SARM president Ray Orb is stepping down after 20 years

SARM president Ray Orb stepping down WATCH: Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities president Ray Orb is stepping down after 20 years.

After 20 years at the helm of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), Ray Orb is taking a bow.

“The timing just feels right,” Orb said in a news release on Tuesday morning.

Orb was first elected to the SARM board in 2004. In his years as leader of the key lobby group for the province’s rural communities, he’s advocated for better infrastructure and offered solutions to tackle issues like rural crime.

“It’s been a tremendous privilege to listen to and learn from all the people I’ve worked with and represented. That strength of community and pride in rural Saskatchewan is something I took with me everywhere I went. That’s something that will never change.”

He says the decision to end his term as president at the end of the month stems from “a desire to start experiencing life in a different way.”

“Since announcing back in March that I wouldn’t be seeking re-election, the transition has gone so smoothly that there wasn’t any real reason to delay stepping down,” said Orb.

SARM vice-present Bill Huber will step into the leadership until the search for a replacement begins in January, concluding with an election at the annual SARM convention in March, the organization says. Nominees for president must be elected officials in a rural municipality.

“SARM is in incredibly capable hands with Bill Huber as Acting President, and I’m looking forward to more family time, so it just makes sense," Orb said.

In the meantime, Huber says he’s looking forward to a new challenge.

“My passions in life are people, rural Saskatchewan, and farming,” says Huber.

“So I couldn’t be more honoured to step into this acting position. Having held the role of vice president for the last four years, I know first-hand what a great leader Ray Orb is and how significant his contributions have been. It’s my privilege to continue that work.”