Mayor and Council

Email: mayor@westgrey.com 
Office Phone: 519-369-2200 x 232
Cell Phone: 519-374-3561

I am starting my sixth term on council: one term each as councillor and deputy mayor and now entering my fourth term as mayor. I have also served on county council for four terms and now entering my fifth. I have had the privilege of serving as warden of the county for three terms.

I have served the community on many boards from police services to conservation authority to health board to name a few. I also sit on the Germania Mutual board and one of the local Lions Clubs.

Married to Jo-Ann, we have two children and six grandchildren.

Email: deputymayor@westgrey.com 
Cell Phone: 519-901-4339

Current Committee Appointments: 

• Elmwood Fire Department Joint Board of Management 
• Saugeen Municipal Airport Commission 
• Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority Board of Directors 
• West Grey Appeals 
• West Grey Committee of Adjustment

Email: sfoerster@westgrey.com 
Cell Phone: 519-369-1916

Scott grew up on a dairy farm south of Neustadt. He currently lives in the SS#1 schoolhouse in the former Normanby township located near Varney. Scott has worked at Filsinger Organic Foods for the past 31 years. Scott is an active community volunteer with the Neustadt Agricultural Society and has been involved with a number of West Grey council advisory committees. Scott enjoys going for drives exploring local heritage buildings and local geographical features. His interests also include amateur photography, gardening, and nature in general. Scott is looking forward to getting involved through committees and council, learning more about West Grey and working with the rest of council in moving the municipality forward. 

Email: dhutchinson@westgrey.com 
Cell Phone: 519-270-7771

Doug has lived in the Durham area for more than 40 years after growing up in Grey Highlands. He attended Grey Highlands Secondary School and then went on to graduate from the University of Western Ontario with his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees. He spent most of his career teaching in the Durham area before moving into the administrative role as first a vice-principal then principal with the Bluewater Board of Education. Being retired for more than 14 years, Doug looks forward to spending his third term on West Grey council moving the municipality forward. Many changes are coming our way and he is excited about the possibilities that come with these improvements. Doug has always been an active community member. He has been married for more than 40 years with three grown children and four grandchildren.

Email: jnuhn@westgrey.com 
Cell Phone: 519-665-7807

Joyce has lived in West Grey all her life. She was born and raised on Lanzview Farm in the former Normanby Township. She graduated from JDSS and started her career in manufacturing and later joined Canada Post before she found her true passion with customer service in municipal government. Joyce worked for the former Normanby Township for 13 years in a variety of administrative roles. Following the West Grey amalgamation, she spent 22 years working for the public works department and retired in June 2022. Joyce is married to Jim and has lived in Ayton for 47 years, raised three children and now has seven grandchildren. She has been active as a volunteer on the Normanby recreation committee and the Ayton Busy Bees garden group. She has always been very active in community events. Joyce looks forward to her first term with West Grey council. She is excited to collaborate with fellow council members and constituents alike to ensure strategic and efficient spending, community-based interaction, and a safe community that has all the services and infrastructure in place to provide an enjoyable community to live. 

Email: gshea@westgrey.com 
Cell Phone: 647-330-2989

Geoffrey has lived and raised a family in West Grey for 30 years. He is an artist working in film and video and has shown his work internationally, including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Holstein Christmas Parade. Geoffrey teaches part-time at OCADU, an art and design university in Toronto. He served on council in the early 2000s, including appointments to the SVCA and the West Grey fire board. He is a disability advocate and supports community activism in many forms.

Email: dtownsend@westgrey.com 
Cell Phone: 519-369-8590

Doug has lived in Normanby Township for close to 40 years. He grew up in the hamlet of Gowanstown north of Listowel and it is here he got his start with Canada Post. It was through the post office that he ended up in West Grey serving as postmaster of both Ayton and Durham during the 1980s before moving onto management positions and a career that would span 36.5 years while all the time residing in this area. After retirement Doug has sat on boards within and outside of the municipal world and is excited for this next chapter of serving the citizens of West Grey as a councillor. Doug has been married for 38 years and has two grown children and two grandchildren all residing in West Grey.

If you want to invite the Mayor and/or member of Council to your event, send your request in writing, at least 3 weeks before the date.

Please be sure to include all of the following event details:

• name
• address
• phone number
• organization (if applicable)
• email address
• type of event
• who you would like to attend (Mayor/Councillor/all Council)
• event date
• event time
• event venue and address
• Mayor/Councillor's role (i.e. speaking, presentation, ribbon cutting, attendance only, etc.)
• additional event details

Staff will contact you to confirm attendance or extend regrets.

Congratulatory certificates are provided to individuals, groups, businesses, and other organizations in West Grey to commemorate anniversaries, birthdays, milestone occasions, official openings, and other special honours.

If you would like to request a certificate, send your request in writing, and please be sure to include all of the following details:

• type of certificate requested (birthday/anniversary)
• name of the recipient(s)
• address of the recipient(s)
• date of anniversary/birthday
• date of celebration (if different)
• pick-up or mailed?
• mailed to recipient or contact?
• your name
• your phone number
• your email
• your address

Most certificates are given for birthdays of 80 years or more and anniversaries of 50 years or more. Other special requests will be considered.

These certificates are not civic endorsements, and the Municipality does not make proclamations.