ESTEVAN — The new city clerk and privacy officer for Estevan has a variety of experience, not only within municipal governance but in other capacities.
Estevan city council officially announced the hiring of Josh Shitta-Bey during the Nov. 24 meeting. Shitta-Bey has been employed by the city since July 2024 as the deputy city clerk, and he had been the interim city clerk for a few weeks since Judy Pilloud’s retirement.
In an interview with SaskToday, Shitta-Bey said he wanted the job because of his desire to serve.
"I’m grateful to the administration and council for seeing in me the ability to carry on all of the things Judy has built on,” said Shitta-Bey.
Shitta-Bey’s introduction to government came when he served as a volunteer research assistant while he went to school and lived in Ottawa.
From there, he worked with the Canadian Armed Forces as a financial services administrator for the Canadian Naval Reserves, and then he worked for the Government of Alberta as part of the Premier’s Counsel on the Status of Persons with Disabilities. He then found out that Alberta’s Municipal Affairs department had an internship. Shitta-Bey applied, was accepted and was sent to Clearwater County in west-central Alberta.
“As an administrator intern, I had to learn what local government looks like, so I had to rotate through every department to learn about what they do, how it impacts councils, how council’s direction dictates what their work is, and that first-hand, hands-on experience about governance and understanding the works of local government,” he said.
Shitta-Bey also worked as a legislative officer for the City of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., where he supported boards and council.
Through his program with the Government of Alberta, he also learned more about certain certifications that help him be more proficient, and he now has two of them, which he said enhances the work he does.
Shitta-Bey looks forward to applying his experience and knowledge to the city. He recognizes he has big shoes to fill replacing Pilloud, who taught him a lot.
“It’s been amazing working with Judy Pilloud,” said Shitta-Bey. “I couldn’t do the job without her.”
He joined the city shortly before the 2024 civic election.
“Because Judy showed me the ropes and the workings of running an election, this is a knowledge that stuck with me for life, and I’m eternally grateful to Judy. It was very fascinating working on the elections, because there’s so many moving parts, and all the lights are on you, so you have to get it right,” said Shitta-Bey.
The election also enhanced his knowledge when it comes to knowledge of freedom of information policies.
The privacy officer role means that in addition to his work as city clerk, he is tasked with access for information to the public. If someone submits a Freedom of Information Act request, there are processes and timelines to be followed, including what has to be redacted.
“All of that is very, very important and potentially sensitive and risky if not managed properly,” said Shitta-Bey.
He’s looking forward to working for the city in his new role, and he’s thankful for the support of council and administration.
