working around the trades and found that enjoyed working with various tradesmen over the years.
“For me, it was about opportunity and growth,” DeWitt said. “I was at a point where I wanted to grow into something new.”
Both said the training through the Nova Scotia Building Officials Association was very difficult, requiring a week of instruction in Halifax most months along with learning on the job in Cumberland County.
Both credit the staff within the planning department and the municipality for helping with the transition.
“We met a lot of people who were very supportive,” Stewart said. “There is always something to learn and there were a lot of people who helped us along the way.”
DeWitt said he’s happy to be part of a Made-in-Cumberland solution.
“The point from where we express interest to the point where they decided they were going to try it was a process. One of the things that was appealing to the municipality is that we’re both young, are from Cumberland County with young kids and our spouses also have good jobs here in Cumberland County,” DeWitt said.
David Buell, permits and inspections supervisor with the Municipality of Cumberland, said the pair have been great additions to the department.
“The qualification of Sam and Cory to residential inspector is instrumental in the permit group being able to meet the record demands on our permitting services in Cumberland County,” Buell said. “The fact that we were able to train and promote from within is an excellent opportunity for both them and the county and adds to the long-term viability of such an initiative.”