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New Leadership Team Appointed at Kaipara District Council

Thursday 16 June 2011, 7:23AM

By Kaipara District Council

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NORTHLAND

A new leadership team of a General Manager Operations, a General Manager Policy and Governance and a Manager Corporate Services has been appointed by the Kaipara District Council. They will join Chief Executive Jack McKerchar as the organisation’s new Executive Team.

The General Manager Operations, who is responsible for Council activities affecting the community, is John Burt, who until recently was General Manager Commercial at Adshel NZ Limited. John has a vast experience across industry sectors specialising in operations, logistics management, people leadership and commercial leadership. This role looks after all infrastructure, community spaces, regulatory activities as well as emergency management.

Glennis Christie, formerly working with the Auckland Council, is the General Manager Policy and Governance responsible for ensuring Council is adequately informed and advised so it can make the best possible decisions for the District. Glennis has spent sixteen years specialising in the niche advisory areas of treasury, financial management, financial and economic analysis, policy, planning and strategy, governance and stewardship, risk management and internal audit. She brings a very wide range of expertise into the team

The Corporate Services Manager is Barbara Ware who is responsible for having the organisation operating to a high standard and delivering to the stakeholders expectations. Barbara is transferring from the Policy and Governance Manager position and brings with her a wide experience of corporate services management in government and the private sector. This role has responsibilities for all administration functions, customer services and libraries

“We have been very fortunate with the calibre of candidates attracted to these positions” Chief Executive Jack McKerchar commented. “Council is going to have a level of expertise which is not usually available to councils of Kaipara’s size.”

The reorganisation is focused on lifting the organisations performance for its customers and ratepayers as well as giving better support to the Councillors in their governance role and areas in which the Council has requested improved performance of the organisation. Mr McKerchar is confident that the new team with its skills and focus will deliver the outcomes sought by the Council.

The new Executive Team will operate through a series of activity managers who will deliver the services to the Council and the community. These roles are: -

  • Operations: Manager Infrastructure, Manager Community Spaces, Manager Regulatory and Information Technology Project Manager
  • Policy and Governance: Policy and Planning Manager, Management Accountant and Monitoring Team
  • Corporate Services: Corporate Services Support Leader (which includes the Library and Kaiwaka Offices), Records Management and Document Production

The new structure is designed to deliver excellent performance to each group of stakeholders:

  1. The community be they ratepayers, residents, visitors or businesses;
  2. The elected Council as the governance body of the District; and
  3. The staff to ensure it has the training and tools to deliver excellent service.

The aim of the Council is to be the “Best Little Council in New Zealand” and the reorganisation is the first step in achieving that goal. “We have the staff, we have the will and now we have the organisation and leadership to achieve this.” commented Mr McKerchar.