This week saw the announcement of the appointment of four directors to the MidCoast Council's management team. Each of the three directors from the old Great Lakes Council have now been appointed as directors of the new Council.
Ron Hartley - previously Director of Engineering Services with Great Lakes becomes Director of Engineering and Infrastructure. This role will include responsibility for all of the civil infrastructure such as roads, drainage, flooding, coastal processes and technical engineering advice.
Lisa Schiff maintains her previous Great Lakes role and title of Director of Planning and Natural Systems.
Both Ron and Lisa are quite familiar with North Arm Cove through their many interactions with us over a number of years.
Steve Embry takes on the role of Director of Corporate and Business Systems. He had the title of Corporate and Community Services in the former Great Lakes Council.
The fourth director, Paul De Szell, comes from the previous Greater Taree Council where he had been Executive Leader of Service Delivery for around 18 months. Paul will be Director of Community Spaces and Services. This introduces a structural concept into Mid Coast Council which did not exist in any of the pre-existing Councils. Paul has said “Community Spaces and Services brings together a comprehensive range of service provision areas that directly affect our community". From the title and brief description it certainly sounds as though the North Arm Cove community should be getting to know Paul De Szell!
Before moving to his position at Greater Taree from the ACT, Paul De Szell had worked for several years (until 2004) with Great Lakes Council as a Senior Town Planner - meaning that he is already familiar with our area. Paul's new role will include responsibilities for parks and recreation as well as buildings, including wharves, jetties and the like. However, the day to day operational works in this part of the Council area will be undertaken by Engineering acting as a contractor to the other divisions. This is because it would be wasteful to have managers running all over the shire managing what would be otherwise small work teams.
