RANKIN INLET - One of Kivalliq's most dynamic government personalities is leaving his department after a decade of service.

Community and Government Services (C&GS) assistant deputy minister Shawn Maley will be leaving his department to become the new director of Nunavut Airports.

He will remain a resident of Rankin Inlet.

Maley assumed his new position on Aug. 31, but will also continue on with C&GS for the remainder of this month.

Maley, 46, started his Northern career with the hamlet of Arviat in 1988.

He moved to the GNWT Department of Municipal and Community Affairs in 1990.

After a short stay in Rankin in 1990, he moved to Inuvik for two years before returning to Rankin in 1992, where he's remained since.

Maley said the decision to leave C&GS was tough, but it was time to put his family's needs above those of his career.

He said after 10 years, it was time for a change.

"Aviation is something I'm interested in and I always kept my eyes open in case a position like this became open in Rankin," said Maley.

"I still enjoy what I do at C&GS, but this position was open once before and I let it go by.

"When it became open the second time I thought it was time to put my name in, so that's what I did."

Maley will have significantly less travel as airports director, and that was a big selling point in his decision to switch career paths.

"My family has supported me in this position for the past 10 years and it's time I return that.

"I owe it to my family, especially my wife, to give them more time at this point in my life."

Maley has seen a lot of change in Nunavut's first decade.

He said the biggest difference since Nunavut's early days is that the territorial government has become a far more formal organization.

"When we hit the ground running on April 2, 1999, we were worried about making payroll.

"It's evolved to be a full-running machine that has all the intricacies of a government anywhere.

"In some cases that's good, but, in others, it's frustrating because bureaucracies tend to slow things down somewhat."

Maley said governments tend to be very pragmatic and constantly seek ways to do things in a pre-defined process.

He said that process continues to exist despite circumstances that could, potentially, change things for the better.

"Working with communities was the one aspect of my job at C&GS that was most dear to me.

"One of the reasons I'm taking this new job is because Nunavut Airports' top contractors are the hamlets.

"My current department has grown to encompass almost $450 million in budgets and I don't get to do a lot of that anymore.

"I really miss it, to be honest with you."

Maley said it takes the efforts of a lot of people to get things done, but he likes to think he's been one of those involved in a lot of successful projects, like Nunavut's insurance program.

He said he was also part of the municipal finance review - which put a lot more money into community pockets - as well as the capital planning process with the Nunavut community infrastructure advisory committee.

"Those are the three things that have allowed the communities to have a lot more say in how things happen.

"I wasn't the only guy, by any means, but I was one of the people heavily involved with them."

Like most people who spend long periods of time in a position, Maley left some unfinished business he would liked to have completed.

Yet, he's looking forward to bringing new energy and direction to his upcoming position.

"It bothers me a bit to leave the work being done with Build Canada funding, which C&GS is only about mid-stream with," said Maley.

"The department has only allocated $100 million of the $300 million available, so there's lots of work still to be done there.

"I was also looking forward to making some changes on the fuel side of things and never got a chance.

"I loved my time in this department, but there's new challenges ahead I'm looking forward to meeting in my new position."