County of Grande Prairie welcomes Rory Tarant as new General Manager of Corporate Services

County of Grande Prairie welcomes Rory Tarant as new General Manager of Corporate Services 

The County of Grande Prairie is pleased to announce the appointment of Rory Tarant as the new General Manager of Corporate Services. A lifelong resident of the Grande Prairie region, Tarant is a passionate advocate and brings a wealth of experience in public service, business leadership, and community engagement. 

“The role will oversee Corporate Services, providing executive leadership on strategic and operational planning initiatives,” says County Manager Joulia Whittleton. “After a thorough recruitment process, we are confident in Rory’s expertise and professional insights into our region. His background in inter-municipal collaboration, economic development initiatives, and municipal governance will serve the County well as we work toward achieving our strategic priorities and delivering an unmatched quality of life for our residents.”   

Tarant’s commitment to the region began early in his academic career, serving as an elected student representative at Grande Prairie Regional College (now Northwestern Polytechnic), where he participated in provincial advocacy initiatives to improve advanced education policy and funding. 

After earning a degree in political science, his career included several years of entrepreneurship, running an exteriors construction business and an Italian restaurant. In 2013, he was elected as a City of Grande Prairie Councillor, serving a four-year term.  

Since 2019, Tarant has held several roles with the City of Grande Prairie, most recently serving as Interim Director of Invest Grande Prairie. In this capacity, he led initiatives to support local businesses and attract investment to the region, including the development of Invest Northwest – a collaborative economic development partnership between the City and County of Grande Prairie and the Municipal District of Greenview. Previously, he held leadership roles as Interim Chief Strategy Officer, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Manager of Communications and Marketing. 

Instilling passion for community-building through arts and recreation is a priority for the Tarant family and their four children. Outside of work, he can be found performing Shakespeare, enjoying disc golf, or exploring local parks and campgrounds with his family. 

Tarant expressed enthusiasm about stepping into his new role, saying, “I am honoured to serve the residents of the County of Grande Prairie. I appreciate the spirit of collaboration that exists between our regional municipalities and other levels of government. I look forward to building on those partnerships while advancing County Council’s strategic priorities.” 

As General Manager, Tarant will oversee Economic Development, Legislative Services and Communications and Marketing functions, and advance Council initiatives. 

He officially begins his new role on September 2, 2025.  

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Media Contact: 
Communications and Marketing Department  
County of Grande Prairie  
communications@countygp.ab.ca