Eric Van Enk, the former head of Invest MH who stepped down earlier this week, has taken a position with the National Bank of Canada.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The former head of the city’s investment attraction team has returned to the private sector, and he is staying in Medicine Hat.
Eric Van Enk stepped down as the managing director of city hall’s Invest Medicine Hat Office in a move announced Monday
The News has learned he will join the local office of National Bank of Canada as an adviser with a financial firm which set up in the city in 2020.
Van Enk told the News on Friday that following the election he’s enjoyed “a very good, positive” working relationship with Mayor Linnsie Clark, who had criticized the Invest Medicine Hat model during the campaign.
That included a hot debate about whether economic development was better dealt with by an in-house city department or by a contracted entity.
Generally, though, Van Enk said he’s happy to be a private citizen again, but is still enthusiastic about the local economic outlook and the work being done by the city.
“I’ve spent my entire career in the private sector, and in a very aggressive part of the private sector – investment funds – and there was a bit of a culture shock,” he said.
“(Invest) tried some things that were aggressive, and there was some pushback (from candidates). Since the election, there’s some unanimity about the work (Invest has) done.”
Van Enk said he considered a move to the private sector since the new year, but stayed long enough to bring newly elected council members up to speed, to leave the Invest office in good position and advance projects onto a strong footing.
That includes industrial attraction and retention strategy which involves a partnership with major petrochemical producers to bolster hydrogen production and pair new and existing industry with carbon capture facilities.
“It will be a very positive path for economic growth and environmental sustainability,” he said. “You need really bold action to replace what’s been lost to the (southeast’s) economy with dry gas. That was the impetus for the hydrogen and carbon capture (projects),” he said, but added that greater regional co-operation is needed, generally, in economic development.
His departure this week was announced on the same evening it was revealed interim city manager Merete Heggelund would step away from the role after a three-month contract was up.
At that meeting, Coun. Cassi Hider thanked Van Enk for originally consulting on the city’s new “sustainable dividend” model, then taking the helm of Invest last fall and his general commitment to community.
“His primary focus has been creating a new Medicine Hat advantage … and has positioned the city as a leader and early mover in the hydrogen and carbon capture sectors,” she said.
That effort is continuing, said political officials on Monday.
Van Enk told council earlier this month that a number of grant proposals attached to the industrial partnerships were being evaluated by the provincial and federal governments.
“That will form the framework about funding as well as timeline,” Van Enk said May 16. “It’s very exciting times.”
