ESTEVAN — One of the longest-serving members of the City of Estevan’s administration team is retiring.
City clerk Judy Pilloud announced her departure during the Oct. 14 meeting of Estevan city council. Pilloud has been in the clerk’s position since 2012 and has 21 years of experience with the city.
Previously, she served as the confidential secretary for legislative services, working for the city manager, the mayor and two separate clerks.
Pilloud said she enjoyed her work because every day was a new adventure.
“You see so many people in so many walks of life, and you do so many things you never thought you’d be doing. It’s so diverse,” she said after the meeting.
The city clerk’s role is mostly legislative and governance-based, she said. It takes a long time to learn. She was also responsible for running the civic election every four years, and Pilloud said she won’t miss the added pressure.
Joshua Shitta-Bey has been working as the city’s assistant clerk since last year, learning the extent of the work. He will be the acting city clerk after Pilloud’s departure.
The Oct. 14 council meeting was the final one for Pilloud as clerk. She has a meeting for the Estevan Board of Police Commissioners on Oct. 15 and an airport committee meeting the following day, and then will use up vacation time until the end of this month.
She said her family is excited she will be home every night and she won’t have council to attend every two weeks. She is also working on gaining her designation in privacy from university.
Pilloud said she was fortunate to learn under some “amazing” mentors, including Yvette Wright, who held the clerk’s job when Pilloud first joined the city.
“She taught me how to navigate council and navigate filing and that sort of thing.”
In a full-circle moment, Wright worked for Pilloud last fall when Wright was one of the clerks at one of the election polls, and the two chatted during the election season.
Members of council thanked Pilloud during the meeting and applauded her for her service. Coun. Dave Elliott jokingly asked if council was bound by law to accept her retirement, which drew laughter from those in attendance. He then thanked her.
Coun. Shelly Veroba, who has nine years of experience on council, said Pilloud has been a pleasure to work with and an asset to the city.
