Luis Feliu
Tweed Shire Council has a new general manager (GM) after a gruelling process to select a new boss following the sacking earlier this year of former GM David Keenan.
Troy Green (pictured), who has steered the organisation for the past nine months as acting GM since Mr Keenan’s contract was cut short, was the surprise selection by the seven councillors at an extraordinary meeting last Friday.
The choice of Mr Green, a dedicated bureaucrat who gets on well with colleagues at Council, councillors, ratepayers and media, is also expected to be well received by staff.
The selection process took the best part of the year, with many of the more than 30 candidates being interviewed for the position, and one false start when a candidate rejected an offer to take up the role months ago.
The final chapter in the drawn-out process came when councillors on Friday night resolved to offer the GM job to Mr Green after a second round of interviews with three applicants earlier in the day.
Mr Green, 42, the council’s former technology and corporate services director, considered the offer over the weekend and accepted it, beginning a five-year contract starting today (Monday).
Mr Green started his role with Council at the beginning of 2007.
Tweed mayor Barry Longland this morning praised his new GM.
‘During that time, Troy has been a very effective member of Council’s executive management team, bringing senior management experience from his former posts at the Liverpool and Marrickville councils,’ Cr Longland said.
‘I’m delighted Council resolved to appoint Troy to the position, after an exhaustive selection process involving candidates from throughout Australia and overseas.
‘He has been a very effective bridge between the mayor’s office, the councillors and the organisation during his time in the acting general manager’s role, while maintaining enthusiasm and focus for our staff to continue to deliver quality services to the Tweed community.’
Cr Longland said Mr Green had a strong regional focus, with a passion, commitment and initiatives to meet the challenges facing the Tweed.
‘That drive is matched by a caring approach and a dedication to excellent customer service by the organisation,’ he said.
Mr Green holds a Bachelor of Science Degree (Pure Maths), a Graduate Diploma in Education, and has been engaged in ongoing professional development including his recently completed Excellence in Local Government Leadership Program at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.
He lives in the Tweed with wife Rebecca and their three children who attend school in the shire.
Mr Green said his initial priority was to ‘build upon the momentum we have achieved during the past nine months, to further develop the relationships we have established with the community’.
‘In addition, Council needs to be well placed to achieve the best possible outcome from the local government reform agenda,’ he said.
‘We will also be focused on completing major infrastructure projects such as the Kirkwood Road extension, the Margaret Olley Art Centre, the Tweed Regional Museum extension in Murwillumbah and progressing projects like the Tweed Heads Streetscape works in Bay and Wharf Street.’