The newest member of the Town of Sundre’s accounting team brings with him an extensive background in bookkeeping.
Although Chris Albert has never before been employed by a municipality or government department, the 43-year-old self-professed avid fan of crunching numbers has many years of experience in the private sector.
"I have worked for the last 20-some-odd years in accounting in Calgary,” he told the Round Up last week.
While most people might find building a budget — never mind actually sticking to it — to be an arduously tedious task, Albert enthusiastically admits relishing the thought of diving into a spreadsheet.
"I’m very much a numbers guy.”
However, with a dual degree in accounting and information technology, his skillset includes working with networks, various software as well as building databases from the ground up.
During his last position with an insurance company that came under new ownership, he and a few co-workers were tasked with establishing — essentially from scratch — an accounting structure.
"I love the numbers side, but I also love problem solving.”
Since starting his new job with the municipality at the end of November, Albert has been working under the mentoring wing of Vic Pirie, Sundre’s director of finance and administration.
While there has been a steep learning curve to date as he gets accustomed and familiar with the roles of council and administration while keeping in mind the community’s concerns, the first couple of months have nevertheless gone really well, said Albert.
"So far, so good — I’m really liking the town and I’m really liking the people,” he said, adding his colleagues at the town office have been wonderful to work with as well.
"It’s nice and relaxed. So far, all I’ve met is great people.”
After more than two decades of running the rat race in Calgary, the last 10 years of which were mostly downtown, Albert said he grew weary of the lengthy commutes as well as the "hustle and bustle,” and so decided to seek out greener pastures outside of the city.
"It was time for a change,” both in his working and living environments, he said.
So when the opportunity for the accounting position in Sundre presented itself, he could not pass up the chance to apply for the job in an area that he over the years became familiar with during recreational adventures in the backcountry, such as camping and quadding.
"I’ve always really liked the Sundre area — it’s got huge potential.”
Sundre’s proximity to Red Deer and Calgary as well as the untamed natural splendor of the Rocky Mountains makes the municipality ideally situated to tap into a growing demographic of other people such as himself who are increasingly seeking to escape the concrete jungle, he said, calling the town uniquely positioned.
"Sundre’s location I think appeals to a lot of people — especially those who want to get out of the city, but still want to be close to the city.”
So the town clearly has positive prospects for future growth, he said.
Currently renting a place in Sundre, Albert said he and his wife Michelle — who is also an accountant — aspire to sooner rather than later purchase a property either right in town or at least somewhere in the immediate surrounding area, but that they must first sell their Calgary home.
