Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Regional Chair's Office

The first Regional Chairman, Jack Young, was appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario for a four year term in October 1972. Young continued as Regional Chairman until 1978. In 1979 James E. (Jim) Gray was elected. He served as Regional Chairman until 1985. In 1985 Ken Seiling was elected and has continously served as Regional Chair ever since. In 1993 the name was changed from Regional Chairman to Regional Chair.

In 1979 Regional Council passed by-law 79-1, "A By-law to provide for an Acting chairman when the Chairman is absent from the municipality, etc." The by-law was for the period of time during 1979 and 1980. It allowed for each member of Regional Council, in a rotating order, to act in the place and stead of the Chairman during the Chairman's absence through illness, absence from the Regional Area, or if the office was vacant.

After the first four year term and until 1997, the Regional Chair was elected by Regional Council at its inaugural meeting held at the beginning of each term. The Regional Chair was elected from one of the members of Regional Council or any other person, to hold the office for three years. During the election, if Council's selection of a nominee ended in a tie vote, the incumbent Regional Chair cast the tie-breaking vote. If a member of an area municipal council was elected Chair, they could not retain their seat on local council. Instead, the seat on local council was declared vacant and filled accordingly. Since 2000, the Regional Chair has been directly elected by the electorate.