CAO’s Office

Officially appointed by Council in March of 2025, Demetri Kachafanas, KC, serves as the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

A long-time employee of the CBRM, Mr. Kachafanas served as the municipality’s solicitor for 27 years before stepping into the position of interim CAO in November 2024.

Mr. Kachafanas holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance) from Acadia University and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Dalhousie University. He was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1996 and went on to complete a Master of Laws (LLM) in Dispute Resolution from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School.

Throughout his career, he has been recognized with numerous awards and professional designations, including:

• Municipal Law Fellow (2017)
• Certified In-House Counsel, Canada (CIC.C) (2019)
• King’s Counsel designation (2020)
• Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2023)
• Bruce A. Noble Award for Distinguished Canadian Municipal Lawyer from the International Municipal Lawyer’s Association (2023)