Today, Toronto City Council approved the appointments of Jag Sharma as Deputy City Manager, Development & Growth Services, effective August 14, a new role in the City’s senior leadership structure, and Will Johnston as Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services, effective June 16. These appointments will report to City Manager Paul Johnson.
As Deputy City Manager, Development & Growth Services, Sharma will lead functions which include the City Planning, Housing Secretariat and Toronto Building divisions, as well as a soon to be established Development Review division, with a mandate to build more housing, faster.
Under the new Development & Growth Services, all roles responsible for development review will be centralized, allowing the City to streamline the process and reduce red tape.
This will enable the City to review and approve design plans faster, work better with property owners, developers, builders and other parties, and ultimately build more homes faster, filling an important and critical need for the residents of Toronto.
Sharma is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Toronto Community Housing (TCHC), where he leads the overall strategic direction for the organization and has implemented comprehensive reporting and financial management processes with a view to long term sustainability. Prior to joining TCHC in August 2021, he was the Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Newmarket and the City Manager at the City of Oshawa. Sharma has also held leadership roles at the Ford Motor Company, Maple Leaf Foods and Canada Post Corporation. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Electrical Engineering from the General Motors, Engineering and Management Institute and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Queen’s University.
As Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services, Johnston will lead the City’s infrastructure portfolio which includes Engineering & Construction Services, Municipal Licensing & Standards, Toronto Emergency Management, Policy, Planning, Finance and Administration, Solid Waste Management, Toronto Water, Transit Expansion and Transportation Services.
With more than 20 years of public service experience, Johnston is currently part of the City’s Senior Leadership Team where he has been actively involved in the creation and planning of the new Development & Growth Services area. Prior to this, he was the Acting Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure and Development Services, from August to December 2022. He joined the City in 2014 as Deputy Chief Building Official and Director before being promoted to Chief Building Official and Executive Director of Toronto Building in 2018. Johnston is a professional engineer with a graduate degree in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Quotes:
“This is a great step forward for City leadership and I congratulate Will and Jag on their appointments. The City of Toronto is working to get more affordable and supportive homes built as quickly as possible. There are more than 100 affordable housing projects in the City’s development pipeline that, once completed, will provide more than 20,000 affordable rental and supportive homes. Expediting the review process through the creation of this new service area will allow us to build more homes faster, a key priority for Council.”
– Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee
“Both Jag and Will are accomplished and passionate strategic leaders who bring with them decades of progressive and impactful public service experience and success. I am confident that under their direction, we will be able to build more affordable housing faster, deliver high quality infrastructure projects and deliver critical public services today and in the future.”
– Paul Johnson, City Manager
“I am excited to take on the role of Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services on a permanent basis and to continue to work with all of the professional, passionate and committed staff in this service area. Well maintained and new infrastructure is critical in supporting the health and well-being of our city and its residents, and I look forward to working with this team, as well as with the City Manager and our elected officials, to ensure our infrastructure and services remain world class.”
– Will Johnston, Incoming Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services
“It is an honour and a privilege to be entrusted with launching the City’s new Development & Growth service area. I believe housing is a fundamental human right and I know how critical it is to have more affordable housing now for Torontonians. This role allows me to build on the work I’ve done with the great team at Toronto Community Housing and I look forward to making more housing a reality.”
– Jag Sharma, Incoming Deputy City Manager, Development & Growth Services
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