Sarm's new executive director makes history

- February 12, 2025

Key points from this story:

• Laurel Feltin appointed as SARM's new Executive Director
• First woman to hold this role in SARM's history
• Took over on December 2, 2024
• Feltin has 20 years of experience with SARM
• Bill Huber, Acting President, supports Feltin's leadership
• Annual Convention scheduled for March 11-13, 2025

Regina—The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) is thrilled to announce that its newly appointed Executive Director (ED) is Laurel Feltin. She officially took over as ED on December 2, 2024, when Jay Meyer stepped down, making her the first woman to hold this role in SARM's history. It's an honour that Feltin says is multifaceted.

"SARM has been my home and passion for the last 20 years," says Feltin, "but what draws me most to this role are our members. Rural Saskatchewan people have that can-do attitude. They're the ones who volunteer, and they're the ones who step up to get things done. To me, being a part of that feels better than any accomplishment on my resume."

SARM's Acting President, Bill Huber, says he's also excited for this new chapter and looks forward to working alongside Feltin to amplify the voice of rural Saskatchewan. "Having worked with Laurel these last nine years, I know first-hand the magnitude of her leadership, expertise, and work ethic. It's my absolute privilege to continue working with her as SARM steps into this province's next chapter—one that rural Saskatchewan will significantly influence, structure, and write."

March 11 – 13, 2025, will mark Feltin's first Annual Convention as SARM's ED. She says that her number one goal for the event is the same as her goal for the year: "As someone who's come up through SARM and benefited from the mentoring and care of those before me, I can tell you that I profoundly understand the value of being of service to others. That's why I really want my focus this year to be on building relationships. That means seeing me walking around at conventions, not just shaking hands but asking members questions about what really matters to them. Yes, we hear their resolutions at sessions, but that's not the same as getting a chance to touch base and find out what really matters to people at home. So that's my goal this year—listening, learning, and building relationships. I can't imagine time more well spent."