A Chatham-Kent (CK) doctor once again tops the 2025 list of highest-paid public sector earners in the municipality.
The "Sunshine List", as it's commonly known, is released at the end of every March, containing salary information on all public sector employees who were paid $100,000 or more in 2025, required by the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act.
Chatham-Kent Community Health Centres physician, Vishal Chawla, topped the list, earning $509,217 last year. The doctor was followed by Chatham-Kent Health Alliance President and Chief Executive Officer Adam Topp, who earned $364,500; Doctor Malay Shah of Chatham-Kent Community Health Centres, who earned $360,009; and CK Chief Administrative Officer Michael Duben, who was paid $347,276.
CK Medical Officer of Health Shanker Nesathurai's 2025 salary was $328,012. He was followed by CK Community Health Centres doctor, Lalit Chawla, who was paid $286,977, and CK Police Chief Kirk Earley with a paycheck of $283,007.
Other high municipal salaries last year include Edward Soldo, CK General Manager of Infrastructure and Engineering Services-$255,066
Jodi Guilmette, CK General Manager of Health and Human Services and Chief Executive Officer of Public Health-$246,860
Catherine Hoffman, retired CK General Manager of Corporate Services and Chief Human Resources Officer-$246,860
Bruce Mcallister, CK General Manager of Development Services-$246,860
Gord Quinton, CK General Manager of Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer-$246,860
Meredith Whitehead, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Vice-President of Transformation and Chief Nursing Executive-$241,452
Lambton-Kent District School Board Director of Education Gary Girardi earned $261,490 last year, while St. Clair Catholic District School Board Director of Education Lisa Demers' salary came in at $238,573.
CK Fire Chief Chris Case was paid $236,129 in 2025.
CK Mayor Darrin Canniff made $131,959 last year.
The 2025 list in CK grew to almost 1,000 who earned $100,000 or more, many of them police officers, firefighters, and teachers.
Click here to see the full list.
