A
commitment to a community-first approach is behind a new-look executive
leadership team at the Central Otago District Council (CODC).
This week
a new structure will go live at the Council, including a reshaped Executive
Leadership Team and a reshuffling of existing teams to new reporting lines.
CEO
Sanchia Jacobs said the new structure will give her team “more capacity to
explicitly focus on the community and create the space needed for the executive
to focus on some of the big conversations happening in the local government
sector”.
“Bringing
together those functions that interface with our community is a genuine step
forwards for our organisation, and at a time when focusing on
the community we serve has never been more important. The new structure, which
includes the addition of one role created within existing budgets as well as
internal promotions, will help enhance our ability to achieve all the great
things we are here to deliver for our community and amazing region. It will
also give our executive the opportunity to focus more on the strategic space,
ensuring we can engage appropriately in a rapidly changing local government
environment and deliver on the vision that our elected members set on behalf of
the community,” she said.
Dylan
Rushbrook, formerly General Manager of Tourism Central Otago, has stepped into
the role of Group Manager - Community Vision. He will be responsible for
community development, communications & engagement, economic development,
strategy & policy, and tourism. Dylan has held senior roles in recruitment,
sales and marketing, and governance positions with Dunedin Venues, Regional
Tourism NZ and the Southern Lakes Event Investment Panel, and he has a young
family that he is committed to continuing to raise in Central Otago. Anthony
Longman from the Tourism Central Otago team has been appointed the new Head of
Destination to replace Dylan in his former role.
David
Scoones joins CODC as Group Manager - Community Experience. David, a former
Chair of the Cromwell Youth Trust, has returned home to New Zealand from
Australia with his wife and children. He will lead the parks, pools, libraries
and customer services functions. David has had a number of senior roles in the
private sector where he has led large teams, strategy programmes and, most
importantly of all, end-to-end customer experience programmes.
Saskia
Righarts, who held the Chief Advisor role at council since 2018, took up her
new position as Group Manager - Business Support in September this year. Saskia
leads the information services, risk and procurement, finance and governance
functions. She has a strong legal background, and has held senior roles at the
New Zealand Police and the Ministry of Justice in Wellington.
Louise van
der Voort, who has held the role of Executive Manager - Planning &
Environment since 2004 has a change of title from this week to Group Manager –
Planning and Infrastructure. She continues to oversee the planning and
regulatory functions, and property team, and now also takes on responsibility
for roading and environmental services (waste services and sustainability
initiatives).
Louise
Fleck, who has been seconded to an executive role for some time leading
libraries, customer services and people and culture functions, was confirmed
permanently as General Manager - People & Culture. She will focus on the
important tasks of Human Resources, organisational culture initiatives, and
health, safety & wellbeing. Prior to joining council Louise had extensive
career in The Warehouse Group managing stores.
Julie Muir,
formerly an Executive Manager – Infrastructure Services, took on the role of
Three Waters Director in July this year – a position jointly funded by Otago
and Southland councils, and continues to oversee CODC’s water services and
capital works programme.
