City of Hamilton announces Jackie Kennedy as General Manager, Public Works

HAMILTON, ON - The City of Hamilton is pleased to announce Jackie Kennedy as the General Manager of Public Works, effective immediately. 

Reporting directly to City Manager Marnie Cluckie, Ms. Kennedy will oversee Transportation Operations & Maintenance, Engineering Services, Hamilton Water, Transit, Environmental Services, Corporate Facilities & Energy Management, Waste Management and Corporate Asset Management within Public Works. 

As a member of the City’s Senior Leadership Team, she will provide strategic direction and professional expertise, help foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability and champion best practices across municipal administration.

Jackie joined the City of Hamilton in 2022 as the Director, Engineering Services in Public Works. During this time, Jackie demonstrated leadership and decisiveness in responding to complex issues while aligning infrastructure investments with the City’s Asset Management Plan. She strengthened proactive communications to promote transparency and build awareness of capital projects and construction work. She has also worked diligently to build strong teams and improve morale within her Division, fostering an inclusive, collaborative and accountable culture.

Most recently, Jackie served as Acting General Manager, joining the Senior Leadership Team and advancing key departmental priorities, including oversight of Public Works’ operational and capital portfolios. She demonstrated collaboration and accountability by contributing to cross-departmental strategies and broadening her understanding of all Public Works divisions to ensure strong and consistent leadership.

“We are fortunate to have Jackie’s leadership and experience guiding this important portfolio and I am confident she will continue to make a positive impact on our organization and community,” said City Manager Marnie Cluckie. “Jackie will be responsible for advancing our goals of operational excellence, service innovation and accountability, while shaping Hamilton’s infrastructure, services and public spaces.”

More about Jackie Kennedy:

Before joining the City of Hamilton, Jackie held several progressive roles with the City of Toronto, including Manager, Major Infrastructure, as well as leadership positions in public procurement and contract management. Her strong engineering background contributed to the successful delivery of capital infrastructure upgrades and rehabilitation projects.

Throughout her career, Jackie has demonstrated a strong belief in building teams that value accountability, transparency, collaboration and diversity. Her commitment to public service and relationship-building has resulted in innovative approaches to procurement, capital delivery and engineering services. She complements her technical expertise with a leadership style that fosters trust and accountability.

Jackie holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering and a Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering. She is a licensed professional engineer with Professional Engineers Ontario, past Chair of the Ontario Water Works Association / Water Environment Association of Ontario Joint Climate Change Committee and a Positive Space Ambassador for the City of Toronto. Jackie has also advanced her professional development by completing the Ivey Executive Leadership Program and mentoring City of Hamilton emerging leaders through the Cutting Edge of Leadership program.