As City Manager, Wendy serves as Council’s chief administrator leading the organization to deliver services across more than 100 distinct lines of business through nine departments, three offices and 17,000 employees.
Wendy is a strong financial steward who has devoted her entire career to public service. With 29 years with the City of Ottawa, she has held several leadership roles, including most recently as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
As CFO, Wendy was responsible for all financial aspects of the corporation, including the development of the $4.14B operating and $989.5M capital budgets, tax policy, long-range financial plans and $1.8B annual payroll and distribution of pensions and benefits.
Throughout her tenure with the City of Ottawa, Wendy has established strong, collaborative relationships across the organization, local industry partners and key stakeholders at all levels of government. She is an accomplished servant leader who has a proven track record of developing, empowering and guiding diverse teams of people to deliver quality service and seeking opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.
In addition to her role with the City of Ottawa, Wendy has made significant impacts across the Province of Ontario. Through her collaboration with the Ontario Municipal Tax and Revenue Association’s (OMTRA) Education Committee, educational material for the Municipal Tax and Revenue Administration program was developed and administered by Seneca College. This work was also included in the re-developed Municipal Practitioner’s Guide to the Tax Sale Process, which is used by municipal and legal professionals throughout Ontario. In 2017, Wendy received a Province of Ontario Volunteer Service Award for these contributions.
Wendy holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Carleton University, is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Certified Municipal Revenue Professional (CMRP). She served on the OMTRA Board of Directors from 2012 until September 2023, and was recently recognized by the organization with a Lifetime Member status–the highest recognition offered to a member who has served the association with professionalism, integrity and dedication.
The City of Ottawa’s organizational structure is comprised of City Council, City Manager Wendy Stephanson and the following City departments and offices:
