Hearn says experience in health care governance and business leadership has prepared him for council
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
By Galen Simmons
Stephen Hearn says his decades of leadership experience in both the corporate and non-profit sectors have prepared him to help guide St. Marys through the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
Hearn has announced he will seek a seat on St. Marys council in the Oct. 26 municipal election, saying he wants to build on the work of the current council while helping the town plan for continued growth and an aging population.
“As a former senior manager for a large corporation, my financial acumen and strategic leadership have provided me with the background necessary to support and hopefully continue the great work completed by the previous councillors and mayor,” Hearn said.
Hearn and his wife, Pat, have been married for 44 years. Though the couple has lived in several communities over the years, they returned to Hearn’s hometown of St. Marys in 2015.
He said community involvement has long been an important part of his life. While living in Guelph, Hearn served on the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation. Since returning to St. Marys, he has been a member of the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance board of directors, serving as both board chair and chair of governance.
During his time as board chair, the health-care alliance completed the renovations to St. Marys Memorial Hospital and oversaw construction of the new chemotherapy wing at Stratford General Hospital.
Looking ahead, Hearn said managing growth while ensuring the community remains affordable will be among the most important issues facing St. Marys.
He noted Huron and Perth counties have a significantly older population than the provincial average, creating increasing demand for health-care services and supports that allow seniors to remain in their homes longer.
“St. Marys is continuing to grow, and this will present some challenges as we have a number of new residents who are older,” Hearn said. “There will be different needs in the future which include a strong health-care system and more in-home support services.”
At the same time, Hearn said attracting younger families will be essential to maintaining a vibrant community.
“We need to attract younger families to ensure a vibrant community,” he said. “To attract this cohort, it is our responsibility to make sure that the town has the correct resources and is affordable.”
If elected, Hearn said he wants council to continue seeking public input as the community evolves.
“We as a community need to ensure that we have a good strategy that continues to evolve to support those needs, with council obtaining the feedback and actioning the requirements,” he said.
Outside of his professional and volunteer work, Hearn is an active member of the Masonic Lodge and the Shriners, and he enjoys golfing.
His campaign will officially launch after Labour Day. Hearn said he plans to spend the campaign knocking on doors throughout the community to meet residents, hear their concerns and gather ideas.
“I welcome any feedback on thoughts for improvement,” he said, adding residents can contact him by phone at 226-880-0862 or by email at shearn@live.ca throughout the campaign and beyond.
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